The Foreign Service Journal, October 2012

30 OCTOBER 2012 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL tism, high motivation and talent. Less positive descrip- tions include: insular, arro- gant, characterized by an enduring hierarchy between various groups (e.g., FSO generalist/FS specialist, FS/local staff, veterans/ newcomers). Many also say that the new generation is breaking down those traditional divides. “The old generalist/specialist divides are not what they used to be,” says a Diplomatic Security special agent. “There is no reason for a specialist to have an inferiority complex.” This DS agent knows people who have switched from DS to an FSO track and the other way around, resulting in even greater understanding of what each group actually does and the chal- lenges they face. “So far my impression of FS culture is largely positive,” says USAID officer Kristin Ray, who’s on her way to her second post, Kathmandu. “People have been friendly, collegial and inter- ested in each other’s work. I have been surprised by the very collaborative culture in USAID.” “I did not expect to be having as much fun as I’m having. I did not expect to have so many awesome colleagues and friends,” says an office management specialist on her first tour in Asia. “I didn’t expect to spend so much time with the ambas- sador. All these things may be unique to this post. I’ll find out next time.” “It’s a bit like being in college or university while on an island. Including voting off,” the OMS adds. “We play together with the folks we work with. We vacation together, we travel together, we live on the same streets. Not a bad thing, just very much like a family.” Another specialist, an information resources officer, likens FS culture to high school, cliques and all. Eva Moss, who grew up as a Foreign Service dependent and helped review all the responses to our questionnaire as an AFSA intern, puts it this way: “The Foreign Service culture seems a lot like an enormous worldwide high school. Lots of teachers’ pets, frustration with grades, issues with cliques, feel- ings of isolation, tumultuousness of couples and singles alike, balancing fun and work, and constant friction with those in charge.” “We came in knowing there would be challenges, and that I was moving from the private sector to government,” says a second-career officer serv- ing in India. “But we were prepared for that. Sure, there are things that are annoy- ing; but honestly, it’s a pretty good gig. We get paid to live overseas—we’re fully supported in a place where it’s not always easy to live. I get a good salary and good benefits. I have benefited from perspective! I mean, what’s to complain about?” Still, the “organizational culture” of the State Department comes up for frequent criticism, and many also mention either extreme bureaucracy or poor management as key areas of concern. A political officer who joined in 2008 describes the culture this way: “quirky and talented people, far more passive- aggressive than I imagined.” A number of respondents point to the Employee Evaluation Report as directly contributing to a culture of the individual rather than of community. Most of those who mention the EER see it as a broken system, wasting vast amounts of time with the end products depending more on the mix of personali- ties involved in drafting than on the actual work of the rated employee. “The emphasis on ‘up or out’ does, I think, cause persons to engage in much self-promotion and relentless attention to advancement, not infrequently at the expense of genuine teamwork and collegiality,” says one public diplomacy officer serving in a consular position in South Asia. She calls Foreign Service culture “overly hierarchical and bureaucratic.” “The Foreign Service is a lot more boring and tedious than I had imagined,” says a second-career econ officer serving in a pol/econ position at a small post. “The work isn’t substantively any different than the work performed at the Department of Motor Vehicles or numerous other nameless bureaucracies—it just happens to have more exotic field offices.” “Rather than a pursuit of excellence, there is more of a pursuit of mandates,” says a consular officer in a European post. “There’s lots of time wasted on meetings and reports that no one reads and do not improve bilateral relationships. I feel more like a clerk than a diplomat. Many senior officers have a total lack of appreciation of skills brought into the Foreign Service.” “Living overseas and working at an embassy—with the logistical support of the U.S. government—is pretty much what I FOCUS THE NEW FS GENERATION Close to one-third of all mid-level positions are either vacant or filled by FSOs in upstretch assignments. —June 2012 GAO report