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Description

Assertiveness Level 1: Speaking Up, Setting Limits and Saying No

Three days to express your point of view and decline a request without aggression or discomfort

  • 3 days — 21 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Accepting an additional task when your diary is already full, letting an inappropriate remark pass, voicing a disagreement only once the meeting is over: taken individually, these concessions seem harmless. Repeated, they build up frustration and a reputation for unlimited availability that is difficult to correct later.

This 21-hour programme lays the foundations of assertiveness. Over three days participants identify their avoidance, attack and manipulation behaviours, learn to formulate a reasoned request and a reasoned refusal, to voice disagreement at the moment it arises and to receive criticism without over-explaining. Every technique is practised in realistic situations.

Learning objectives

  • Identify your avoidance, attack and manipulation behaviours
  • Formulate a precise request to a colleague or to your line manager
  • Decline a request by explaining your decision without lengthy justification
  • Express disagreement at the moment the situation arises
  • Receive justified or unjustified criticism without aggression

What makes this programme different

A refusal framework rehearsed until it can be delivered without hesitation
Role-play exercises built on the requests participants actually receive
An individual review of the situations where speaking up remains difficult

Programme

1Recognising Your Behaviour Under Pressure

Avoidance, attack and manipulation

  • Identifying your habitual reactions when faced with a request
  • Distinguishing between assertiveness, aggression and passivity
  • Spotting the situations where you systematically give in
  • The personal and professional cost of these reactions

2Making a Request

Stating what you need

  • Preparing a precise request with a clear deadline
  • Expressing the need and its context
  • Choosing the right moment and the right person
  • Handling an evasive answer

3Learning to Say No

Declining without damaging the relationship

  • Distinguishing between declining the request and rejecting the person
  • A short, reasoned refusal framework
  • Holding firm against repeated insistence
  • Offering an alternative where one exists

4Expressing Disagreement

In the moment and based on facts

  • Describing the problematic situation factually
  • Expressing your point of view without blaming others
  • Formulating a request for change
  • Holding your position when challenged

5Receiving Criticism and Praise

Accepting without defending yourself

  • Distinguishing between justified criticism and vague criticism
  • Questioning to obtain precise facts
  • Acknowledging what is fair without overstating it
  • Accepting praise without playing it down

Who is it for

Anyone who finds it difficult to express disagreement or decline a request in a professional setting.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.