PKF Littlejohn LLP - Assertiveness Course

PKF Littlejohn LLP - Assertiveness Course

Delegate - Sylvia Ondolo - Financial Services Manager

Company - PKF Littlejohn LLP

Sylvia attended our Assertiveness Training Course

on 17th December 2013

Sylvia said

"I attended your assertiveness course on 17th December 2013, and started applying the skills I learnt right when I got back to the office.

I must say I have felt different, more confident and more in control of my world.

I have been able to confidently look at my boss when he wants to hand me more work and explained to him what else I was working on and when it was due, therefore negotiating a later deadline for the ‘new’ work that has arrived, or letting him know I will have to put something else down, if he wants me to pick up something else urgently.

That has worked for both of us, I guess! It has helped me avoid feeling guilty of saying no especially when someone has a request that I am not able to accommodate due to other work demands that I have. (Previously I would just accept everything and end up having to work late). It doesn’t mean, I am not being flexible, however, means that I am making sure my situation is understood, and negotiating better, although sometimes I have still have to put the extra hours as expected in my profession.

I have also been able to focus on my career and be more in control of what I want to achieve at my place of work, I have discussed my career development opportunities with my line manager (partner). I have given them time to consider it and once I saw this was not adequately being addressed instead they were pushing more work to me that was outside my area of interest. I decided to consider career opportunities outside my firm and I got a role that am very excited about.

When I went to speak to my line manager, he was shocked that I was leaving, since I was a very key person in the team. And we talked about it for half an hour. Before the meeting, I had really considered what I wanted to talk about just so that am not thrown off balance and words fail me. I was very composed. My boss commented that, in everything, even though he was sad to see me leave, (note, he didn’t accept my resignation yet, he asked me to think about it for one week and come back), he was very impressed with the way I had developed in confidence.

He commented that he didn’t think we could have such a comprehensive discussion a year ago. I was very proud of myself. I didn’t even remind him it was due to this course I had attended, but I knew why and I was glad that he could see the change in me. Throughout the discussion he made comments on the way he had noticed, I was speaking more during meetings (I can be very quiet), and he thought I was pushing myself more, which was good.

Thank you very much for doing a wonderful course."

This Assertiveness Course was run by