向外交家学交际:四招建立良好职场人脉Successful businesses are built on strong relationships. Business leaders often need to step into the shoes of a diplomat, developing and managing complex relationships with many diverse groups.
"There is a lot of common ground between diplomacy and business," says Carey Cavanaugh, a professor of diplomacy at the University of Kentucky and a former U. S. ambassador stationed all over the world for over two decades under both the Clinton and Bush administrations. "Entrepreneurs can draw from the diplomatic tool box to be more effective," he says.
“外交和商业之间有很多交际,”肯塔基大学外交学教授,曾在克林顿总统和布什总统在任期间担任美国驻多个遥大使的加里·卡瓦纳表示,“企业家们可以从外交手段的宝库中获取很多能帮助他们变得更遥率的东西。 ” Try these tips from a seasoned diplomat's toolbox to help you build solid business relationships that last.
以下技巧来自一位老练外交家的思想宝库,它们能帮助你建立稳固的人际关系。
1. Be honest about what you can reveal.
1. 对于你能透露的东西要坦诚。
Diplomats are known as "people who lie for their countries," and corporations are often seen as equally deceitful. But in both cases, telling the truth is essential for success. Truth builds a solid reputation, It's the key to establishing long-term relationships that you can rely on in a crunch.
When secrecy is essential, with an upcoming product launch or a private personnel issue, don't compromise honesty. You can keep secrets and still tell the truth, Just be honest about what you can and cannot say.
Just as a diplomat would learn about a culture's customs before a visit, learn as much as you can before you try to connect with a customer, peer, or potential partner. Learn what they value, how they behave, what their long-term interests are, and what they need or want.
Use that knowledge to help you craft your message or product, address specific needs, and show that you understand their values.
利用这些知识来构造你的语言和产品,处理特殊需求,并向他们表明,你了解他们的价值观。
3. Listen more than you talk.
3. 多听少说。
Diplomats and business people have a reputation for being pushy, but the best take time to listen. Half the job is about saying what you want or need, but the other half is listening, It's as important to listen as it is to speak.
Listening makes the other party feel valued, helps you identify their needs, and allows you to respond more creatively. When you listen, you can often find solutions that evade others, making you more likely to reach your goals.
The relationships you're building today, even those that seem inconsequential, are worth attention and care. Relationships that don't seem important now will come back to you later, though you won't know when or how.
A casual acquaintance may be the key to your next innovation, just as a tiny country may be the next major oil source for a diplomat. Build lasting relationships by treating others with integrity and giving your full attention when you're with them.
In any negotiation or business decision, choose solutions that fit your values, even if they're not the easiest or cheapest options. When you deviate from [your values], there’s a hard price to pay. It takes a long time to get a reputation back.
It's easiest to lose your values when you're getting impatient or growing rapidly, so in those moments, remember what you stand for. The more you act on consistent values, the stronger your business will be in the long run and the more your consumers will trust you.