                           10.  ASSERTIVE SUPERVISION.
        
             The terms nonassertive, aggressive, and assertive can be
        used both positively and negatively.  Nonassertive often refers
        to both a polite, deferential style of interaction and a wishy-
        washy approach.  The term aggressive refers to described a
        forceful, energetic, approach to the world and to describe
        someone who acts in ways that infringe upon others.  Assertive is
        used in both positive and negative ways.  For some, assertive is
        associated with clear, confident communication.  For others, it
        represents a selfish, egocentric approach to life that undermines
        working together to common goals.
        
             A supervisor acting nonassertively does not say what he or
        she wants or feels, speaks indirectly or apologetically, says
        something about a problem to the wrong problem to the wrong
        person, waits too long to confront a problem, gives up too
        easily, and compromises without making his or her needs clear. 
        He or she tends to use words, voice characteristics, and body
        language that appear pleading and wishy-washy and tend to be
        discounted or elicit argument from others.
        
             The supervisor acting aggressively tends to blame and make
        judgmental criticisms, attribute negative intentions to others,
        act with too much power and too quickly, and refuse to listen or
        negotiate and compromise.  The words he or she chooses and his
        voice characteristics and body language tend to put others on the
        defensive and make them feel threatened or cornered.  
        
             Finally, the assertive supervisor makes clear, direct,
        nonapologetic statements about his or her expectations and
        feelings, criticizes in a descriptive rather than a judgmental
        way, persists following through on issues even if he meets
        resistance, listens to others' views respectfully, and negotiates
        and compromises.  He or she does all of these things using words,
        voice characteristics, and body language that will be taken
        seriously without humiliating others.  
        
             Many stereotypes about assertiveness exist.  Some of these
        images come from popular literature, some from observing or
        talking to people who have attended assertive training
        workshops,a and some from the assertive literature itself (Smith,
        1975).  To destroy stereotypical notions regarding assertiveness,
        consider the following conditions under which it is the most
        productive supervisory style.
        
        1.   Assertiveness is not a "do your own thing" philosophy. 
             Although assertiveness techniques can be used to pursue
             personal instead of organizational goals, assertiveness here
             is used in the service of effectively carrying out the
             supervisor's obligations to the organization.  In the
             assertiveness model being described, insisting on "doing
             your own thing" and ignoring organizational priorities and
             the rights and needs of others is aggressive and not
             assertive.
        
        2.   Asserting yourself doesn't guarantee you will always get
             what you want.  Many people believe that assertiveness
             implies getting their own way regardless of others' needs
             and priorities.  This often leads to unpleasant social
             interactions.  It is also unrealistic.  There are many
             personal and organizational constraints on everyone. 
             Assertion often requires imaginatively looking for
             alternative ways to solve a problem when personal or
             organizational constraints make a particular change
             impossible.  An assertive supervisor would look for ways to
             streamline time-consuming paperwork when a tight budget
             makes assertion to get more staff impractical, rather than
             helplessly saying, "Oh, isn't this awful?  Someone should do
             something."  Assertiveness does not require that a
             supervisor continue to "beat her head against a brick wall." 
             Continuing to push for change when constraints are made
             clear can create a great deal of frustration and therefore
             damage the supervisor's effectiveness on issues where change
             is possible.  
        
        3.   Assertiveness is not an invitation to be rude, obnoxious,
             and unpleasant.  There is no incompatibility between
             assertiveness and courtesy.  Assertiveness requires
             courteous, respectful treatment of others.  It is the
             embodiment of the "Golden Rule."  It implies that you should
             respect and value others and respect and value yourself.  It
             is entirely possible to be powerful and firm and to be
             polite and respectful at the same time.  Finally,
             assertiveness emphasizes a respectful firmness.
        
        4.   You don't have to be assertive all the time.  It is unlikely
             that anyone can be assertive all of the time.  People vary
             in their strengths and weaknesses in their ability to be
             assertive.  Assertiveness does not pretend to create a rigid
             new set of rules for all behavior in all situations. 
             Aggressive and nonassertive approaches may be the most
             effective responses in certain circumstances.  Sometimes it
             may not be worth the risk to be assertive.  Some employees,
             for instance, will respond to another style (Drury, 1984).
        
             In the context of Assertive Supervision, the following
        underlying assumptions are made regarding human nature and how
        people want and need to be treated.  They dovetail nicely with
        principles presented earlier in the section on motivating
        employees.
        
