The Foreign Service Journal, March 2022

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2022 65 vide EER feedback and host dinners at their residences. Forge and Maintain a Working Relationship with the Front Office As officers advance in their careers, their day-to-day work often involves back-to-back meetings, overseeing numerous clear- ances and approvals, and making critical decisions affecting the mission. We found that regular monthly meetings with the front office opened and sustained a direct channel for communication. The meetings were a mechanism for us to voice the opinions and concerns of the early-career officers we represented, brainstorm activities, and learn more about the attitudes and sentiments of the broader mission community. For example, while many entry-level generalists and specialists are well compensated with danger and hardship pay for serving in Pakistan, many were concerned that security and pandemic- related restrictions on travel and building people-to-people ties hampered them from developing the full range of experience and skills essential to their cone or specialty. Ask What FAST+ Officers Need ... We surveyed Mission Pakistan’s early-career officers to under- stand which professional development opportunities they were most interested in. At least 81 percent of respondents wanted to participate in training and workshops; 72 percent wanted to focus on leadership; and 36 percent wanted to improve their public speaking skills. The data also revealed that early-career officers were eager to have exposure to and increased understanding of what other agencies were doing in Pakistan. As one anonymous respondent put it: “Although we all push toward the same objectives, in theory [State] and [non-State] people are pretty clueless about what each other does.” Survey respondents also sought opportunities to socialize and get to know one another. This is a tricky balance during a pandemic, but with creativity we made it happen, and so can you. Outdoor activities such as hiking or enjoying an outside, socially distanced wine tasting can bring entry-level officers together and offer an opportunity to get to knowmission leadership in a more relaxed environment. ... Deliver What They Want When some Mission Pakistan FAST+ officers initially felt dis- connected from the larger mission goals and objectives, the front office supported a two-day Mission Pakistan conference to give officers a bird’s-eye view of Pakistan’s political and societal land- scape. Chargé d’Affaires Angela P. Aggeler, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Richard Snelsire and senior Mission Pakistan leaders from various sections and agencies presented on important top- ics, helping FAST+ officers understand how their work fit into the larger picture of executing mission goals and objectives. During the two-day conference, early-career officers gained public speaking experience by moderating panels featuring mid- and senior-level State officers, as well as seasoned representatives from various U.S. government agencies. Because the event was virtual, all 30 FAST+ officers from Embassy Islamabad and Mis- sion Pakistan’s three consulates participated. In the end, FAST+ A handful of entry-level employees serving at Embassy Islamabad enjoy an outdoor gathering at the chargé d’affaires’ residence. Chargé d'Affaires Angela Aggeler hosted the event for entry-level officers and senior mission employees who participated in programming for entry- level generalists and specialists. COURTESYOFKEOMEROWE