Think of a thorough, one-to-one session on who does what in the EU; who are the main actors, who should you meet and how should you approach them; how to deal with the European Parliament, a planet in its own right; what kind of network should you build and how can you maintain it; what are the specificities of the EU protocol; how do you build respect with a famously picky press corps, and so on. So many questions, so little time, if you want to hit the ground running and make a difference. You are of course a highly-skilled and experienced diplomat, otherwise you would not be in Brussels. But representing your country to the European Union is one of the most difficult assignments you will ever have. Everything is both technical and political, everything is sensitive for someone you may not have identified, and yet it has a direct impact on your country. You need to walk on eggs and be assertive at the same time.

You will be confident that our sessions will be held in total confidentiality. You may want to add regular shorter interactions after the initial contact, say one hour a week, where you can vent your surprises and share your dilemmas in full confidence. You may have been given a specific task, such as starting trade negotiations, or solve a particularly thorny issue for your country. To the extent necessary, you can choose to be directed to the right experts, from whom you will be able to get the support you need.      

So many questions, so little time, if you want to hit the ground running and make a difference.