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Description

Assertiveness: Setting Boundaries, Saying No and Expressing Your Needs

A short module to stop agreeing out of reflex and state your position without aggression

  • 0.21 days — 1.5 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Saying yes to everything eventually comes at a cost: overload, frustration and late remarks that land badly. Conversely, an overly sharp reaction closes the discussion and leaves a lasting impression. Between the two, many people hesitate for lack of simple reference points.

This ninety-minute module sets out the foundations of assertiveness: recognising the attitudes at play, framing a refusal that holds and expressing a need. The short format favours a few phrasings that can be reused immediately rather than an exhaustive treatment of the subject.

Learning objectives

  • Identify the attitudes at play in a tense professional relationship
  • Frame a reasoned refusal without excessive justification
  • Express a need in the first person
  • Respond to repeated insistence while maintaining your position

What makes this programme different

A ninety-minute module built around three phrasings usable the very next day
Exercises based on sentences genuinely heard in the workplace
A personal follow-up sheet to test one situation each week

Programme

1Positioning Yourself in the Relationship

Attitudes and the Effects They Produce

  • Recognise avoidance, escalation and indirect approaches
  • Identify the situations that trigger these reactions
  • Gauge the effect of each attitude on the other person
  • Spot your own dominant tendency

2Saying No and Holding Your Position

Refusal and Insistence

  • State the refusal in the first sentence
  • Give a single reason without lengthy justification
  • Offer an alternative where one exists
  • Repeat your position in the face of insistence

3Expressing a Need

First-Person Phrasing

  • Name the need rather than the grievance
  • Speak about yourself without blaming the other person
  • Frame a concrete and verifiable request
  • Plan your reaction should the answer be no

Who is it for

Employees and managers who want a first practical approach to assertiveness.

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.