The Foreign Service Journal, January 2005

tion. If different reports credit sever- al employees with the same single- handed accomplishment, boards may discount them all. • Writing Style: Raters and reviewers must keep in mind that they are writing for boards comprised of one public member and probably sev- eral Foreign Service members who have never served in that bureau or post. Therefore, it is essential for drafters to spell out all acronyms. In addition, drafters should avoid pro- ducing a full page of unbroken text. A little white space after or between paragraphs makes it much easier for boards to read the document and thus focus on its content. Final Comments I will conclude by answering the three most frequently asked ques- tions that I have gotten from col- leagues about my service last sum- mer on a selection board: Q: Was it easy to read through the inflated verbiage in order to decide who merited promotion, mid-rank- ing and low-ranking? A: Yes. Most reports provided the needed specific examples of perfor- mance and placed them in the context of their impact on mission accom- plishment. Weighing that informa- tion against the job description and work requirements statements, it was not difficult to judge who was ahead of, in the middle of, or falling behind their peers. Q: Were some employees disad- vantaged by poorly drafted reports? A: Rarely. I did not see many poorly drafted reports. When I did, there were always three to six other reports from other years by which to evaluate the employee. Q: Was the promotion process fair? A: Yes. I saw no hint of favoritism or discrimination during board delib- erations. Although many efficiency reports were inflated and a few were poorly written, I still found it possible to decide who met the standards of their class and demonstrated the potential to serve at the next higher level.  42 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 5 Promotion panels are looking for employees who exhibit the skills, experience and qualities needed to meet the demands of America’s 21st-century diplomacy.