The Foreign Service Journal, June 2022

AFSA NEWS 56 JUNE 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL FSJ Wins a TRENDY Award AFSA Panel Discussion: Mastering the EER For entry-level and experienced officers alike, annual For- eign Service employee evaluation reports can be a source of anxiety. To help FS members learn to master this powerful determinant for promotions and tenure, AFSA hosted a panel discussion—“How to Write Your Best EER Ever!”—via Zoom on March 24. An astonishing 800 people signed up for the discussion. Welcomed by AFSA President Eric Rubin and moderated by Governing Board member Maria Hart, the panel featured the insights of Ambassador Michele Sison and FSOs Tristram Perry and Rebekah Drame. Amb. Sison, who has served on a number of selection boards, highlighted points to keep in mind when crafting an EER. “Look at the core precepts, the building blocks of compe- At the March 11 Association TRENDS 43rd annual “Salute to Association Excellence,” The Foreign Service Journal received a silver TRENDY award for publishing excel- lence. The award, given in the “Monthly Professional Society Magazine” category, recognizes the September 2021 edition, which focused on 9/11 twenty years later. Featured in the issue are several articles from current and retired FSOs about one of the United States’ grimmest days and all that followed. FSO Nancy Ostrowski offers a firsthand account of escaping the Marriott World Trade Center and lessons for persevering through catas- trophe. In “The Global War on Terror and Diplomatic Practice,”Ambassador (ret .) Larry Butler considers how The September 2021 issue of The Foreign Service Journal received a silver TRENDY award. The Association TRENDS “Salute to Association Excellence” awards ceremony took place on March 11 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. KATHRYNOWENS tency, and key what you’re writing about yourself, or rating about others, to those core competencies,” she advised. “Focus on the results you achieved rather than the process. Address the level above you that you’re aiming for.” She also urged FS members to emphasize “we” over “me” by showcasing how they supported their team and the interagency. Supervisors should note how they developed a diverse and inclusive team. Perry, who is currently serving as division chief in the Office of eDiplomacy’s Knowledge Leadership Division, encouraged the audience to volunteer to serve on selection boards or review panels to see how evaluations are ranked. He also rec- ommended that employees maintain a file documenting their work through weekly or monthly activity reports to ensure this information is accessible when EER season comes around. war fundamentally changed U.S. diplomacy. Anthony H. Cordesman argues that 9/11 did not foreshadow the major changes that now drive U.S. foreign policy and national security strategy, while veteran FSO Keith Mines reflects on his tours in Afghanistan in “The Proper Measure of the Place.” In “Intervention: Unlearned Lessons, or the Gripes of a Professional,” Ambassador (ret.) Ron Neu- mann provides four critical lessons drawn from the post- 9/11 experience in military interventions. The issue also contains excerpts from the FSJ archive relating to 9/11, the war on terror, Iraq and Afghanistan. The annual Association TRENDS event is attended by more than 500 associa- tion professionals to honor the best work published by the association community. The FSJ previously received two TRENDY awards in 2020 recognizing the May and November 2019 issues. n