Strong technical skills matter, but communicating your expertise clearly can shape how colleagues, managers and clients understand your contribution.

You can be technically excellent and still struggle to make your contribution visible.

You might stay quiet in meetings despite having something useful to add. You might accept another task when your workload is already full. Or you might explain what you completed without communicating why the work mattered.

In a recent webinar, Connor Clark explored how accountants can develop more assertive communication without becoming aggressive. His central distinction is useful: assertiveness means expressing your needs and views clearly while respecting the other person.

Here are five practical ways to apply that approach at work.

1. Know the difference between passive, aggressive and assertive communication

Passive communication often means putting other people's needs ahead of your own. You avoid disagreement, struggle to say no or leave your opinion unspoken.

Aggressive communication goes in the opposite direction. You push your position without properly considering or listening to the other person.

Assertive communication sits between the two.

You state what you think, need or recommend clearly. At the same time, you give the other person space to respond.

That distinction matters in accountancy because many conversations require both technical confidence and professional judgement. You may need to challenge an assumption, explain a risk or disagree with a proposed course of action.

The aim is not to dominate the conversation. It is to contribute clearly and constructively.

2. Prepare for important conversations with the CARE model

Clark introduced a simple framework for preparing your communication: clarity, awareness, respect and expression — CARE.

Clarity: What do you actually need to communicate? What outcome are you seeking?

Awareness: What are you thinking and feeling? Are you working with facts or making assumptions?

Respect: How can you communicate your position while respecting the other person's perspective?

Expression: How will you deliver the message clearly, confidently and directly?

This can be particularly useful before performance reviews, salary discussions, meetings or difficult conversations.

Preparation also gives you an opportunity to separate facts from assumptions. If you do not have enough information, ask questions rather than filling the gaps yourself.

3. Use boundaries to manage competing demands

Saying yes to every request can feel helpful. It can also leave your priorities competing with everybody else's.

An assertive response does not require an abrupt refusal. Instead, clarify what is being requested before committing.

Ask what needs to be done, when it is required and where it sits among existing priorities.

If a colleague asks for help when you are already committed elsewhere, you can explain that you need to focus on your current deadlines. Where appropriate, you can also confirm priorities with your manager before accepting additional work.

The same principle applies when the request comes from your manager. If you are at capacity, make that visible and ask which task should take priority.

This changes the conversation from simply accepting more work to making an informed decision about priorities.

4. Communicate outcomes, not only activity

Accountants can become less visible when they describe their work entirely through completed tasks.

Senior colleagues and stakeholders may need something different. They want to understand what matters, what the information means and what should happen next.

That means moving beyond:

“I completed the analysis.”

Instead, explain the result, its significance and any recommendation arising from it.

Consider questions such as:

• What changed because of this work?
• What risk or opportunity did you identify?
• What decision did your analysis support?
• What action do you recommend next?

This is not about self-promotion. It is about giving other people enough information to understand your professional contribution.

It can also help when communicating financial information to non-finance stakeholders. Verbal explanations do not have to do all the work. Charts, diagrams, slides or information shared beforehand may make a complex point easier to understand.

5. Handle feedback with facts and questions

Feedback can test assertive communication from both sides of the conversation.

When giving feedback, Clark recommends making it specific and focusing on behaviour or actions rather than personality. A private, scheduled conversation can also create a better setting than unexpected criticism in front of colleagues.

When receiving feedback, listen before responding.

If the feedback is valid, acknowledge it and decide what you will change. If you believe it is unfair, stay calm and ask for a specific example. If it is partly accurate, accept the part you recognise while clarifying what you disagree with.

Questions can be particularly valuable here.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Could you give me an example?”

“What would you have expected me to do differently?”

These questions move the conversation towards evidence and away from assumptions.

Assertiveness improves through practice

You do not need to become a different personality to communicate more assertively.

Start with one situation where you regularly hold back. It might be contributing an opinion during a meeting, discussing workload with your manager or asking for clarification instead of making an assumption.

Then consider what you can control: your preparation, words, tone and response.

You cannot control another person's reaction. You can control whether you communicate your position clearly and respectfully.

The practical challenge is to make that behaviour repeatable. Each conversation gives you another opportunity to practise speaking up, setting a boundary or explaining the value behind your work.

A useful starting question is simple: what is one conversation you have been avoiding, and what would a clear, respectful version of that conversation sound like?

Frequently asked questions about assertive communication for accountants

What is assertive communication?

Assertive communication means expressing your needs, opinions and feelings clearly and directly while respecting the other person. It differs from passive communication, where you may avoid disagreement or put your needs last, and aggressive communication, where you push your position without properly respecting others. For accountants, assertiveness can help when speaking in meetings, discussing workloads, giving recommendations and handling difficult conversations.

