By Lunell Haught, LWVWA President

Diplomacy: The method of influencing the decisions and behavior of others through dialogue and negotiation and other measures short of war or violence.

Increasingly League members need diplomacy skills to navigate social spaces, whether dealing with rudeness at a tabling event (it happens) or on social media. The National Museum of American Diplomacy’s Nine Skills of Effective Diplomacy is a good list to keep handy for thinking about qualities we can embody.

1. Analysis (critical thinking)
2. Awareness (social, emotional, cultural intelligence)
3. Communication (from listening effectively to articulating with clarity)
4. Leadership (the ability to make tough decisions to move situations forward)
5. Collaboration (ability to create engagement and involvement)
6. Composure (self-management)
7. Management (bring ideas to life with and through others)
8. Innovation (generate creative alternatives)
9. Advocacy (represent constituents)

My goal is to be effective in working with others, particularly those who don’t necessarily agree with me, and this list helps. I worked with a negotiator who taught me to only get angry (and show it) on purpose, and I also learned that ‘time out’ can be called if I stray from that idea and need #6.

The additional benefit of this list is that it is useful for being a more welcoming organization, because we can also use diplomacy skills to effectively work together with our colleagues.