by Herman J. Cohen, Ambassador (Ret.) Four things I learned about influencing as U.S. diplomat Show an interest in the culture of the country to which you are assigned. Respect local customs for social life. Ask a lot of questions. Make local people feel important. Three behaviors I used that helped Ask questions that lead to new thinking about significant issues. Do not rush to the subject of interest. Work up to it slowly. Spend a lot of time with opposite numbers without talking business. Two challenges I faced consistently Preconceived impressions. Propaganda from Soviet and Chinese embassies One piece of advice I … [Read more...] about Lessons about Influencing as a U.S. Diplomat for Three Decades
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A What-To-Do Guide for Difficult Situations
By Charles E. Ray, U.S. Ambassador (Ret.) Having difficult conversations and addressing sensitive issues in the workplace is critical. If we’re unable to talk openly about our organization's problems, we will never solve those problems. Bias and discrimination, conscious or unconscious, exist in every organization. Those who try to deny it are either naïve, asleep, or lying. Whichever category they fall into, they are part of the problem and must be confronted with it even if it’s uncomfortable. Pointing out that you or someone else have been mistreated on the job, depending upon how you do it, is not whining; it’s standing up for what’s right. I have been … [Read more...] about A What-To-Do Guide for Difficult Situations