A wild boar was sharpening his tusks on a tree trunk one day. A fox asked him why he did this when there was neither huntsman nor danger threatening him. ” I do so for a good reason,” he replied. “For if I am suddenly surprised by danger I wouldn’t have the time to sharpen my tusks. But now I will find them ready to do their duty. FABLES, AESOP, SIXTH CENTURY B.C.
The political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli(1469-1527) of Florence, sent an advice letter to his son to study letters and music, and that others would help him if he helped himself. For Machivialli and his morality, it is far better to earn the confidence of people than to rely on a fortress and he who thinks new favours will cause great personage to forget old injuries deceives himself. How do you have a difficult conversation with a beast prince?
There is no such thing as a diplomatic hand grenade – tact is not the answer.
The prince
- Mean – ought not to fear the reputation of being mean
- It is a vice which will enable him to govern
- Necessary to be considered liberal
- Brings despise and hatred
- Good reputation but wastes rapidly
- Exercised in a way that does not bring reputation – injures himself
- When exercised you lose the power to do so
- Holding his own – necessary to know how to do wrong and to make use of it
- Something which looks like virtue, if followed may be his ruin
- Others, it looks like vice if followed brings security and prosperity
- Wise prince endeavour to avoid hatred mainly
- Abstain and keep hands off the property/ land of others and their subjects and women
- Should establish himself on that which is in his control
This is as it should be. No Major proposal required for war can be worked out in ignorance of political factors; and when people talk, as they often do, about harmful political influence on the management of war, they are not really saying what they mean. Their quarrel should be with the policy itself, not with its influence. If the policy is right – that is successful – any intentional effect it has on the conduct of war can only be to the good. If it has the opposite effect the policy itself is wrong. ON WAR, CARL VON CLAUSEWITZ
Only if statesmen look to certain military moves and actions to produce effects that are foreign in their nature do political decisions influence operations for the worse. In the same way as a man who has not fully mastered a foreign language sometimes fails to express himself correctly, so statesmen often issue orders that defeat the purpose they are meant to serve. Time and again that has happened, which demonstrates that a certain grasp of military affairs is vital for those in charge of general policy. ON WAR, CARL VON CLAUSEWITZ
Difficult conversations
- What makes them hard is the gap between thinking and saying
- Our fear of consequences – if we raise the issue or avoid
- The dilemma is to avoid(feel taking advantage) or to confront(Things might get worse, rejected, attacked)
- At their core feelings – talking and addressing feelings – is a skill that can be learned
- Not always, sometimes it makes sense to let it sleep!
- Shift from delivering messages – learning and explain point of view
- Questions to ask, explore stories how we understand and why
- The collision is a result of our stories being different – each taking different information
- Interpret it in our own ways
Before continuing, we must guard against a likely misinterpretation. We are far from believing that a minister of war immersed in his files, an erudite engineer or even an experienced soldier would, simply on the basis of their particular experience, make the best director of policy – always assuming that the prince himself is not in control. Far from it. What is needed in the post is distinguished intellect and strength of character. He can always get the necessary military information somehow or other. The military and political affairs of France were never in worse hands than the brothers Belle-Isle and the Duc de Choiseul were responsible – good soldiers though they all were. ON WAR, CARL VON CLAUSEWITZ