The Foreign Service Journal, January 2003

to state governors, bringing the experience of seasoned officers back to America’s home turf. We must also create a few roving com- mercial-ambassador jobs that give us entrée into university business extension programs, where we can motivate young executives enrolled in night-school and MBA programs to encourage their com- panies to export overseas. We must convince our most senior minister-counselors to come back to Washington and serve at headquarters to improve the system with their knowledge and wisdom. Above all, we must remember that we are a service business, and as such, we will always be held to today’s standards of performance and be compared to private sector companies. If anyone thinks that we can make these changes alone, they are sorely mistaken. After all, no team can win if it feels it doesn’t have the proper equipment or the support of the owners. So it will take a renewed effort on the part of man- agement and labor to meet and dis- cuss issues openly and honestly. And we will need the help of essen- tial third parties like AFSA to pro- vide their guidance and counsel to help keep the ball in play and the playing field level. Finally, we must be proud of who and what we are, where we’ve been, and we should look forward to where we’re going and what we can become as an agency. To quote Robert Browning: “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” F O C U S J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 3 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 43 Spend your time the way you want . Do the same with your per diem . • Free Breakfast Buffet • Fitness Center • Laundry • Sundowner socials Your per diem goes much farther. So the next time you travel, spend some time here at Staybridge Suites . And Make It Your Place. Tysons-McLean 6845 Old Dominion Drive McLean, VA 22101 Phone: 703.448.5400 Fax: 703.506.0001 Owned by McLean Hotel LLC and Operated by Grand Duke Hotel, LLC Visit Staybridge Suites If we are to succeed in our own department, we must be able to count on the DG as “one of our own,” who will fight for the support we need to run a professional corps of officers.