The Foreign Service Journal, November 2008

Africa Region chief administrative officer for the Peace Corps. Volun- teers are independent folk with strong views, so mandates do not work with them. To be effective, I used ap- proaches that stressed consensus and collaboration. Results can take longer to achieve, but they are more applica- ble to the situation at hand. I also learned to value open com- munication, for when feedback is sti- fled, the result is distorted and lacks value. Such an approach requires time for listening, mentoring, persua- sion and patience. But as a team becomes well-oiled and uses its open channels to coordinate between its various parts, results come more quickly. When I transferred over to State, I found that this philosophy does not always mesh with its top- down structure. But I still try to prac- tice that approach in my small world, and it has worked for me so far, despite resistance in some quarters. Bob Riley Management Counselor Embassy Hanoi T HE T HREE K EYS TO S UCCESS After serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bangladesh from 2000 to 2004, working for the Foreign Service feels very natural. I have learned that success in both roles requires flexibili- ty, teamwork and a commitment to public service. Working under hardship condi- tions, you must adapt quickly. Going to the bank may take two hours because you have to drink two cups of tea with the manager and greet the entire staff. During monsoon season, you might have to take a boat to work instead of a car because the road has flooded so much that the only other option is to swim in murky waters. If you can’t adapt, you can’t survive. Next comes teamwork. As a for- eigner working abroad, you must rely on the locals. During my time in the Peace Corps, I quickly realized that as I trained my co-workers and students, I, too, was being trained. Finally, we must embrace our pub- lic service role as the face of America abroad. We not only represent the U.S. and teach foreigners about our culture and values, but embody the broad perceptions that other nations have of Americans. Both the Foreign Service and the Peace Corps are service organizations, facilitating cultural exchanges and showing the rest of the world what America is truly like. Monica Isaza Economic/Political Section Consulate Guangzhou G ETTING OFF THE P LANE IN D AKAR I don’t think I had even heard of Senegal before the Peace Corps recruiting office in San Francisco sent me my country assignment letter. I spent days in the map room at the Library of Congress trying to come up with an image of this exotic place. A few months later, I trembled with excitement getting off the plane in Dakar, my first time in Africa. At the bottom of the stairs from the airplane door, the tarmac was so hot I could feel my Birkenstocks melting into the asphalt. The sights, the sounds and the tastes were all overwhelming at first, but I had dreamed of this moment for a long time. Ever since high school I had told my family and friends that I was going to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. And now I was there! As an agro-forestry and environ- ment volunteer, I was immediately immersed in debates about sound nat- ural resource management practices. Living in a village of 100 families, I helped my hosts farm a hectare of mil- let and about two hectares of ground nuts and watermelon once a year. I quickly learned what it was like to derive one’s entire sustenance from the ground, using only the natural re- sources at hand. My Peace Corps experience taught me a number of other important things, as well, almost all of which have enhanced my career as a USAID Foreign Service officer. I learned to assess a situation from the perspective of the host country, while resisting the urge to build monuments to myself. And I quickly realized that learning the local language, culture and tradi- tions would endear me to the people I was there to work with, support and learn about. My meetings with Senegalese offi- cials gave me the confidence and experience to represent the United States as an FSO. And the Peace Corps not only gave me important training in the technical skills I use every day, but led me to understand that the U.S. is making a significant effort in many important areas. Most importantly, I learned the truth of my father’s observation: Our similarities are much more interesting than our differences. Michael Satin FSO USAID/Afghanistan W HERE T HERE ’ S A W ILL … After serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer with a USAID-funded pub- lic administration team working for the municipality of Guayaquil, and later as a community organizer in a USAID-funded self-help housing pro- ject in Quito, I was in the early group of Peace Corps Volunteers that joined USAID in 1966. In addition to my other tasks, I helped promote closer working relationships between volun- teers and USAID. 54 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8