Diplomatic & Indirect Language
Di akhir lesson ini, kamu bisa:
- Melembutkan saran dan kritik dengan hedging (might, perhaps, a little).
- Mengajukan permintaan secara tidak langsung dan sopan ('I was wondering if...').
- Mengubah pernyataan blak-blakan menjadi versi diplomatis yang setara.
Penjelasan (ID)
Di lingkungan kerja internasional, cara kamu mengatakan sesuatu sama pentingnya dengan apa yang kamu katakan. Kalimat yang terlalu langsung bisa come across as kasar atau memerintah - terutama bagi rekan dari budaya indirect. Solusinya adalah diplomatic language: melembutkan (soften) pesan dengan hedging.
Teknik 1: Modal halus untuk saran
Ganti perintah langsung dengan modal lampau (might/could) + komparatif:
| Langsung (berisiko kasar) | Diplomatis (hedged) |
|---|---|
| Do it again. | It might be better to redo this part. |
| We should change the plan. | Perhaps we could consider changing the plan. |
| Test it first. | Wouldn't it be worth testing it first? |
| Your numbers are wrong. | There may be a small issue with the figures. |
Teknik 2: Permintaan tidak langsung
Untuk meminta tolong, makin panjang dan tidak langsung, makin sopan. I was wondering if... (past continuous) adalah salah satu pembuka paling halus dalam bahasa Inggris bisnis:
- "I was wondering if you'd be able to send the figures today."
- "Would it be possible to push the meeting to Thursday?"
- "Do you think you could take a quick look at this?"
Teknik 3: Penghalus tambahan (softeners)
Selipkan kata-kata kecil ini untuk menurunkan ketegangan:
- just: "I just wanted to check..."
- a little / a bit / slightly: "It's a little behind schedule."
- perhaps / maybe / possibly: "Perhaps we should wait."
- I'm afraid / Unfortunately: untuk kabar buruk.
- to be honest / with respect: sebelum ketidaksetujuan.
💡 Tip: hedging bukan berbohong atau bertele-tele. Tujuannya adalah memberi lawan bicara ruang untuk menjawab tanpa kehilangan muka, sehingga kerja sama tetap terjaga. Jaga keseimbangan: terlalu banyak hedging bisa membuat pesanmu terdengar tidak yakin.
Examples (English)
"I was wondering if we could revisit the timeline: it feels a little tight."
"It might be better to get sign-off from Legal before we send this out."
"Perhaps we could consider outsourcing this part, just to be safe."
"Wouldn't it be worth running a small pilot first, rather than launching everywhere at once?"
Kosakata
| English | Arti (ID) | Contoh |
|---|---|---|
| diplomatic (adj) //ˌdɪpləˈmætɪk// | diplomatis, bijaksana dalam berkata | She gave very diplomatic feedback on a weak report. |
| to soften (a message) (verb) | melembutkan (pesan) | We use hedging to soften a request. |
| hedging (noun) | pelembutan/penyamaran maksud | Words like 'perhaps' and 'might' are forms of hedging. |
| It might be better to... (phrase) | Mungkin lebih baik... | It might be better to wait for the full data. |
| Perhaps we could consider... (phrase) | Mungkin kita bisa pertimbangkan... | Perhaps we could consider a later deadline. |
| I was wondering if... (phrase) | Saya ingin bertanya apakah... | I was wondering if you could review this by Friday. |
| Wouldn't it be worth...? (phrase) | Bukankah ada baiknya...? | Wouldn't it be worth testing it first? |
| to come across as (phrase) | terkesan/terdengar seperti | Without hedging, you can come across as aggressive. |
Dialogue
Disagreeing diplomatically in a project meeting
I was wondering if we could push the launch back by a week.
Hmm, the date is fixed. Why do you think that?
Well, to be honest, the testing feels a little rushed. It might be better to allow more time.
That's a fair point. Wouldn't it be worth at least doing a partial release first?
Perhaps we could consider that as a compromise. Let me check with the team.
Latihan
Cek Pemahaman
1. Choose the most diplomatic way to suggest a change.
2. Which is the politest way to ask a favour?
3. What does 'hedging' do to a message?
4. Rephrase 'You're wrong' diplomatically:
Lengkapi versi diplomatisnya
Flashcards
diplomatic
//ˌdɪpləˈmætɪk//
Klik untuk lihat arti
Ringkasan
- Diplomatic language = melembutkan pesan (soften / hedging) agar tidak come across as kasar.
- Saran halus: It might be better to... / Perhaps we could consider... / Wouldn't it be worth...?
- Permintaan sopan: I was wondering if... / Would it be possible to...
- Softeners kecil: just, a little, perhaps, I'm afraid: sangat menurunkan ketegangan; jangan berlebihan.