        1.   People want to do a good job (McGregor, 1960).
        
        2.   People have a powerful need to save face (Maslow, 1954).
        
        3.   Failing to tell someone about a problem is not doing him a
             favor (Alberti & Emmons, 1975).
        
        4.   No one can force anyone else to change (Bower & Bower,
             1975).
        
        5.   Assertiveness will not always work right away (Jubowski &
             Lange, 1978).
        
             Supervisory style is a powerful influence on building
        involved teamwork.  Style consists of what action a supervisor
        takes and how quickly.  Employees respond differently to
        nonassertive, aggressive, and assertive styles.  Though all three
        styles are sometimes necessary, Drury (1984) maintained that an
        overall assertive approach is the best one for building teamwork
        within an organization. 
        
             Changing behavior is difficult, and if a supervisor's style
        is not assertive but predominately, one of the other two, change
        can be painful.  New assertive behaviors may feel awkward for a
        time.  Change takes time, and the supervisor practicing
        assertiveness is encouraged to do so in simple situations first
        and not in complex ones.  
        
             According to Drury (1984) nonassertive supervisors follow
        certain patterns of behavior.  These affect their performance and
        the performance of their employees and co-workers.  What are
        these characteristics?
        
        1.   No expression of expectations and feelings.
                  Question: Do you find yourself holding back your views
                            on issues, particularly when you sense that
                            the other person might disagree or be upset
                            by your views?
        
        2.   Views stated indirectly and apologetically.
                  Question: In an effort to be tactful, do you disguise
                            your opinions so well that others have to
                            guess what you really mean?
        
        3.   Complaints often made to the wrong person.
                  Question: Do you find that you often complain about
                            situations to someone who can't do anything
                            to change the situation?
        
        4.   Problems are not confronted soon enough.
                  Question: Do you often put off raising issues you know
                            you should confront?
        
        5.   No persistence.
                  Question: Do you find that you often end up giving in
                            when you start out being assertive?
        
        6.   Unclear negotiation and compromise.
                  Question: Do you find yourself not stating what you
                            want when you are negotiating or
                            compromising?
             On the following page is a self-test to measure your
        understanding of the nonassertive supervisory style.
        
                       NONASSERTIVE SUPERVISORY SELF-TEST
        
             Directions:  Pick the nonassertive response in the following
        situations and specify what cues you used.
        
        1.   Cora has an employee who comes to her several times an hour
             for help on problems she could solve herself.
                  a.   Cora complains to her supervisor almost daily
                       about the worker.
                  b.   Cora tells the employee she needs to attempt to
                       solve problems herself before asking for help.
        
        2.   Don is convinced that the new reporting procedure is slowing
             productivity and has some data to prove it.
                  a.   He schedules a meeting with his supervisor to
                       discuss the data and talk about possible ways to
                       modify the procedure.
                  b.   He hopes management will see and correct the
                       obvious problem.
        
        3.   Laura needs her manager's backing when she confronts an
             employee.  
                  a.   She has a conversation with her supervisor about
                       problem employees in general and the need for
                       management support.
                  b.   She has a conversation with the supervisor in
                       which she describes the situation with that
                       employee and asks whether the supervisor will
                       support her in reprimanding that employee.
        
        4.   Danielle has been taking on extra work from another unit.  
                  a.   She will say something as soon as she begins to
                       feel this is a problem.
                  b.   She lets the situation go until she is fuming
                       about the unfair and unreasonable demands of the
                       other departments and then has an angry
                       confrontation.
        
        
        
                              Answers to Self-Test
        
        1.   a is the nonassertive response because she complains to the
             wrong person.  b is assertive because she makes her comments
             to the person involved.
        
        2.   b is the nonassertive response because he does not express
             his expectations and feelings but just waits for the
             situation to change.  a is assertive because he takes an
             active role.
        
        3.   a is the nonassertive response because she is too direct in
             expressing what she wants.  b is assertive because she
             expresses her feelings when the problem begins.
        
        4.   b is the nonassertive response because she waits too long to
             confront the problem.  a is assertive because she expresses
             her feelings when the problem begins.
        
        
             Certain kinds of language present cues to reveal the
        nonassertive supervisory style.  One way that a supervisor can
        learn to identify his or her style is to listen to the words used
        in interactions with employees.  
        
             Minimizing words.  Phrases and words like kind of, a little,
        sort of, maybe, and perhaps, inadvertently tell others that
        particular communications are not to be taken seriously.  One way
        that someone appears nonassertive and dilutes his impact on
        others is by using minimizing words.  People are less likely to
        pay attention to statements that are delivered in a minimized way
        (Eisen, 1984).  
        
