Moment of Truth—At the Helm

Chapter 17 of Cotton Fields to Summits: The View from Contested Ground

by George Kennedy, American Diplomacy

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Excerpt:

For years, Toronto was the center of finance and commerce in Canada yet it was accustomed to a benign presence of the American consul general. As I began to reach out in the city, I heard frequently that "we saw your predecessors upon arrival, at the appropriate civic events, on July 4th sometimes at the residence, and upon their departure." Well I wanted to change this; I wanted to be part of the city's social fabric, part of the dialogue that shaped Canadian attitudes about the United States. The one thing Americans and Canadians did share was a firm belief that each understood the other better than was actually the case. The reality, I learned, is that each side is a captive of stereotypes and bias. Also, I wanted to understand the reality of American business in Canada, and I wanted to be perceived as someone businessmen and others could trust to convey that reality to the American ambassador in Ottawa, former Michigan governor and Member of Congress, Norville Chamberlin, someone many Canadians did trust. Norville Chamberlin had grown up on the American side of the border, knew his way around Canada and had many friends there. I was the unknown quantity. ...

Ambassador Chamberlin and I had met in Washington before either of us arrived to assume our official duties. This was customary if the ambassador was in Washington. Since we were unknown to each other, I asked about his goals as the new ambassador, the role he envisioned for the constituent posts, including his views regarding the rivalry between the consulate in Toronto and the embassy in Ottawa. That broke the ice and we found we had much in common regarding our approach to public diplomacy. We also shared the personal goal of becoming the most successful ever in our respective roles. I think we both realized at the end of that meeting that ours was to become a productive relationship.

My years of experience in academia, public diplomacy, media relations, and business outreach had taught me the value of being able to bridge the most important part of communication – the last six inches between yourself and your interlocutor. Bridge that gap and you have understanding, not always agreement; you have laid the foundation for mutual respect and a relationship built around honesty and candor. It all came together for me in Toronto . ...

George Kennedy is a retired Senior Foreign Service officer and Federal Executive. His Foreign Service career took him to seven countries and culminated in his appointment as consul general in Toronto. He kept busy after retirement as a political advisor to several elected officials and advising small-to-medium size enterprises regarding opportunities in overseas markets.

He currently serves on the advisory boards of The United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona and the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Arizona. He is also active in his local community as an independent business owner.