Mastering the Art of Workplace Diplomacy

Communication is important in a workplace while communicating diplomacy is more so. In fact, workplace diplomacy is what makes business leaders successful. A diplomatic person’s trademark often is assertiveness or mastering the art of expressing and respecting opinions at the same time.

In diplomacy, you recognize that there are always ways when one can communicate their goals without being hostile to the other person. Diplomatic people are tactful, which means they can deliver even the most hurtful information to others without offending him or her.

We encounter different people in the workplace, and if you’re working in a coworking space, you would come across different people. Despite that, no matter what type of workplace you have, it’s always good to master the art of diplomacy.

The value of diplomacy?

Diplomacy is mainly described as “the subtle skilful handling of a situation.” How do we master workplace diplomacy? First, it’s important to recognize the value of learning this key communication skill.

Second, we also need to check with ourselves about how we use diplomacy. Do we stop to evaluate people’s needs we’re interacting with and willingly make adjustments? If yes, that’s diplomacy.

Third, acknowledge that the lack of diplomacy arises from critical and judgmental language instead of using descriptive statements.

Developing the diplomatic behaviour.

Most of the time, we really won’t be able to know how we come across others. That’s why we need to receive and embrace feedback or criticism. Identify the people you trust ask them for honest comments regarding your communication skills.

It’s best to ask for specific circumstances. Approach them with an open persona before asking about the things they think you should change. To work on your behaviour, you’ll need to identify it first.

Ask these people to help you with your growth by constantly monitoring your communication skills. Once you’ve mastered your first targeted behaviour, then it’s definitely time to start working on another.

What is diplomatic communication?

How do diplomatic people communicate? Simple, they speak with reasoning, yet they do it with kindness and compassion. Most importantly, diplomatic people show respect and talk with respect.

As the old saying goes, “It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.” Here are 4 tips to help you to communicate more diplomatically;

#1: Modify Your Communication Style

Each one of us has a communication style. Your manager, your colleagues, and even your clients – they all differ to each other. That’s why it’s important to observe each one’s communication style so that you can find ways of modifying your own that would best match to theirs. With this, you can achieve better communication.

For instance, does your colleague speak casually? Then it would be better to tone down your strict demeanour for a bit so that your co-worker can find you as approachable. This will also help establish stronger relationships in the workplace, which is essential especially when working with a team.

#2: Be Careful With Your Words

Word choice is important as it can affect perceptions. When giving a feedback, it’s best to avoid aggressive statements such as “You have to…”, or “Don’t do this…” Instead, opt for indirect language like “You might consider…”. Doing so would make the person feel that he or she is still the best person to do the job and that good ideas can still be fleshed out of his or her potentials.

Another strategy is to pose it as a question: “Have you thought of doing this…” Diplomatic communicators always give their words some thought before they speak it out loud. In diplomacy, it’s important to always remember that words are powerful enough to make or break a person.

#3: Let The Mind Do The Speaking

Especially when we are on the verge of our emotions, we tend to speak words that we might later regret. This is not the case among diplomatic people as they are always conscious of what they say. Once an issue arises, they allow some time to think first before speaking about the matter.

It’s important to take a step back and handle the situation as objectively as possible.

#4: Relax And Calm Yourself

Mastering the art of diplomacy also means being skilled appearing relaxed even when you are not. Your body language communicates as well, so it’s important to be relaxed and to be calm.

Diplomacy in the workplace can be cultivated. In fact, diplomacy should even go farther from the workplace, or farther from your coworking space – it’s good behaviour to practice it anywhere you go.