Diplomatic skills

Diplomacy aims to make the world a somewhat better place. And for that to happen, we need thoughtful people, which most diplomats happen to be. But thought alone does not carry us very far. Thought needs to result in action. It is not thinking about the world but changing it that makes for an effective diplomat. Diplomacy is not a science, but a practice. It is what diplomats do. They write reports, make public speeches, debate, negotiate, preside over meetings … For all that they need diplomatic skills. This book is about these skills. Looking at them more closely, we soon realise that these are skills upon which most of us, diplomats and non-diplomats, rely most of the time. Somehow, we are all diplomats.

Diplomatic Skills. The basics will be of interest to students, diplomats, lawyers, businesspeople, government officials, military officers, lobbyists, journalists and ultimately to everybody who wishes to acquire the communication skills that allow them to smoothly navigate through life, both professional and private.