Developing Expertise in International Protocol, Diplomatic Relations & Statecraft

Protocol executives oversee all the ceremonial activities that take place when overseas dignitaries visit, or executives travel abroad. They ensure their teams work closely with overseas delegations to manage all the visit details including liaising directly with monarchs, presidents, ambassadors, high commissioners, and their spouses. Plus ensuring official representatives know what is expected and appropriate during these visits.

They are the first to welcome visiting dignitaries and ensure their in-country stays are memorable for all the right reasons. They engage in conversation, introduce them to key individuals, host trips and events and oversee security.

This Oxford Management Centre’s Expertise in International Protocol, Diplomatic Relations and Statecraft training course is designed to enable you to boost the effectiveness of your protocol department in overseeing relationships, etiquette, logistics and security at national and international levels.

This Oxford Management Centre’s training course highlights best practices in:

• Supporting international business at government levels
• Bilateral and multilateral cross-cultural relationships
• Online protocol and diplomatic activities including identifying and managing risks
• Identifying and resolving conflicts and potential conflicts
• Strategically managing diplomatic relationships

Seminar Objectives

By the end of this Developing Expertise in International Protocol, Diplomatic Relations and Statecraft training course participants will be able to demonstrate the following skills, knowledge, and behaviours:

• Professionalism in analysing issues, solving problems, and remaining calm in stressful situations
• Planning and organising: explaining clear goals, clarifying objectives, prioritising time, and resources, overseeing activities, identifying risks and contingencies, monitoring outcomes
• Establishing and maintaining productive diplomatic relationships, identifying positions and needs, gaining trust and respect
• Decision making in complex situations: identifying key issues, gathering data, making assumptions, proposing corrective actions, winning support for recommendations
• Leadership: role modelling protocol and diplomacy behaviours, empowering others, establishing, and maintaining relationships with a broad range of people

Seminar Methodology

The course combines presentations that share both theory and industry best practices with practical sessions in accordance with adult learning and blended learner-centred principles.

Participants will have opportunities to put into practice the skills they develop and enhance during the course. We make the most of small and whole group exercises, videos, case studies, peer exchange, brainstorming, role plays and discussions.

We will spend time working one-on-one and in small groups to resolve the challenges participants face. They will leave with new ideas and skills they can implement immediately they step back into their teams.

Participants are encouraged to reflect on and discuss their own professional issues and experiences. Overall, 50% of training will be experiential and 50% will be theoretical.

Participants will receive a workshop manual with an introduction to the course, slides, overview, background information, exercises, and plenty of space for their own notes.

Organisational Gains

Participants will return to their organisations able to advise on and manage:

• Protocol systems, processes, procedures, and guidelines
• Protocol-related aspects of events, visits, and other activities
• Regular contact and harmonious working relationships with official representatives of national and international organisations
• National and international issues that have the potential to negatively impact the organisation
• Emerging issues such as cybersecurity, trustworthiness of news sources, artificial intelligence, and globalisation versus nationalism

Personal Gains

Participants will hear and discuss latest protocol and diplomacy strategies and hone their skills in:

• Facilitating trade missions and cross-border economic activity
• Identifying global challenges facing their organisation and plans for managing these
• Managing reputation, relationships, engagement, and communication activities online
• Resolving conflict situations at the diplomatic level
• International diplomatic relationship management

Seminar Outline

DAY 1 Business Protocol

• Economic diplomacy and trade missions
• Corporate diplomacy and public affairs
• Advocacy and lobbying
• Diplomatic challenges in different business markets

DAY 2 International Affairs

• Bilateralism as the building block for understanding international relations
• Insights into The United Nations, NATO, and multilateral diplomacy
• Managing cross cultural relationships, overcoming barriers
• Global challenges including sustainable development, social justice, human rights, climate change, civil unrest, and nationalism

DAY 3 Social Media & e-Diplomacy

• Using the internet, social media, and digital tools for diplomatic activities
• Managing relationships and engagement online
• Policy implications and issues of going online
• Balancing transparency with cybersecurity

DAY 4 Issues & Conflict Resolution

• Techniques for engaging in conflict situations including negotiation, mediation, and dialogue
• Creative approaches including art and culture, social healing, and peace building
• Using the Thomas Kilmann instrument to understand all sides’ preferences for managing conflict
• Using the 7-step conflict resolution process to manage diplomatic issues

DAY 5 Managing Diplomatic Relationships

• Building a professional structure for managing diplomatic relationships
• Accessing hard to reach VIPs
• Deeping relationships that add value to your organisation
• Dealing with complex relationship issues
• Action planning