What I've learned about assertiveness at Amazon
Happy Friday! I’m Raika, a Senior UX and Conversation Designer at Amazon. If you’re new here, welcome! You can subscribe to my Secrets to Great UX Design newsletter for weekly insights. I share actionable ways to create great experiences, grow your career and more… for designers and non-designers.
During my first few weeks at Amazon, I asked my boss what format to use for a VUI deliverable. His response was to ask, “What did you do in your previous role?” That was not the response I was expecting. I was expecting there to be a standard at Amazon.
But his response was a gift. It reminded and encouraged me to lead instead of follow.
How would I ask that question now?
I’d approach the situation by saying something like:
“…this is how I put together my design deliverables in the past, is there a standard at Amazon that I should follow instead?”
A far more assertive way of asking the same question.
This shift offers the chance for a richer conversation and creates the opportunity to take my learnings and improve the process.
It can be easy to fall into the habit of asking others what to do or looking to someone else to provide possible solutions.
But leaders take the initiative and come up with solutions. By doing so, you’ll not only be seen as a valuable team member, but you’ll also be taking ownership and showing bias for action to find solutions or a path forward.
Here are a few more ways to practice assertiveness in the workplace:
Communicate clearly
Speak in a confident and direct manner, using “I” statements to express your own thoughts and feelings. Be honest if you don’t know something and offer to go find out.
Practice active problem-solving
Suggest solutions when discussing problems or concerns, instead of just complaining. Come to the table with ideas prepared when possible.
Be confident
Believe in yourself and your abilities, and don’t be afraid to speak up or take initiative. It’s not about being right all the time, what you say may spark an idea for someone else.
Listen actively
Listen to others, acknowledge their perspective and avoid interrupting them.
Seek out feedback
Ask for feedback from your boss and colleagues, and use it to improve your assertiveness skills.
A reflective mindset will serve you well. Keep engaging. Do what you can to not only identify problems but help solve problems, it’ll make you indispensable.
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That’s it for today. Thanks for reading!
Until next week,
raika