The Foreign Service Journal, February 2011

30 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 1 • Meet regularly and discuss substantively. Chaired by the am- bassador or DCM, regular meetings of relevant section chiefs and agency heads with the trade and economic portfolio should focus on key policy developments, business opportunities and upcom- ing VIP visits to advance mission goals, rather than rote updates of who is doing what (which should be happening daily, anyway). • Multiply resources. Cooperation and communications can ensure cross-pollination of ideas and opportunities to identify al- lies and detractors on a given policy goal. • Consult before you do. Strategic and operational plans should be shared in draft before finalized to head off overlap and confu- sion. • Share and share alike. No section of a mission “owns” a par- ticular contact in a ministry or private firm. These are mission contacts to be cultivated as a team, not in competition. Common courtesy and common sense dictate that advance coordination be undertaken to avoid bumping into each other in the minister’s an- teroom. • Play to your strengths. If one section has more knowledge of or contacts on a given issue, even if outside its normal portfolio, let that office lead the engagement. Business results should guide the resources, not artificial bureaucratic boundaries. • Network the interagency community. In addition to the rele- vant geographic and functional bureaus, the Commerce Depart- ment’s Office of Market Access and Compliance, the Foreign Agricultural Service, USAID and the Office of the U.S. Trade Rep- resentative may all have a stake in a given issue. As the central ex- ecution point, well-led posts should ensure that the entire interagency community is brought into the process. • Tell the story. Posts should tap the public affairs section and the Commerce Department to highlight key trade policy opportu- nities and business development. This can be done by placing ambassadorial op-eds and using other messaging to highlight bi- lateral business opportunities and U.S. policy developments af- fecting the host country. — Michael A. Lally F O C U S The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Trade and Economic Portfolios