A. Introduction Once plans are in place, it is time to implement, manage, and monitor initiatives, activities, and events. As in the planning phase, many tools are available to assist with executing and implementing programs successfully. This section drills down on processes related to the fourth element of the PD
public diplomacy in practice
A. Introduction The final element of the PD Framework is Learn and Adapt. But it is not the last step, and you cannot wait until the “end” of a program or project to think about how you will assess it and learn from it. In fact, learning and adapting are
public diplomacy
A. Introduction Planning is crucial to the successful implementation of PD initiatives and activities, and it is a key responsibility of all PD practitioners. Planning exists on a continuum. When a PD section or PD team has engaged in a strategic planning process, it will have identified the initiatives that
A. Policy-centered, audience-focused, data-informed public diplomacy Public diplomacy advances U.S. strategic objectives and foreign policy goals by engaging with specific audiences through thoughtful planning and implementation of specific PD initiatives, activities, events, programs, and network building. This work should be informed by data, research, and evidence at every step
I've always loved LinkedIn as a content platform. Not ironically. I know that's an unfashionable opinion—the site gets mocked for performative thought leadership and quasi-work-related trash. But I find the platform hugely valuable for discovering new thoughtful people and for sharing my own insights about
Technology
A practical guide for getting more out of Claude and ChatGPT (and written based on conversations last week!) There's a counterintuitive truth about working with AI that took me a while to internalize: more isn't better. Not more training data, not more context, not more conversation
Technology
I spent three hours last Tuesday fighting with PowerPoint over text box alignment. Three hours. This is absurd, and we all know it. But most of the "AI solutions" aren't actually solving the problem. They're trying to help you think, communicate, and format all
Technology
Last weekend, I rebuilt my Claude PKM system. Not because it was broken—it was working perfectly fine. But "working" and "optimal" are two very different standards, especially when you're scaling AI collaboration across an organization. Over the past month, my Claude system had
What This Is: A real-world guide to building a personal knowledge management system that actually works with AI and turns Claude from a chatbot into a genuine thought partner. The Real Problem I'm constantly synthesizing research, connecting patterns across projects, and developing frameworks that integrate insights from multiple
Briefing Checklists are a time-consume bane for many U.S. diplomatic staff. What if we could automate them? This has been the dream for many of us for a long time, but we've finally got the tools to do a first pass at a BCL very well. Over
Tradecraft
AI continues to grow at a dizzying pace. This beginner's guide helps diplomats get familiar with AI tools, regardless of their current proficiency.
Tradecraft
The Cynefin framework offers a diagnostic tool that helps leaders and teams recognize which type of challenge they face and select appropriate strategies for each context.