I’ve realized something about myself lately: I’m used to people kind of going along with my plans or ideas. Usually, when I propose something, people just agree or roll with it. But recently, I’ve been in situations where people push back or flat-out refuse to budge, and honestly, I don’t know how to handle it.
I’m not great at advocating for myself or holding my ground. I’ve never really learned how to navigate conflict or assert my opinions when I genuinely believe I’m right or have the better idea. My usual response is to either back down completely or overthink it afterward.
When that happens, I usually try to explain my whole thought process, why I think my idea makes sense, what the reasoning is behind it, and how it could benefit everyone. But if that still doesn’t get through, I honestly don’t know what to do next.
It’s especially tough in a professional setting. I tend to back down more quickly there because I don’t want to hold up the project or waste other people’s time arguing. But then I end up feeling like I didn’t really advocate for my idea, even if I truly believed it could’ve made things better.
For those of you who’ve learned how to stand your ground respectfully, how do you do it? How do you balance being assertive without coming off as difficult or combative?