The Foreign Service Journal, April 2015

76 APRIL 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL RETIREE VP VOICE | BY LARRY COHEN AFSA NEWS My Three Laws Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA Retiree VP. Contact: lawrencecohenassociates@hotmail.com or (703) 437-7881 Neither Newton’s nor Ein- stein’s theories are threat- ened. The first and second laws of thermodynamics remain secure. The universe continues to expand, and according to recent astro- nomical research the expan- sion is accelerating. However, based on my experiences, I would like to present three laws specific to the Foreign Service and its people. Cohen’s first law states that embassies and consul- ates reflect the cultures in which they are located. Since this law is not difficult to conceptualize, most mem- bers of the Foreign Service likely concur. A posting south of the border differs markedly from diplomatic life in South Asia. Life in Eastern Europe and East Asia share very little in common—except, perhaps, the legacy of the Ural-Altaic family of languages. Though Iraqi and Irish representa- tives sit next to each other at the U.N. General Assembly, I suspect no one confuses daily and embassy life in Baghdad with that of Dublin. Most embassy and con- sulate personnel are locally employed staff (LES). While they conform to the rules and practices of Uncle Sam, LES do not check their behaviors, laws and customs at the front gate. Extensive effort by the State Department to physi- cally homogenize diplomatic missions cannot wholly account for the human factor. Thank goodness! What would overseas life be like without daily interaction and cultural exchanges between the American and local employees, or local citizens in general? Pupusas in Salvador! Samosas in Chennai! Jollof rice inWest Africa! Cohen’s second law focuses on diplomatic leader- ship. For an embassy or con- sulate to be most successful, chiefs of mission and their deputies must possess differ- ent personality characteris- tics. We need not look solely at the results of the Myers- Briggs Type Indicator person- ality inventory to observe that people are different. But what happens when embassy leadership share similar personalities, for example when both the ambassador and the deputy chief of mission are micro- managers, or strong intro- verts or emotionally high strung? Almost inevitably, the results are low post morale and inefficient overall perfor- mance, especially when the post is already under stress from local conditions or bilat- eral tensions. Such a leadership situation may have multiplier effects. Instead of the emergence of the best leadership qualities and skills, the worst generally appear and seep down from the top to the entire mission. Effective, high-perfor- mance, high-morale diplo- matic posts are usually run by chiefs and deputies who bal- ance each other in leadership, cover all critical interpersonal angles and have complimen- tary management strengths. When this happens, the dip- lomatic mission’s location is irrelevant. The difficult hard- ship post becomes a dream assignment. When balance is not achieved, even a cushy, highly sought-after posting may become a nightmare. Cohen’s third law is more formulaic. As an individual’s tenure in the Foreign Ser- vice grows, the likelihood of running into a familiar face between the State Depart- ment’s C Street entrance— yes, the one with the flags— and the cafeteria rises at a predictable rate. I challenge anyone who has served at least once overseas or on domestic assignment at Main State to argue otherwise. The more assignments under your belt, the more people you know. The broader the variety of assignments, for example postings in multiple geographic regions or bureaus, the number of familiar faces may rise loga- rithmically. In the course of a normal day, almost everyone visiting or working at Main State transits the first floor corridor—especially during lunch hour! This law has a corollary. Peak “familiarity,” that is, facial recognition, occurs at around retirement. After a multi-decade Foreign Service career, it becomes almost impossible not to (literally) run into someone with whom one has served or worked every few minutes. After retirement a gradual “familiarity” decline takes place—assuming the annui- tant can easily access Main State in the first place. As the years pass, fewer faces are familiar. The ability to remember names and mutual assignments fades, as well. Above your head, a cartoon balloon may appear. It says: “She knows me, but what’s her name?Where do I know this person from?” If this happens to you, don’t fret. That particular corridor is full of balloons. I see them all the time. n As an individual’s tenure in the Foreign Service grows, the likelihood of running into a familiar face between the State Department’s C Street entrance—yes, the one with the flags— and the cafeteria rises at a predictable rate.