             Apologetic statements.  Nonassertive responses are often
        preceded or followed by phrases that reduce their impact. 
        Sentences like "I know that this will be a bother and you
        probably won't want to do it, but could you possibly help me with
        this project?"  and "I'd really like some help with this project
        if you don't mind too much and can fit it into your schedule with
        no hassle" are examples of this (Smith, 1975).  
        
             Statements made about people in general instead of to a
        specific person.  Nonassertive supervisors will sometimes
        confront a problem with a particular employee by announcing in a
        meeting that "Some people around here have been taking too long a
        lunch hour lately."  The guilty person is often insensitive to
        the statement being made.  A motivated, cooperative employee
        might very well take the hint, examine his performance, and makes
        the necessary changes without any more specific intervention from
        the supervisor.  The less motivated, less self-aware employee
        could easily fail to see the message relevant to him (Eisen,
        1985).
        
             General instead of specific behavioral descriptions. 
        Employees need to know exactly what they are doing to create a
        problem if they are to be able to change.  One common
        nonassertive word choice is to use general, inclusive
        descriptions of problems rather than pinpointing specific
        performance problems.  Comments like "Your performance could be
        better" or "Your performance is inadequate" or "You should work
        harder" might serve as effective introductions to a clearer, more
        specific description of the problem.  If a supervisor tells an
        employee to "work harder," he may mean that he wants the employee
        to take shorter lunch hours, not to make personal phone calls, to
        increase the pace of his work, not to make so many trips to the
        water cooler, or any number of other specific behaviors (Eisen,
        1985).  
        
             Statements disguised as questions.  Another common
        nonassertive word choice is to ask a question that is really a
        disguised request or statement of opinion.  "You wouldn't want to
        use that procedure with this problem, would you?" or "Don't you
        think that Mr. Jones is being unfair?" are questions that permit
        the questioner to express a point of view without having to take
        responsibility for it.  There are many people who respond to this
        type of rhetorical questioning by treating it as a pure question
        (Eisen, 1985).
        
             The impact of an interaction is determined not only by the
        words used, but also by the voice characteristics and by body
        language.  Nonverbal cues are often far more important
        determinants of other's reaction than verbal cues (Henley, 1977). 
        Becoming aware of nonverbal cues requires careful observation of
        self and others.
        
             Some of these are:
        
        1.   Pleading or questioning voice tone.
        
        2.   Lack of eye contact.
        
        3.   Hesitation.
        
        4.   Slumping downtrodden posture.
        
        5.   Words and nonverbal messages that don't match.
        
             Nonassertiveness does cause problems for the supervisor. 
        Some of these problems are:
        
        1.   Physical tension.
        
        2.   An "unfinished" feeling.
        
        3.   Resentment.
        
        4.   Uncertainty.
        
        5.   Negative feelings.
        
        6.   Lack of respect.
        
        7.   Attack and manipulation.
        
             When is the nonassertive supervisory style the best?
        Here are some situations.
        
        1.   When the risks of assertiveness are too great.  
        
        2.   When it is simply not worth the trouble to be assertive.
        
        3.   When it is not the appropriate time to be assertive.
        
             There are four major inhibitions to assertiveness.  These
        are:
        
        1.   Guilt.
        
        2.   Fear and anxiety.
        
        3.   Doubt.
        
        4.   Nice-guy Image.
        
             Each of the four above inhibitions can seriously affect the
        supervisor's ability to be assertive.  When these are present, it
        is difficult for the nonassertive supervisor to change his or her
        style even though it may be extremely necessary.  
        
             The following behavior patterns, Drury (1985) wrote,
        characterize an aggressive supervisory style.  All these patterns
        have in common the tendency to make people defensive.
        
        1.   Critical expression of expectations and feelings. 
             Aggressive people express their expectations and feeling by
             attacking the other person.  The most common effect of this
             kind of management style is to put the other person on the
             defensive.  People tend to stop listening when they feel
             they are being attacked and thus don't hear the part of the
             message that may be constructive.
                       Question: Are you critical of others when you
                                 express your expectations and feelings?
        
        2.   Blaming and judgmental criticisms.  When there is a problem,
             the aggressive supervisor usually will attack the other
             person rather than describe the situation and discuss
             strategies for solving the problem.  The emphasis is on
             discovering who is to blame for the problem instead of
             working together to solve the problem.  The aggressive
             supervisor believes that making an employee accept blame for
             problems and see his or her problems and see her personality
             faults is often thought of as a way to motivate the person
             to change.
                       Question: Do you find yourself that you often make
                                 assumptions about what particular
                                 employee actions mean?  
        
