Jenna Attempts Assertiveness

I generally have little trouble being assertive with: Joey, my siblings (particularly The Little Man), or close friends I have known for years.

I have trouble being assertive with: everyone else.

On Monday, I sent our newsletter down to the printers to be laid out and printed. Last month, they told me they needed a week to turn it around. I figured that, since it's going to be August and everyone else will probably be doing the same thing at the same time, I'd give them 2 weeks to get it back to me.

After I put it on the server on Monday, I sent an email and made a phone call to make sure it was received.

Nothing.

Just now, I called over there to make sure that the lady had gotten it.

"Oh, no, I haven't noticed that yet. Are we supposed to lay this out, too?" She asked.

"YES," I said, as forcefully and gently as possible.

I called the printer to set up a receiving time for the newsletter.

"Oh, gosh, I'm not sure about this." He said, when I asked him if I could have it by the 21st. "It takes a real long time and I just got two other school's recently."

I mentioned that last month I was told that I needed to have the newsletter to them one week before I needed it printed.

He hemmed and hawwed a bit.

I could see this was not going well. I was expected to shrivel, grovel, and back down, saying that it was OK for them to take as long as they jolly well wanted to get the newsletter back to us. Good thing I had been warned that we have problems with our printing company being punctual with their deadlines.

The printer was still going on about the level of inconvenience I would be causing them; he really needed two weeks. I glanced at my calendar to double check dates.

I steeled myself.

"Now, I sent that newsletter to you on Monday, and from Monday to the 21 is two weeks, am I correct?" I took a deep breath and barreled on. "I was told last month that I only needed to give you a week, and so even from what you told me then, I've given you plenty of time. I will expect to see it on Friday, the 21."

Silence.

"If, for some reason, you can't get it done, what is the earliest date you can call me to let me know?"

Silence.

Finally, I heard, "I think Monday."

"Great. If there is any problem, I will hear from you on Monday. Otherwise, since you will have had two weeks, I expect to see that newsletter on the 21. Thank you."

We hung up and I sagged back into my chair, feeling slightly nasty.

Being assertive to strangers really takes it out of me.