Business Diplomat: Diplomacy as a Value
Excerpt: Diplomatic discipline should be a core organizational value, not a set of communication techniques, says Spyros Kapralos. It should become a habit that guides both internal and external interactions. Interviewed by: Olha Pashchenko Interviewee: Spyros Kapralos, Political Analyst, European and International Affairs; researcher in EU and Political Communication
Training courses in communication are easy to buy. A culture in which communication is handled well is much harder to build. In this part of its interview series, Business Diplomat presents an assessment by Spyros Kapralos, political analyst in European and international affairs. Asked for his most critical advice to a platform that wants to instil diplomatic discipline in business, he answers in terms of organisational culture.
Diplomacy as an organisational value
First observation: value, not technique
“My most critical piece of advice would be to make diplomatic discipline a core organizational value rather than simply a set of communication techniques.”
A technique is something one uses when needed. A value is something that shapes decisions even when no one is thinking about it. By choosing “core organizational value”, Kapralos moves diplomacy from the training room into the structure of the company.
Second observation: what the culture contains
“Businesses should cultivate a culture in which active listening, respect for different perspectives, emotional intelligence, and thoughtful communication are embedded in everyday decision-making.”
Four qualities are named, and “embedded in everyday decision-making” says where they must live. They are not reserved for negotiations or crises; they are part of ordinary decisions. He adds that in an increasingly interconnected business environment, “the ability to manage disagreement constructively and maintain relationships is just as important as technical expertise.” The comparison with technical expertise is the notable claim. It places relational ability on the same level as professional competence.
How a platform should teach it
Third observation: how a platform should teach it
“A platform seeking to instill diplomatic discipline should therefore combine practical training with continuous reflection, ethical leadership, and accountability, so that diplomacy becomes a habit that guides both internal and external interactions.”
Four elements are listed: practical training, continuous reflection, ethical leadership and accountability. The word “continuous” matters, because a habit is not formed in a single course. “Internal and external” reminds readers that how colleagues treat each other is part of the same discipline as how a company treats partners.
The logic of the assessment
Diplomatic discipline is a value, not a technique. The value lives in daily decisions through listening, respect, emotional intelligence and careful communication. And it is taught by combining practice with reflection, leadership and accountability until it becomes habit.
Business Diplomat's mission
The role of Business Diplomat
The platform’s mission is to give young people experience, bring a diplomatic order to the business world, and benefit states by revitalising the economy. A “diplomatic order” in this sense is exactly a culture and not a course. Business Diplomat can encourage young professionals to carry the habits Kapralos lists into the organisations they join.
Conclusion
Diplomatic discipline works when it is a value of the organisation and a habit of its people. It is built by practice, reflection, ethical leadership and accountability. Business Diplomat aims to help make it so.
Olha Pashchenko
Contributing writer at EUReflect.
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