The Diplomat focuses attention on other people: family, friends, colleagues, the work group, the company or organization, church, or nation. Usually one of these groups is the primary focus.
The Diplomat’s chief desire is to belong, to be included in the group.
To the Diplomat, others’ values are the highest good. Others define what’s valued, not oneself.
The Diplomat can provide loyalty and goodwill that act as organizational glue. But the Diplomat tends to smooth over or avoid altogether any potential conflict — harmony is to be maintained at all costs. Thus the Diplomat can become alienated from their work associates due to a tendency to brush off criticism of the status quo or suggestions for improvement.
The Diplomat often speaks in cliches.
The Diplomat’s opinions are likely to be the opinions of the people whose approval matters to them.
The Diplomat attempts to deflect negative feedback, because it’s construed as loss of face or status.
Diplomats are locked into their action logic and tend to be blind to other possibilities.
The Diplomat is unable to criticize others and to question group norms, as these others are the source of one’s primary value: to belong to the group
Distribution in managers
- <6% of senior managers
- < 9% of junior managers
- But approximately 24% of first line managers.
The figures suggest that a Diplomat action logic limits opportunities for promotion.
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