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How to be Diplomatic

scully47
Mar 5, 2018
2 min read

Among the skills needed for personal and professional success, diplomacy is one of the most important skills to develop and possess. Diplomacy is defined as the art of dealing with people in a sensitive and effective way. When dealing with people’s diverse personalities, conflicts of opinion and personality clashes, as well as day-to-day obstacles, applying diplomacy in our conversations can be difficult. Still, working towards utilizing this skill in all our interactions is an important goal.

Here are ways to be diplomatic according to licenced counsellor Paul Chernyak:

Communicate Effectively

In order to do this, there are many several to take:

Choose your words carefully. Before speaking about a sensitive topic, ask yourself if what you’re about to say is true, helpful and kind. Use “I” statements to describe your own thoughts instead of guessing at what others think or feel.
Adapt your communication style based on the situation.
Be open to new ideas.
Be assertive with your words and body language.
Use indirect language. Make suggestions instead of telling people what to do. A diplomatic person does not bark out orders, but finds ways to inspire others to action instead.
Mind your manners.
Control your emotions.

Address Difficult Situations

It is necessary to be able to tackle conflict rather than avoid confrontation. Still, this must be done in a calm and collected manner.

To do so:

Pick a non-stressful time to talk.
Start with a positive comment when giving bad news.
Focus on the facts of the situation. Before a major talk, consider the facts. You don’t want to enter into conversation relying too much on emotion or opinion, but on reason and logic instead.
Find ways to compromise with others.
Express your likes and dislikes to create beneficial situations for everyone. Once you have spoken about each of your objectives, find ways to negotiate.
React calmly when given bad news.
Speak well of others. When others are gossiping, don’t add fuel to the fire.
Be honest and show people your true self. A major element of being diplomatic is being real.
Take a step back from the conversation. Avoid making difficult decisions on the spot. Instead of making decisions that you’ll regret, walk away for a moment to think.

Build Rapport with Others

Healthy relationships are built on trust and mutual respect. Building rapport with others results from taking strides to ensure everyone feels valued in the relationship. Here are some ways to implement this in your interactions:

Make small talk to create comfort
Mirror their body language. Show empathy for them by mimicking their gestures and posture.
Use their name in conversation. People often respond positively to the use of their own name.
Be an attentive listener.
Ask them questions. Show that you’re listening to them by learning more about what they’re discussing. Ask them open-ended questions that require thought and more than a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.