When you first read Mongolia in the title, what came to mind? Perhaps it was a sense of utter remoteness. Maybe it was of horses pounding across the steppe. Or of camel caravans plodding through the Gobi desert.
There certainly are horses, camels and wide empty spaces – lots of them. But it’s far from the whole story. In 2011 Mongolia topped global growth rates. Not surprising given it’s sitting on one of the world’s richest mineral reserves, and neighbours China. And at two-hours from Beijing, bustling Ulaanbaatar is easily accessible.
Perceptions matter.
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In Mongolia the UK has a positive image. We were the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations, in 1963. We have been coalition partners in several recent conflicts. Rich businessmen buy Range Rovers and like to drink Whittards tea from Wedgwood cups.
But when it comes to buying machinery or construction equipment, technology or design Mongolia doesn’t immediately think British. Given the possible future size of the Mongolian economy (it has the potential to be the richest country per capita in the world) and the need to increase trade to help reach the government’s £1trn export target by 2020, this is a problem.
As ambassador, I need to shift perceptions to deliver the UK’s objectives in Mongolia. That isn’t always easy, but I think three things enable success.
The first is the ability to listen. What does Mongolia want to achieve and how? What do those in charge – whether of the country or of a major construction project – want? And what is their perception of the UK in this context? That means lots of meetings and a lot of questions.
The second is understanding. This is one of the hardest parts of being a diplomat in a foreign country. But understanding how culture, history and language drives perception is critical to changing it. Our Mongolian staff – 80% of the embassy – are critical to this.
The third is using what we’ve heard and understood to influence. That can range from a GREAT campaign that transforms thousands of people’s perception of the UK. Or it could simply be remembering that a senior politician likes a certain Scottish whisky.
But this isn’t just my job, it’s the job of the entire embassy. We’re a fairly small outfit of 15 people, so we need to work together seamlessly irrespective of our home department, nationality or job title. Again, many of the barriers are perceptional.
I feel passionately that it doesn’t matter if your title says "ambassador" or "handyman", every one of us has the ability to listen, understand and influence: we’re all ambassadors for the UK.
So here in Ulaanbaatar we’re trialling regular focus-groups and brainstorms which any member of staff can join. Last week everyone took part in a challenge session before I submit the embassy’s mid-year review. Our cleaner contributed ideas for how we can work more efficiently on what we’re already implementing. All it took was challenging the perception of what a "cleaner" does.
As ambassador I can also help shape perceptions about the British civil service. I love telling senior Mongolians and foreigners that the UK has several job-share ambassadors to ensure we retain talent, and that soon we’ll have over 50 female ambassadors worldwide.
Because perception is also personal.
I can’t go to an event without someone rushing up to shake my hand and marvel at the fact that I’m "young and a woman and an ambassador". I’m proud of what this says about the UK.
But to be honest, in London, I’d started to feel distinctly un-young. A flirtation with Internet dating didn’t help (mid-thirties female – not a great age). I began to convince myself that I’d wasted my 20s wandering round the Middle East rather than climbing the greasy pole, and that postings in Afghanistan and Iraq had taken an unfair toll on my complexion.
The shift in others’ perceptions about me means I now feel 10 years younger, more dynamic, and even better equipped to face the daily challenges of running a complex operation thousands of miles from home.
Perceptions that need shifting to reach our full potential aren’t always external. They’re often in our own heads. So go on, do something that people might not expect when they look at you. Challenge perceptions. And you might find the response empowers you to achieve even more.