Diplomatic People: 5 Common Features

We often think that being too impulsive or “telling it the way it is” is negative. We think it makes us look disrespectful. But nothing could be further from the truth. Sincerity does not necessarily stand in the way of manners. It’s more about knowing how to send messages clearly and distinctly, but confidently . That’s what diplomatic people do.

Diplomatic people also tend to have a certain set of skills. These skills allow them to perform their jobs better and have healthier conditions. As you already know, skills can be practiced and trained! So if you want to develop these gifts, read on and take notes.

The basic taxonomy of diplomatic people

To understand how diplomatic people work , we use as a reference some personality traits that tend to be found in professionals working in diplomacy. For example, ambassadors. According to the Big Five model of Costa and McRae, we must describe common features of a diplomatic personality.

Openness to experience

Anyone who has been assigned to a foreign country and wants to serve as a mediator must be curious and open . They must be willing to understand. To adapt to new surroundings, the world around them: the people, the culture and their traditions. This goes hand in hand with things like tolerance and respect.

This open mentality is the foundation on which the rest of their abilities are built . It means knowing how to listen to opinions that stand in opposition to one’s own. Even more important is knowing how to use these opinions to your own advantage.

Taking into account the complaints, requests and dissatisfaction of others can make you a better person. It not only improves your relationships with customers or employees, but also your relationship with yourself. It helps you be more self-critical and understand how others are and think . So do not be closed.

Emotional stability

Costa and McRae define this trait as the opposite of being neurotic. For diplomats, their neurotic level must be low or negligible. Let us say that there is an institutional crisis. Imagine if the people in charge of solving it were easily overwhelmed by their emotions.

A task as delicate as mediation would be true chaos in the hands of someone so unpredictable . It is advisable for a diplomat to have a calm temperament. Moreover, this type of attitude is especially valuable in stressful situations and important decisions.

Keeping calm in your daily life improves your analytical and strategic skills. Being calm in situations of great pressure or responsibility makes a big difference. That does not mean you can not be angry or frustrated in certain situations . But the key is that diplomatic people know how to keep one’s emotions in check.

Responsibility

It is clear that diplomatic people must have a very strong sense of duty. To see good results, it is necessary to have self-discipline and order. However, this should not turn into stiffness or hardness. To be a good negotiator, we often have to allow a lot of room for negotiation.

The more conscientious and loyal you are, the greater your credibility and reliability will be. Think about your family members. Who would you assign a very important job to? Someone who has proven to be responsible in their daily lives, or someone who is not very reliable?

Kindness

In this profession, kindness and good treatment of others is well a fundamental personality trait. And not only because of the empathy and cooperation required in an intercultural environment, but also because of how important contacts are for a diplomat.

It is part of their job to make sure that everyone around them is happy and feels valued and understood . A kind and nice person has a solid social circle, based on trust and respect.

It is one of the most important characteristics of any person who wants to be diplomatic. That said, it’s not just about making others like you. It’s not about being fake or always saying what the other person wants to hear.

It is about trying to be coherent between your thoughts / values ​​and behavior. That is, without hurting the people around you who have other opinions. In other words, you need to be able to make observations without hurting emotions.

Extroversion or being extroverted

Although extroversion and being open to experiences are alike, they cannot be considered the same thing . Extroversion refers more to the tendency to feel like interacting with others. In the case of a diplomat, this move is crucial.

Someone with the responsibilities of a diplomat must be assertive, talkative, sociable and energetic. They must have communicative talents and feel comfortable exchanging opinions with others. Many of their tasks will be more difficult if they are quiet or modest. The effort will end up wearing them down.

Therefore, diplomatic persons must have a communicative, outgoing personality. They are charismatic, willing to get to know the world, emotionally stable, kind and very responsible. What about you? Do you fit into this profile or do you know someone who does?