Interesting article with many good suggestions. As I read about the different personality types (passive, passive-aggressive, assertive, and aggressive) I was reminded of people’s core emotional needs: to feel loved, to feel in control, and to feel appreciated/recognized (I matter). For the passive person, the need to feel appreciated and that they matter may supersede the need for control, which is predominant in the other types. I have found that this can be a huge obstacle to learning to be more assertive in situations where that matters. They can understand the “how”, but their “why” holds them back. From your HR experience, what might that look like and how have you addressed it?