Diplomat – Better Utah Institute | Civic Engagement Toolkit

Diplomat advocates are ambiverted and bridge builders.

Diplomat advocates believe in compromise and can use their adaptable natures to work toward that goal. They want to work together with people who don’t always agree to bring about progress in the issue they care about. They put their flexible communication skills to use by working with people from both sides of an issue to get things done.

There are many ways to take action and make your voice heard. Here are some ways that a Diplomat might like to advocate:

Call or email your elected officials
Identify a problem in your community and work with your neighbors to fix it
Attend a city council or community board meeting
Shadow a public servant for the day to learn how our institutions work
Vote
Reach out to an issue-based organization and volunteer to track bills and legislation for them

An ambivert is someone who can be introverted or extroverted depending on the circumstances. They are sometimes called outgoing introverts or antisocial extroverts. In the right situations, they feel comfortable expressing their more outgoing or reserved natures.

A bridge builder is someone who feels that the best way to move an issue forward is to look for common ground between two sides of an issue. The basic principle behind bridge building is the pursuit of compromise in order to make lasting change.