Play Nice Kids: Diplomacy

To take an idea from a recent article I read, consider meeting someone for the first time who is from another nation yet speaks your language fluently. If there appears to be no immediate communication barrier, would you change your voice tone and tempo or the spacing of your pauses in your speech? Or do you just say something inappropriate like…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8wrqe72YG4

Whatever you do, do NOT be like Karen. This being a silly and somewhat extreme example aside, as a professional communicator, you must understand the concept of diplomacy/international public relations.

Diplomacy

Diplomacy is the art of reaching an agreement between countries that need to work together to achieve outcomes in which each party has a vested interest. Diplomacy, traditionally associated with conflict resolution through dialogue, is commonly considered an alternative to war—and war as a failure of diplomacy. On the other hand, diplomacy might take the shape of non-adversarial cooperation to get the best results in a shared enterprise. This sounds like an “I scratch your back, and you scratch mine” agreement. In some instances, it may be an “I’ll keep my knife out of your back, and you keep your knife out of mine” scenario.

What's Your CQ

Once you've realized you're in the presence of someone from another country, you might start to change the way you speak, your posture, and your whole manner. These questions contribute to your "cultural intelligence," or CQ, and there is mounting evidence that they are well worth studying. Let's be elementary about this.

The Bully Effect

Why is it that we wait until someone from a foreign land is in the room before we engage with the side of our brains that host our cultural intelligence? Have you ever talked about a person and the entire energy shifts when they enter the room? I’m a bit of a straight shooter, so that is not my experience, but for most people, it is. Americans, we all are typically taught growing up about getting along in the sandbox; however, as we know, there is always a bully in the mix. The bully plays amongst the other kids. The bully takes and intimidates to suit their agenda. How long will the U.S. be the bully in the sandbox? We do not emphasize true diplomacy from a young age, and we expect that there will be this miraculous shift in society. Gaining an understanding of other people and their backgrounds is the first step to diplomacy. In that understanding, one should find mutual benefits and get out of this “sandbox bully” mentality.

Strictly Business?

Is diplomacy solely based on business transactions? Maybe; however, I believe that respect plays a huge part in the equation. If a person is courting me, I am typically aware that they are attempting to woo me. This is not the end of the interaction, however. Typically, people are more impressed when they can tell a person is genuine in their advances. What do you know about me? When you take the time as a communicator to find the differences around you, it helps you identify the commonalities. Those commonalities it what help diplomats build meaningful relationships.

Leading By Example

An example of an international act of diplomacy is the recent news about the EU pledging money to Afghans in need. The European Union recently announced that it would increase its humanitarian aid to Afghanistan as part of a more considerable effort by global financial leaders to help address the country's mounting economic and humanitarian catastrophe. The donation supports the crumbling Afghanistan government as the Taliban is acting as a parasitic power in the region. It serves the interest of the EU to help because a total Taliban takeover will have adverse effects on them. They saw a space to assist while also having a benefit to themselves on the backend. Take note, America.