        3.   "Muscle level" too high.  Muscle level refers to the
             strength or leverage of someone's interactions with others. 
             There are four levels of muscle (Butler, 1976).
                  
        Muscle Level I is a polite request: "I'd like you to let us know
        when you can't come to a steering committee meeting."
                  
        Muscle Level II is a request that is stronger in word choice,
        voice characteristics, and body language.  "When you don't let us
        know that you're going to miss a meeting, we sometimes end up
        meeting without a quorum, which is useless.  I need to know when
        you can't make a meeting."
                  
        Muscle Level III is a statement of the consequences if the
        behavior doesn't change: "If you can't let us know when you'll
        miss a meeting we will have to ask you to resign from the
        committee."
                  
        Muscle Level IV is the application of the consequences stated in
        Level III:  "Since you have not been keeping us informed about
        your attendance, I will have to ask you to leave the committee."
                       Question: Do you find that sometimes you use
                                 Muscle Level III responses without using
                                 Levels I and II first?  If so, what
                                 happens?
        
        4.   Problems acted on too quickly.  While the nonassertive
             person waits too long to act, the aggressive person often
             "shoots from the hip" - acts too quickly without finding out
             all of the facts.  Aggressive people tend to draw very quick
             conclusions, when coupled with a tendency not to listen
             carefully to others, can lead to impulsive action. 
             Aggressive action can interfere with systematic problem
             solving.
                       Question: Do you find yourself acting on issues
                                 quickly without considering all aspects
                                 of the situation and potential
                                 solutions?
        
        5.   Unwillingness to listen.  If others' ideas are basically
             seen as irrelevant or wrong, there is no particular reason
             to listen to them.  The aggressive person is much more
             likely to interrupt someone to finish what he or she wants
             to say than to stop and listen to the other person.  In a
             crisis, aggressive people are much more likely to say what
             they think about the problem over and over than to try to
             find out how someone else sees the problem.  The
             disadvantage of this is that the aggressive person misses a
             great deal of useful information by not listening.
                       Question: Do the people who work with you seem to
                                 feel free to talk to you about problems?
        
        6.   Refusal to negotiate and compromise.  The aggressive person
             wants what he or she wants when he or she wants it.  Since
             aggressive people ar generally convinced that they are right
             and that their priorities are most important, they simply
             are not interested in negotiation and compromise.  They
             often view other peoples' needs or organizational priorities
             as attempts to question their authority or sabotage their
             work.  
                       Question: Do you find yourself insisting that
                                 everything be done your way (pp. 52-54)?
        
             The kinds of words used by a supervisor are often a
        reflection of the aggressive style.  Loaded words like lazy,
        incompetent, stupid, unmotivated, and worthless are judgmental in
        themselves and often provoke a negative reaction.  A "you"
        statement is you followed by a loaded word.  Even you followed by
        a description of the same behavior tends to provoke more
        defensiveness than a description of the same behavior done
        without a verbal fingerpointing "you" statement.  Another way to
        put a person on the defensive is to tell him that he "never" does
        his work on time or the he is "always" late.  It is rarely true
        that a person never does what he is supposed to do.  When a
        supervisor uses "always" or "never" statements, employees will
        tend to defensively point out the exceptions.  Another aggressive
        approach is to ask a question that really expresses a judgement. 
        The nonassertive person asks a question and hides his feelings. 
        The aggressive person asks a question, but makes his real
        feelings obvious through word choice, voice tone, and body
        language.  
        
             Assertively phrased sentences can sound quite aggressive if
        delivered in an aggressive, overbearing tone of voice.  Since
        most people are not aware of their own tone of voice, recognizing
        this subtle sign of aggressiveness may be difficult.  A loud
        voice volume is one indicator of an aggressive supervisor. 
        Although speaking in a tone of voice that clearly projects is
        necessary for an assertive style, shouting almost always appears
        aggressive.  Since the aggressive person is not really interested
        in listening to other people's points of view, she often does not
        give them an opportunity to finish what they are saying.  While
        the nonassertive person avoids eye contact, the aggressive person
        may stare at someone without really making eye contact.  Staring
        at someone can certainly be more powerful than not making eye
        contact at all.  This can be intimidating and minimize access to
        information about the other person's actions.  A supervisor can
        communicate aggressiveness by standing over someone with his or
        her hands on hips, pointing a finger at someone, or moving so
        close to someone that personal space is invaded.  
        
