The Assertiveness Game™ | Assertiveness Skills Training Activity

Raises awareness, stimulates discussion and gives confidence. Highly enjoyable, non-threatening approach.

Table-top boards provide a structure for teams to take it in turns to pick up three different types of card:

• What People Say Cards: teams share views and decide whether quotes taken from workplace situations are assertive, non-assertive, passive-aggressive or aggressive.
• Awareness Cards: contain a variety of issues to test knowledge and understanding of the topic.
• At Work Cards: contain a series of typical situations that occur at work. How would teams react?

All responses are noted on handouts, for reference at the Debrief. In just 60 minutes a wide range of assertiveness issues are presented for groups to consider, exchange ideas and build understanding.

This interactive, stand-alone training activity is ideal for introducing the topic of assertive behaviour. It looks at the characteristics of assertive behaviour, how to recognise the different levels of assertiveness and how to develop the appropriate level of assertiveness at work.

• Recognise the differences between assertive, non-assertive, passive-aggressive and aggressive behaviours
• Understand reasons behind aggressive behaviour
• Discuss and agree the benefits of assertiveness
• Learn and practise the language of assertive behaviour
• Recognise when is it appropriate to be assertive
• Improve assertive behaviour and self-esteem

1. Introduce the activity (with the option to use the PowerPoint supplied).
2. Issue a copy of the Questionnaire to each participant and after 5 minutes, ask everyone to score their own responses (guidance supplied on how to score and answers are for their eyes only to encourage honest responses).
3. Set up the boards, cards and playing pieces for each group and issue the handouts for recording responses. There are two boards and you can have up to six participants at each board. Decide on the order of the cards and which cards to use (you will not get through all 30).
4. Observe groups working through the cards.
5. Lead a discussion at the end to listen to groups & consolidate the learning.

Full guidance supplied in the Trainer’s Notes.

• Trainer’s Notes
• Trainer's PowerPoint
• Handout A - Questionnaire
• Handout B - Response Form: What People Say
• Handout C - Response Form: Awareness
• Handout D - Response Form: At Work
• Handout E - Key Points
• Game Boards x2
• Set of 30 Cards x2
• Set of six playing pieces & a dice x2

This activity is for face-to-face classroom use. It is supplied as a hard copy pack and the digital files are supplied via the Northgate Trainerhub.

This Northgate Training activity comes with a five-year licence for repeat use with up to 12 participants at a time, for use by Trainers based at one licence-holding site.

All Trainers physically based at the same office location can access the Northgate resources during the five-year term, including the digital resources supplied on the Trainerhub via your own site-specific Trainer Dashboard. If you have Trainers based at other locations, and/or remote workers, who would like to access and use the Northgate resources, we can advise further depending on your requirements.

For further information on our licence terms please view the Northgate Licence Agreement.