The Foreign Service Journal, October 2012

the older generations,” says a political officer serving in sub- Saharan Africa. “This may be because our generation does not value hierarchy as much, and we tend to have the philosophy that if you can play, you should be in the game, regardless of age or rank.” More progressive, more innovative and more in touch with what’s truly important to host-country populations is how a consular officer in South Asia describes the new FS generation. He adds: “It also seems more open to new ideas. However, the stifling State Department culture forces even this younger gen- eration to conform. Many good new ideas never go anywhere, and change at State proceeds at a snail’s pace. Meanwhile, the world we’re supposed to be engaging is changing far more rapidly, and becoming far more complex at the same time— a situation that inherently demands more outside-the-box responsiveness.” “For the most part, we’re well-educated, have other work experience, and joined the Foreign Service as a career, not a stepping stone to something else,” says Beverly Mather-Marcus, a political officer who joined in 2008. “Some of the more obvi- ous differences with prior generations are that there are more female officers with male ‘trailing spouses’ now. It’s also far more common for our spouses, male and female, to work.” Overriding Commitment to the Mission The USAID officers who responded are committed to devel- opment work as their career, and several see this as a higher priority than commitment to the agency. USAID FSO Kristin Ray comments: “I think in general this generation of USAID FSOs is highly committed to USAID’s mission, highly ambi- tious, and eager to be innovative. We adapt well to change, are able to use technology effectively, and seek ways to network and share tools that work across missions. Most of us have experience working across cultures and being collaborative.