The Foreign Service Journal, March 2022

66 MARCH 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL officers felt empowered and included, while senior leaders were able to share their goals, knowledge and advice. This was a suc- cessful outcome that would not have been possible without a front office that valued mentorship and championed FAST+ activities and concerns. Supervisors: Check in Regularly Early-career Foreign Service generalists and specialists are becoming increasingly diverse, representing a mosaic of our American society. Supervisors should do more than manage people and paper: They should get to know where their employees new to the Foreign Service are from and the communities they represent. Living and working overseas during your first couple of tours can be challenging, especially when things back home are difficult. Protests, police brutal- ity, mass shootings and natural disasters in the United States were just a few of the concerns keeping early-career officers awake at night—on top of the stress of the pandemic, as well as operating amid a challenging security situation, and the pres- sure of working in a fast-paced environment. To help officers handle such stress and pressure, a FAST+ specialist working as a social worker in Embassy Islamabad’s health unit held a workshop for fellow FAST+ officers that taught useful techniques for personal well-being at a high-stress post. Supervisors, as well as others in the embassy community, can play a key role in checking in with early-career officers and helping cre- ate an environment where they can thrive. Holding a virtual town hall exclusively for early-career gener- alists and specialists is an excellent way to provide a comfortable and safe space to share their concerns and thoughts directly with mission leadership. After the police killing of George Floyd in May 2020, which sparked outrage, sadness and protests through- out the United States and across the world, many early-career officers on their first few tours overseas were frustrated and anxious, being thousands of miles away. Many felt a profound sense of helplessness. Mission Pakistan’s then–chargé d’affaires, Paul Jones, held a virtual town hall during this time, encouraging a safe dialogue where officers shared powerful personal experiences of racism and xenophobia both in America and at post. After the town hall, the exchange continued as officers shared articles among one another and the chargé to understand better the roots of racism and xenophobia in America. The process strengthened community ties and FAST+ officers’ relationship to mission leadership. Sharing each other’s vastly different experiences in the Foreign Service brought out empathy among col- leagues and highlighted that there is no one-size-fits-all experience as an American diplomat. Invest in America’s Diplomats In co-leading Mission Pakistan’s FAST+ group during the pandemic, we developed many lessons learned, which we hope will be useful to other posts grappling with the chal- lenges of operating in a pandemic and in difficult environments around the world. Despite the growing demands that global events place on our work, it is vital to invest in the next generation of America’s diplomats now. In addition to offering training and opportunities for FAST+ officers, it is also vital to get to know who they are as people. Not only are they the future of the Foreign Service, but they represent the future of America as a nation. n In addition to offering training and opportunities for FAST+ officers, it is also vital to get to know who they are as people. COURTESYOFKEOMEROWE Entry-level program co-leaders M.J. Crawford (at left) and Keome Rowe (at right) with Mission Pakistan Chargé d’Affaires Angela Aggeler.