Hello, my friend! How are you? If you're out of time or "in a rush", go to the last paragraph of this text for a fast answer.

In times of immediate responses and connection 24 hours a day, talking about long-term transformation is a risk! But… we believe you can (and must!) dream big, and make a daily effort to get better every day. This is our mission - seeing you speaking English and being a Leader wherever you go. "The 5 Essential People Skills" was written by Dale Carnegie and its goal is to improve your people skills. In other words, to improve your relationships at work and at home.

Let's talk about the ability to recognize people's reactions. "Knowing how to recognize and deal with these reactions is extremely important. Unless you handle them correctly, you may indeed have behaved assertively while you were in the presence of the other party, and (pay attention here) you won't get the action you desire after the conversation is completed".

Dale says that aggression is the most common negative response to assertiveness. "In some situations there may be raised voices, red faces, and fists pounded on the table, along with all kinds of threats and intimidation". How can we avoid falling into these traps?

It's our responsibility to keep calm and assertive. The author explains that "one of the most dangerous things about anger is the fact that it's so highly contagious". Carnegie says we need to create immunity from it. Be sympathetic without backing down. Repeat your core message quietly but firmly, not matter how much drama you may encounter.

Negative behavior is recognized when you see aggression, and also when people apologize too much. Keep your focus respecting people's feelings and practice assertive responses. "You'll find there's a marked reduction in stress of all kinds. In fact, learning appropriate assertive behavior is one of the may ways by which anxiety is now treated", says Dale. What do you normally do to recognize bad behavior? Comment here and see you next class!