Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Diplomacy usually conveys a sense of public work between governments. But diplomacy may have a larger meaning of interpersonal relations – when you do a contract negotiation or a sale representation, you are doing diplomacy.

The only purpose of diplomacy is to make people trust you and believe in what you say.

Today, so many governments use diplomacy to convey lies and threats to each other, so the term diplomacy loses its original meaning of maintaining good international relations.

Anyway, the major part of our jobs, whatever your jobs be, is diplomacy – you need to be diplomatic to your customers, your partners, your sellers, your prospects, your bosses, your teammates… We work with people. We deal with all kinds of people every day. Our success wholly depends on whether we are diplomatic enough to be liked and trusted by everyone we talk to.

I have seen all kinds of people in Washington – diplomats, politicians, leaders… visiting Washington from many countries around the world. Usually, I can spot sincerity or fakeness in a person, sometimes from afar, without the need to sake hands or talk to that person. That is to say, a person’s body language and aura tell a lot about him/her.

You can’t fake body language and aura. Actors can act for the camera, but in real-life settings, they show their real nature when they engage in a conversation, for example.

That is to say, you can’t fake being diplomatic when your heart is undiplomatic. The only way you can appear sincere and trustworthy is to be sincere and trustworthy in your heart. Then let your heart do the diplomatic work for you naturally.

I have that experience often. More than once, people have told me at the very first meeting with me: “Anh Hoành, whatever you do, you succeed. You have something that makes people trust you. People see you and they trust you.” I know they were telling the truth, because I know myself: I am always honest and sincerely gentle to others, and I respect others as trustworthy folks too. With the folks I just meet the first time, I always assume automatically that they are good people, sincere and trustworthy.

So, in your heart you are sincere and trustworthy to others, and you treat others as sincere and trustworthy to you too.

That is the gist of diplomacy, bros and sises. You don’t have to read 25 thick books on diplomacy.

Wish we all be sincere and trustworthy.

With compassion,

Hoành

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