The Foreign Service Journal, May 2011

J O U R N A L OREIGN ERVICE S F P RESIDENT ’ S V IEWS / 5 The Fundamental Question about Overseas Comparability Pay By Susan R. Johnson S PEAKING O UT / 13 Building Professional Skills By William P. Schofield R EFLECTIONS / 84 A Dad in Iraq By Yasmin Ranz-Lind L ETTERS / 7 C YBERNOTES / 10 M ARKETPLACE / 12 B OOKS / 76 I NDEX TO A DVERTISERS / 82 Cover and inside illustrations by Ian Whadcock M A Y 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 3 C ONTENTS May 2011 Volume 88, No.5 F O C U S O N F o r e i g n S e r v i c e Wo r k - L i f e B a l a n c e E DITOR ’ S I NTRODUCTION / 16 We hope these testimonials from FS employees and family members will help you achieve better equilibrium between career and personal life. By Steven Alan Honley T HE F OREIGN S ERVICE J UGGLING A CT / 18 Most FS employees willingly make personal sacrifices for their careers, but they would like more support from their agencies in return. By Shawn Zeller A W IN -W IN A PPROACH TO T IME M ANAGEMENT / 27 While difficult, achieving a proper balance between one’s career and personal life is possible. But like anything else, it requires commitment. By Charles A. Ray S I , S E P UEDE / 30 An advance visit to this FS family’s next post lightens the burden of transition. By Amanda Fernandez G OING S OLO : S INGLE IN THE F OREIGN S ERVICE / 33 Singles comprise about one-third of the Foreign Service and have their own unique challenges. By Shawn Dorman F OREVER T ANDEM / 37 Achieving work-life balance is like personal engineering, and comes with the same trade-offs that all engineers face in getting things done. By Teresa Chin Jones T RAILING T ANDEM / 41 Perhaps one day no trailing tandem who wants to work will have to take leave without pay to join a spouse or partner at post. By Clayton Bond N AVIGATING L IFE ’ S U NEXPECTED R EALITIES / 44 No matter how carefully a family prepares for an unaccompanied tour, life has a way of throwing unexpected curves at them. By Jen Dinoia S TAYING C ONNECTED W HILE D EPLOYED / 47 Modern communications and travel have greatly altered the Foreign Service experience. But one FSO wonders, is it really all for the better? By Keith W. Mines S HARING C USTODY , D IPLOMATICALLY / 50 A divorce settlement gave these FS children time with both parents and the unexpected gift of travel skills. By Victoria Hirschland