             Drury (1984) contended that one of the reasons it can be
        very difficult to alter an aggressive interaction style is that
        aggressive behavior doesn't create as many painful internal
        signals that can motivate the supervisor to change. 
        Nonassertiveness is generally accompanied by a great deal of
        internal tension or a strong sense that somehow something more
        should be said or done.  This is not true of the aggressive
        person.  The aggressive supervisor's most common emotion is
        anger, or its less controlled form - rage.  
        
             The real cue for what aggressive supervision is is what it
        does to others.  One way to know if someone is being aggressive
        is to notice when the other people respond as if they are being
        attacked.  Drury (1984) listed a number of defensive signals that
        can mean someone feels he is being attacked:
        
        1.   Physical withdrawal.
        
        2.   Monosyllabic answers or less verbal interaction.
        
        3.   Increase in explanations, excuses, or justification.
        
        4.   Nonverbal agitation such as fidgeting, breaking eye contact.
        
        5.   Anger or frustration, which may emerge as sullenness.
        
        6.   Avoidance of contact altogether (p. 62).
        
             There are some situations in which the aggressive
        supervisory style may be very useful.  Using it may be a very
        effective way to get a person's attention and impress on him or
        her that the issue being confronted is an important one. 
        Aggressiveness can be used to communicate to a distracted or
        inattentive employee that the supervisor means business--that he
        has reached a limit.  Becoming aggressive can also be a way to
        clear the air when a great deal of tension has built up in a
        relationship.  there are times when most people need to just
        "blow off steam" (Bach & Goldberg, 1974).  Some people will
        escalate conflict in an interaction until they provoke an
        aggressive response.  They see assertiveness as a sign of
        weakness.  With this kind of person, an aggressive approach may
        be necessary in order for him to recognize that a limit has been
        set.  There are other kinds of power confrontations in which
        aggressive responses may be necessary in order to intimidate the
        opponent and thereby enhance personal power and are described in
        considerable detail in other books (Korda, 1975; Ringer, 1977).  
        
             There are many aggressive people who are successful in
        organizations.  They are generally aggressive only when it is not
        likely to get them in trouble.  Aggressiveness is not recommended
        to supervisors though, because it is a high-risk strategy and the
        long-term effects on working relationships can be detrimental.
        
             As with the other two, the assertive style is characterized
        by certain behavior patterns.  Drury (1984) maintained that the
        assertive supervisor can be easily recognized by these effective
        patterns.
        
        
        1.   Clear, direct, nonapologetic expression of expectations and
             feelings.  An assertive supervisor usually states in the
             first few minutes of an interaction exactly what he or she
             wants.  Statements are specific and are directly addressed
             to the person for whom they are meant.  His or her
             statements are not buried by apologetic or indirect
             introductions or followed by rambling comments that blunt
             their impact.  The direct, assertive supervisor takes
             responsibility for taking care of him or herself in the
             world.  Others do not have to try to take care of him, nor
             is he dependent on the willingness and ability of others to
             guess what is needed.  
                       Question: Do you let others know where you stand
                                 on issues?  
        
        2.   Descriptive instead of judgmental criticisms.  Assertive
             criticism describes behavior that is creating problems
             without attacking the person involved.  The purpose of
             assertive criticism is to solve the problem, not to punish
             the other person for his or her behavior.  The language used
             is not "loaded" and the process involves mutually exploring
             what is preventing things from working and generating
             concrete plans for improvement.
                       Question: Do you give your employees feedback when
                                 their performance isn't up to standard? 
                                 
        
        3.   Persistence.  The assertive supervisor will continue to
             follow through on an issue until it is resolved.  He or she
             looks for other ways to solve a problem when one way is
             blocked.  The Alcoholics Anonymous prayer offers a
             reasonable motto for assertiveness in business as well:
                       God, grant me the courage to change the things
                       that I can change, the serenity to accept the
                       things I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the
                       difference (A.A. International, 1954).
        
                  The assertive supervisor takes the stance which
                  involves courage to change what can be changed through
                  persistent, effective action and the serenity to
                  gracefully accept what cannot be changed?
                       Question: Are there times when you do not follow
                       through persistently?  
        
