Stephen Learns the Meaning of Assertiveness

Upon arrival to KDS, Stevie immediately asked me if I had heard anything else from the college. When I told him that I hadn’t, Stevie recommended I go to the college personally and ask if they’d received it. This was really useful as this is what I want to do after school yet many people will be applying for the course as well. By going up there direct, I would be leaving a good impression as it shows that I’m keen and would stand out as not many others would have taken this approach. Stevie then mentored me on assertiveness. It was effective therefore, that one of my tasks today was to research the definition of assertiveness and what that means to me. This included completing a questionnaire to learn about myself and also show how I can be assertive in everyday life. I now know that to be assertive is a way of communication; used correctly it means that you are politely confident and self-assured when you are speaking to someone.
I was working alongside Lynsey and Sarahjane today, and my first task was to carry out some background research on RBS, as this is where I am visiting next week to conduct another shadowing session. I’ve learned that it’s important to do research as it will prove that I am passionate about the opportunity I have been given and, again, will leave a strong, lasting impression.

Another task which stood out to me was doing my “Who Am I?” to the Youth Academy. This was totally different to last week where I had been speaking about “The Recruit” in front of 100 people, for this time I was speaking about myself and how I’ve been getting on at KDS. I wasn’t even nervous about this, reinforcing how much I’ve grown in confidence, which had been one of my goals to achieve during my time at KDS. Sarahjane told me that she too has noticed a big change in my confidence and the way I speak in front of an audience and this was encouraging as she has worked with me ever since the beginning of the Recruit.

Today I also assisted in the office by making up a new sheet listing everyone’s extension numbers. I enjoyed this task particularly as it involved me using my initiative to select the format of the sheet and how best to compile and present the information. It played to my strengths as I am competent on the computer and also encouraged me to work independently. I then completed a variety of other administration tasks, allowing my day to be varied. Assisting several members of the team meant I got to work with different personalities, which was beneficial as working as an Accountant will mean lots of interaction with clients, proving yet again how my work placement is preparing me for the future.

1 Comment

Posted by Joe Wilson on 13 March 2011

I really enjoy reading your blogs Stephen. It''s fantastic that you see the changes and recognise the differences you have made to yourself. Plenty of lessons and strategies for succeeding in life. You''re a very inspirational individual. Keep on keeping on!

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