The Foreign Service Journal, May 2006

44 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A Y 2 0 0 6 hen I was 5 years old, my grandfather shared with me his conviction that the younger generation just didn’t measure up. When I was 20, and had all the answers, my frustrated father won- dered what would become of my generation. Now I am in my 50s, and wonder whether today’s youth will be able to meet the challenges ahead — and whether the State Department and other employers are prepared to make the best use of their abilities and interests. From 1998 to 2005, I was the chief technology officer at two large U.S. embassies, where I directed the work of Information Resource Management specialists. These groups, about half of whom were new hires under 35 years of age, were technology whizzes: you told them your needs and they met them, often in a matter of min- utes. However, one problem repeatedly surfaced: The young employees invariably questioned authority — an irritating behavior that limited their integration into the hierarchical embassy workplace. For example, we all know that at any diplomatic mis- sion, you do what the ambassador says. Period. If he instructs you to attend a social function, you go. If she asks for a new computer, printer or satellite phone, you provide it without asking why. That was not how most of these young specialists saw things, however. Two employees who had worked five years in indus- try before joining State saw no need to call the head of the mission “Madam Ambassador,” and felt her first name would do. Others, who were recent computer- networking graduates from the University of Maryland, did not want to go to the ambassador’s social events, where they “would just have to make conversation with others whom they did not know.” Another new hire felt it was more important for the junior officer in the polit- ical section to have a new computer than the front office. As you can imagine, I had to frequently redirect their actions. There were other differences, as well. The younger specialists were reluctant to work overtime, claiming they had better things to do with their free time. They all demanded feedback on their performance — instant feedback. And they were bold. Two who were in the F O C U S O N S P E C I A L I S T C A R E E R D E V E L O P M E N T S TATE ’ S G ENERATION X W ORK F ORCE B Y RECOGNIZING THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG IT SPECIALISTS , THE F OREIGN S ERVICE CAN DEVISE STRATEGIES TO CAPITALIZE ON THEIR SKILLS . B Y A LAN R OECKS W