Merriam-Webster tells us that the definition of diplomacy is “skill in handling affairs without arousing hostility”, and that the definition of diplomatic is “employing tact and conciliation especially in situations of stress”. By now I’m sure that a couple of fellow community managers out there will be nodding their heads, it sounds familiar doesn’t it?

Diplomacy is a skill that you typically employ on a daily basis, especially at work, but for those navigating and curating a community and social content it has all the more relevancy because you will be dealing with promoters and detractors alike.

Diplomacy is not something that you are born with, in most cases, nor is it something that is the same across cultures, countries or communities. Actions you take including how you speak, when you speak and why you speak all feed into diplomacy and yet it is something that you learn with time especially when engaging in social media. We were not born community managers. Moreover as the face of our brand we’ve had to realize that there is a fine line between being helpful and being intrusive, between being encouraging and overbearing, and being trustworthy and just well connected. So why is diplomacy so important, specifically when engaging online and within your community?

Tact is Everything

Diplomacy is important because it exhibits a certain level of respect, understanding and problem solving that is so crucial when you operate online in the public domain. More importantly as a community manager you will be seen wearing many hats and engaging at various levels. In many cases acting diplomatically is a gut instinct, a personal barometer of when something is appropriate and when it isn’t. But it’s a trained bar, and with training comes learning, both from your personal experiences and that which you gain on the job engaging and conversing with stakeholders day in and day out. In a hyper connected industry like that of social media, you need to be quick to learn the ropes because your community will be equally fast to tell you, either directly or indirectly that actually what you’ve done is wrong.

Now, when they do tell you that you have done something wrong, that your approach was inappropriate or that actually they rather you just back off, don’t lash out online. Why, because if you’re professional, you wouldn’t do that offline either. It’s about identifying the problem, the root cause and finding a solution. Acknowledge the issue and don’t ignore it. In social, community managers are there not just to encourage, guide and participate in discussion, they are the face of the organization – you ARE the organization – so acknowledgement is the first step to resolution or turning a detractor into a promoter. In most cases acknowledgement and identifying the root cause will lead to resolution. However, when this isn’t the case make sure you provide an explanation, not a blanket statement, as to why you are not able to assist. Diplomacy is eloquent and articulate problem solving.

Diplomatically Boring

One thing which diplomacy is not, and shouldn’t be, is bland and void of personality. Add some flavour to your profile and how you approach and speak to those around you. Be creative in how you solve problems and source solutions. Trust that you’ll be remembered that way and you might even make a friend. You’ll be well thought of and as a result approached whenever an issue arises, and your brand will thank you for it. Moreover, you can count on being singled out for going the extra mile, again, your brand will thank you for it. Community management is a relatively new role, but what we’ve learned can be summarized as (though not exclusively): diplomacy is key to social media engagement and part and parcel of that is to think before you respond, ask yourself whether you are being constructive and always wonder: would I stand behind what I have just said if my grandmother/boss/colleague read this?

What is diplomacy to you? How have you exercised your diplomatic muscles online? We’re always keen to learn and hear others’ experiences so please share!

Tags: Community, community building, community management roles, Social Etiquette, Social Media