The Foreign Service Journal, May 2016

26 may 2016 | the foreign Service journal You will need to come to grips with the word “retirement.” As you read the literature, you’ll see a lot of references to the importance of retiring to something. The thought of not having to get up for work can seem incredibly attractive at first, but you’ve still got to have a plan for this new, great (and potentially very long) chapter in your life. Answer the following questions: What’s my vision for the rest of my life? What’s my dream? What does my new ideal world look like? Where do I want to try living? (Be careful, by the way, about certainty on where you retire before you’ve tried the place out for a while.) Reconnecting to FSI My own answers to those questions pointed me to a yearlong set of courses and practical training at the Coaches Training Institute, leading to a professional coaching certification. When the first question posed to students on the first day of coaching class was “What’s the dream?” I knew where my heart and my future were headed. I wanted to ask people those big questions and then witness them connecting their dots, personally and professionally. I wanted to be there to listen and intuit, and acknowledge and champion, and observe and point them forward on their new paths. When I talked to a very senior and influential mentor about maintaining my connection to the State Department, she was in a position to offer me a part-time position in the Leadership and Management School at the Foreign Service Institute. That was fortuitous because I had maintained a connection to FSI ever since I worked there as a trainer in the late 1990s. I felt comfortable in the classroom, in aspects of training design and adult learning, and as a subject-matter expert on the Foreign Service experience. I was first assigned to the Deputy Chief of Mission/Principal Officer course and the Senior Execu- tive Threshold Seminar, and then moved into Fundamentals of Supervision and Intermediate Leadership Skills. I also joined FSI’s roster of leadership coaches. Classroom training and work as a leadership coach for State Department clients became the first part of my dream realized. And, there was more for me to do. California, Here I Come! I’m a native Californian whose heart has always stayed con- nected to the West Coast. I wanted to spend more time in San Diego (my hometown) and work from there for part of each year. This has evolved into me spending between a third and a half of each year living by the Pacific Ocean. It’s still amazing to awaken each morning hearing and seeing the waves crash (which is happening as I write this). A typical day for me includes a couple of coaching calls (both State Department and private clients); answering some State Department email and interacting with FSI; taking a long daily walk with my audiobooks (a huge new part of my retirement!); and socializing with longtime local friends. Family connections are important to me: I live about a 30-minute drive away from my active, vibrant 80-year-old mother. I have found in the last year or so that the word “retired” has faded frommy vocabulary. My life is different from when I worked full time, yet I am not “retired.” Not close! This is the message I want most to be heard by those con- templating an early, voluntary departure from State: realize you have this enormous gift of an annuity and paid health care, find your passion and calling for the next chapter and follow your dream. Make the world yours. It’s possible. You will soar. And, Know When to Go Never forget that the Foreign Service’s “up or out”’ structure will tell you when to go if you don’t decide for yourself. I have seen too many colleagues stay too long because they don’t see (though others often do) that their trajectory may have peaked. Sometimes unhappiness and even bitterness creep in. Some- times they aren’t aware that they are blocking the advancement of others to leadership positions. So know when to go. Here are some tips on making the decision: 1. Take the superb pre-retirement courses that FSI offers, as soon as possible. Learn about ways to prepare yourself, your family and your finances for a new life. For me, it was about passion and the need to find a new calling— not unhappiness with my Foreign Service assignments.