We preplan our interaction accordingly. Try to break down your stereotypes of the people with whom you have communication challenges. See if you can listen to the person as if you were meeting him or her for the first time. Be open to the idea that you can have successful interactions with the person. Take a look at some of the attributes of each style.
Assertive communication is less stress-producing than passive or aggressive communication.
When you are assertive, you are asking for what you need or want, while being respectful of other people's rights. For example, imagine you are at a restaurant, and you order a grilled cheese sandwich. When the sandwich arrives, you notice it is burned, and you do not like burned grilled cheese sandwiches. An assertive person would courteously return the sandwich and ask the server for an unburned replacement. An aggressive person might yell at the server, blaming him or her for bringing the substandard sandwich to the table.