44 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL According to the 2022 Department Stay Survey and data from both exit surveys and exit interviews, poor supervisory practices are a top driver of regrettable attrition. Beyond JUMP Managers across industries complain that administrative tasks—particularly meetings and emails—eat up time that could be spent engaging their teams. As therapist and writer Nedra Glover Tawwab says: “Efficiency and time management are excellent skills to learn, but when you have too much to do, they won’t help. Sometimes you need to unload your plate instead of making everything fit.” To help managers take back their time, the Innovation Unit compiled resources from across the State Department, including a toolkit and game developed by Foreign Service Officer Amy Storrow, who completed an Una Chapman Cox sabbatical fellowship studying how to improve team meetings in the department. The Innovation Unit also created interactive tools that help managers shift the way they think about their time, including a meeting cost estimator to help managers reframe the value of their (and their colleagues’) time and a workload analyzer to visualize where their time goes. JUMP is just one component of broader GTM efforts to develop and support managers, which include GTM’s popular “Managing Partner” newsletter, its quarterly webinar series “Aspiring Managers,” and the Manager Support Unit (MSU). The Manager Support Unit The MSU was launched in March 2020 with the mandate to offer supervisors real-time, practical advice on effectively managing and mitigating detrimental performance and conduct issues. Nearly five years later, the unit has provided advice to roughly 5,000 Foreign and Civil Service managers about more than 2,500 employee situations; conducted training and outreach to more than 12,000 managers and human resources professionals; and created an internal landing page with tools, resources, and templates that is accessed by dozens of department professionals each week. MSU has evolved from a temporary office to a fully established division within GTM’s Office of Employee Relations that advises overseas and domestic managers on every type of conduct and performance issue. While the nature of cases fluctuates from month to month, one theme remains constant: Managers around the globe are eager for guidance. Most managers recognize the corrosive effect that poor performance and misconduct have when left unaddressed, and they’re looking for advice on how to tackle the issues and, ideally, correct the behavior. Middle managers represent the bulk of supervisors who approach the MSU, but senior officials also seek support. Even the most seasoned managers encounter situations they’re not sure how to handle, and as they undertake challenging discussions with team members, they need support and affirmation— and they need to be sure they are acting in accordance with department guidance. After one call for advice in 2024, a manager wrote: “Since we spoke, I have had a series of difficult but productive conversations with the employee. … They want to improve, and I am now following up conversations in writing, which has been helpful. In addition to your suggestions, it was immensely helpful to learn that my situation is not uncommon and to receive your support in helping this employee succeed.” In years past, many managers didn’t know where to turn for guidance, but feedback to the MSU indicates that’s no longer the case. At a recent workshop for deputy chiefs of mission and principal officers, nearly every participant raised their hand when asked if they’d heard of the MSU, and most confirmed they had consulted with the MSU on a personnel issue. A Judgment-Free Zone A phrase many participants in MSU training hear is: “The MSU is a judgment-free zone.” Holding employees accountable is one of the toughest things managers need to learn. MSU staff does not judge struggling managers. Instead, they see themselves as a pillar of support during difficult conversations. The MSU’s unofficial tagline is: “Have you spoken with the employee?” This simple question conveys the fundamental Straight from the Source is the FSJ space for the foreign affairs agencies to inform the FS community about new policies or innovations in operations. Please send your feedback as letters to journal@afsa.org or comment on FSJ LinkedIn.
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