THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2025 45 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. responsibility of managers to their team members: to communicate expectations clearly, provide regular feedback on how an employee is doing, and let the employee know their manager supports their ongoing development. The good news is that MSU advisers are asking this question less frequently. Many managers seeking MSU support have already done initial counseling, and now they are looking for advice on next steps. The Work Continues JUMP was officially launched alongside the Retention Plan in September 2024. There’s still much to be done to help middle managers reach their full potential and shift the culture inside the department. GTM’s Innovation Unit is currently partnering with FSI to create a game that can help managers further develop their skills; FSI is piloting a new course to help first-time managers make the jump; and the department continues to increase the number of coaches available to provide individualized support. The Innovation Unit is always looking for new ideas to support managers and our workforce, and it welcomes input through the Innovation Portal. Department employees have already submitted more than 3,800 ideas through the Innovation Portal, and a small team of Civil Service and Foreign Service staff within the unit reads and reviews every submission. n
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