        4.   Willingness to listen.  An important characteristic of an
             assertive supervisory style of interaction is to listen to
             others.  In a meeting, the assertive person may disagree
             with others, but he or she always makes them feel that they
             have been listened to by him or her.  The result of
             listening effectively is that the supervisor communicates
             respect for the other persons.  The assertive style often
             takes a little longer initially because it generates a
             dialogue with the employee.  Problems are more likely to be
             solved because the assertive supervisor finds the source of
             the problem rather than settling on a quick or arbitrary
             solution.  It is important not only to be able to listen to
             what others say, but also to be able to communicate to them
             what is heard.  Active listening is a must if the supervisor
             is to be assertive.  
                       Question:  Can you think of someone in your
                       organization who seems especially good at
                       listening to others?
        
        5.   Negotiation and compromise.  The assertive supervisor is
             concerned with finding a way that both people in an
             interaction can win.  He or she persists in meeting needs
             and priorities, but not at the expense of the organization
             or the people.  Judgment, sensitivity, and awareness of self
             and others are the only guides for effectively balancing
             personal needs and views with those of other people. The
             assertive style does not maintain that compromise is always
             possible.  It only says that when possible, compromise and
             negotiation are likely to lead to more productive teamwork.
                       Question: Under what circumstances are you willing
                                 to negotiate and compromise and how do
                                 you make that decision (pp. 79-81)?
        
             Assertive word choices are neither apologetic, angry, nor
        judgmental, but are neutral and focused on solving problems. 
        Assertive statements command serious attention without arousing
        defensiveness.  They get right to the point.  It is not necessary
        to wade through a lot of language to figure out what the
        assertive person wants.  
        
             The assertive supervisor directs his or her remarks to a
        specific person and describes specific behaviors.  He or she
        avoids the communication error of bypassing by being precise. 
        The more general the supervisor is when describing behavior, the
        more danger there is that the other person will misunderstand
        what she wants.  
        
             The assertive supervisor would most likely say such things
        like "How can we resolve this?" or "Let's work on shortening
        turnaround time for these new programs."  It is essential that
        the supervisor provide a sense that the supervisor and the
        employee are working together on a specific problem.
        
             Demands tend to appear much more aggressive than requests. 
        In times of emergency, a demand might be more appropriate, in
        most cases, employees will be more cooperative when they are
        asked to do something rather than ordered to do something. 
        Avoiding demands except in emergencies not only elicits more
        cooperation, it also ensures that when a direction is actually
        given it is taken seriously.  Giving directions in every instance
        dilutes their effectiveness.
        
             Some of the assertive style's voice characteristics and body
        language are:
        
        1.   Even, powerful voice tone.
        
        2.   Eye contact.
        
        3.   Erect, relaxed posture.
        
        4.   Words and nonverbal messages match (Drury, 1984, 88).
             
             What are the effects of the assertive style of supervision
        on the individual?  The assertive supervisor possesses a sense of
        things having a "finished" feeling.  There is a sense of relief
        that accompanies assertive action.  He or she does not feel like
        a victim of circumstances.  Employees are more likely to
        cooperate with an assertive rather than a nonassertive or
        aggressive supervisor ensuring more teamwork.  The assertive
        style promotes trust because the supervisor is clear about where
        he or she stands and is willing to listen, negotiate, and
        compromise.  This clear, firm, and fair stand creates a personal
        commitment within employees to the achievement of organizational
        priorities and goals.  
        
             The basic motto of the assertive person is "I want to find a
        way for both of us to win.  I don't want to ignore my priorities
        to pay attention to yours" (Drury, 1981, p.92).  The most basic
        support for an assertive approach is to possess a positive self-
        image, or in Haney's (1986) terminology, and ERSI.  The assertive
        supervisor trusts others.  Even though he or she knows some
        employees will not be motivated to do a good job, he or she tends
        to assume good intentions (McGregor's Y Theory, 1957) of
        employees and looks for obstacles to productive work.  A feeling
        of entitlement supports assertiveness, meaning that the
        supervisor has the right to expect certain kinds of behaviors
        from his or her employees.  The assertive supervisor exhibits
        objectivity in whatever he or she does.  Minor irritations are
        not made into major catastrophes.  He or she bases supervisory
        behavior on the facts in the situation and not on assumptions
        about what a particular behavior means.  
        
             An assertive supervisory style is necessary if the
        supervisor hopes to be effective in motivating employees to
        perform up to their potential in his or her service.  This
        discussion could continue, but for the purposes of this paper,
        the information provided thus far adequately describes the three
        styles and how they are interrelated.  Each supervisor will
        eventually choose his or her preference, but given the
        characteristics of the first two, it is obvious that developing
        an assertive style will benefit any supervisor in creating an
        effective team environment which produces the greatest good for
        the organization, the employees and the supervisor.
