The Foreign Service Journal, June 2015

38 JUNE 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL ing potential for both parties given the different insights they can provide each other. • Diverse Partnerships. Employees should seek to form part- nerships with colleagues who share a commitment to diversity and professional development. We urge mentors to seek out mentees who do not share their backgrounds or career paths or mentees who have less experience and might benefit from the mentors’ guidance. We encourage mentees to seek out senior colleagues from whom they could learn. A mentor’s background is less important than his or her willingness to provide assistance and an unwavering commitment to the mentee's short- and long-term career goals. Locally employed and Civil Service col- leagues can also be fantastic mentors, lending their cultural and institutional knowledge. • Virtual Partnerships. Given our mobility as Foreign Service members, virtual mentoring enables mentors and mentees to take advantage of today’s technological tools to conquer geogra- phy and time zones to maintain long-term partnerships. While open and honest communication is necessary for in-person mentoring, it is an absolute prerequisite for a successful online mentoring partnership. Both mentor and mentee must redouble commitments to be responsive to one another. While we recom- mend face-to-face interactions whenever possible, electronic communication can offer some advantages. Mentees may be less conscious of their mentors’ rank or position and be more forthright in their exchanges. Let the Partnerships Begin! A diplomatic corps that is diverse in gender, race, sexual orientation, national origin, physical ability, and personal and professional background, including the Senior Foreign Service, will help ensure that our Service truly reflects our nation’s diver- sity. It will also ensure that the State Department has the benefit of diverse perspectives and insights in foreign policymaking. We encourage all officers and specialists to get involved as mentors and mentees. This is a collective effort that demands commitment from all of us. Let’s work together to achieve and sustain diversity across the Foreign Service ranks. n