The Foreign Service Journal, March 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2021 53 Department leaders should visit all 50 states with targetedmes- saging to select constituents, most importantly those most critical of U.S. engagement around the world. Ambassadors could be provided two weeks each year to spend time in their home states as part of this strategic campaign, with a required reporting cable on noteworthy themes and audiences engaged. FSO Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath is deputy executive secretary at the Department of State. Pursue Inclusion Intentionally Aggressively recruit and assign employees of color to senior- level positions. The 2021 summer bid cycle was an opportunity to reverse past trends, yet FSOs of color were overlooked for senior- level positions. State Department senior leadership have the authority to reject short lists not representative of the workforce’s diversity and to demand bureaus justify their inability to produce diverse slates prior to the final stages in the Deputy’s Committee. Energetic recruitment should not be limited to overseas jobs, but adopted for deputy assistant secretary and office director-level positions. Establish reporting mechanisms. State should establish a separate office to address toxic workplace dynamics and create reporting mechanisms for employees to disclose incidents falling short of the equal employment opportunity (EEO) threshold (i.e., microaggressions and discriminatory behaviors). These mecha- nisms should trigger a response from the overseas missions or bureau leadership to investigate and prompt timely mediation by a teambased inWashington.  This office must exist outside of the EEO complaint process managed by the Office of Civil Rights and report directly to the Deputy Secretary. The Director General’s Office should form a committee to determine consequences for the person displaying discriminatory behavior, including additional training to address supervisory skills, a formal letter of reprimand shared with the bureau’s front office, denial of senior performance pay, or the inability serve in senior leadership positions for five years. Institutionalize FS mentoring, coaching and counseling. State should institutionalize robust mentoring programs and counseling services particularly to support employees of color and those under the Pickering and Rangel fellowships at every stage of their careers. This requires bolstering existing staffing and budgetary resources for the Foreign Service Institute’s Executive Coaching Program, Global Talent Management’s Office of Continuity Counseling and Office of Medical Services’ Employee Consultation Services. Starting at the entry level, support from these offices coupled with targeted mentoring and coaching programs will ensure employees have the resilience to pursue a successful career. State should formalize leadership programs for FS-3 and FS-2 employees of color on career navigation and mana- gerial and leadership skills. This will strengthen a pipeline of officers who are prepared for future deputy chief of mission and ambassadorial positions. State should expand the newly created FS-1 leadership program to coach for executive lead- ership positions and pair them with senior mentors. FSO Christina Tilghman served as president of the Pickering Rangel Fellowship Association in 2020. Change the Name of the Foreign Service Change the name of the Foreign Service to the “United States Diplomatic Service.” If the new administration is serious about grounding foreign policy in the day-to-day concerns of our fellow citizens, then America’s diplomatic corps should have a name that tells themwhat it is we do. The word “Foreign” fails to communicate that and, unfortu- nately, reinforces the sense that something about our mission is not grounded in our own country. We know nothing could be further from the truth, but we also need to be honest that the name “For- eign Service” is not helping our cause with the American people. Some will object based on tradition, but organizations must find ways to reinvigorate themselves over time or else become stagnant. Another objection will be that this is purely semantics and thus not worth the time and effort. But words domatter, as we diplomats know best of all. Andmany will object by saying such a change is not needed, which can be tested by surveying a representative sample of the American people to see howmany knowwhat the “Foreign Ser- vice” is. Another means of testing the value of such a change could be to ask a survey group what a “foreign service” does and what a “diplomatic service” does. Certainly, we would expect the latter to be far more effective in conveying our mission. 3 Resources