Why are assertive communication skills important for accountants?

Technical expertise alone does not always communicate your value to managers, clients or other stakeholders. Assertive communication helps you explain recommendations, highlight risks, discuss priorities and contribute to decisions. It can also help you establish clearer boundaries and manage requests. The aim is not to become louder or more forceful, but to communicate your professional judgement clearly and respectfully.

What is the difference between passive, aggressive and assertive communication?

Passive communication involves holding back your needs or opinions, often to avoid disagreement. Aggressive communication prioritises your own position without sufficient respect for the other person. Assertive communication balances both sides: you state what you think or need clearly while listening to and respecting the other person's perspective. This creates a two-way conversation rather than silence or confrontation.

How can accountants become more confident about speaking up in meetings?

Start by focusing on the contribution you can make rather than waiting to be invited to speak. Prepare the key point, evidence and outcome you want to communicate. When discussing financial information, explain what matters, what the information means and what you recommend doing next. Repeatedly practising small contributions can also help you develop greater confidence in expressing your professional judgement.

What is the CARE model for assertive communication?

The CARE model presented in the webinar stands for Clarity, Awareness, Respect and Expression. Clarity means knowing what you want to communicate. Awareness means recognising your thoughts, feelings and assumptions. Respect means considering both your needs and the other person's perspective. Expression means delivering your message clearly, confidently and directly. The model can help you prepare for meetings, performance reviews, salary discussions and difficult conversations.

How can accountants say no to additional work professionally?

First establish exactly what is being requested, including its scope and deadline. If you cannot take it on, give a clear and respectful response rather than automatically agreeing. Explain that you need to focus on existing priorities or deadlines. If the request comes from your manager, explain your current capacity and ask which task should take priority. Saying no to a request does not have to mean rejecting the person making it.

How should accountants manage competing priorities and requests?

Clarify deadlines, responsibilities and relative priorities before accepting additional work. If several tasks compete for your time, discuss them with your manager and establish what matters most. Where appropriate, consider whether work can be delegated. This approach makes workload decisions explicit rather than relying on assumptions or repeatedly accepting additional tasks without considering capacity.

How can accountants communicate their value to senior managers?

Focus on outcomes rather than simply listing completed tasks. Explain the result of your work, its business impact and any risks, opportunities or recommendations you identified. Senior stakeholders often need to understand three things: what matters, what it means and what should happen next. Communicating at that level helps other people understand the contribution behind your technical work.

How should you give constructive feedback at work?

Give feedback in an appropriate one-to-one setting where possible and make it specific. Focus on the situation, task, actions or behaviour rather than criticising the person's personality. Recognise what worked before explaining where improvement is needed. The purpose should be to encourage improvement and development rather than simply identify what somebody did wrong.

How should you respond to criticism or negative feedback?

Listen to the feedback before responding and ask questions where you need clarification. If the criticism is valid, acknowledge it and consider what action you should take. If you believe it is inaccurate, calmly ask for specific examples or evidence. If it is partly accurate, acknowledge the part you accept while clarifying the part you disagree with. This keeps the discussion focused on facts rather than assumptions.

How can accountants set healthier workplace boundaries?

Start by identifying what is acceptable to you and where competing demands are affecting your priorities. Before agreeing to extra work, consider your existing workload, deadlines and responsibilities. Where necessary, communicate your capacity clearly and discuss priorities with your manager. Boundaries are not simply about refusing work; they provide a framework for making deliberate decisions about your time, energy and focus.

What can you control during a difficult workplace conversation?

You can control your preparation, words, tone and response. You cannot control another person's opinions, emotions or reactions. Preparing your message, checking your assumptions and deciding what outcome you want can help you respond more deliberately. If an unexpected question arises, you do not need to have every answer immediately; you can ask for clarification or gather more information before responding.

Can assertive communication skills be learned?

The webinar presents communication as a skill that can be developed through effort, feedback and practice. Rather than treating yourself as either a “good” or “bad” communicator, focus on specific behaviours you can improve. That might mean speaking once during a meeting, asking a clarifying question or addressing a request you would normally accept automatically. Repeated practice can help make assertive responses more familiar.

How can accountants communicate financial information to non-finance stakeholders?

Start with the outcome or decision the stakeholder needs to understand rather than relying solely on technical detail. Explain what matters, what the numbers mean and what action you recommend. Visual aids such as graphs, diagrams or slides can also support verbal communication where appropriate. The objective is to make your expertise understandable enough to inform the other person's decision.

The contents of this article are meant as a guide only and are not a substitute for professional advice. The authors accept no responsibility for any action taken, or refrained from, as a result of the material contained in this document. Specific advice should be obtained before acting or refraining from acting, in connection with the matters dealt with in this article.