The Foreign Service Journal, November 2011

20 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 1 1 ambassadors and self-impressed depu- ty chiefs of mission to mid-level offi- cers in their first managerial role — should respond to any call for help or counsel from a subordinate. What is true of ordinary situations in normal environments is a thousandfold more imperative in high-stress environ- ments, where those around you have fewer options and a greater need to talk and seek counsel. For supervisors, your time is their time. If that is too hard or too unrea- sonable there are plenty of other jobs to take: car salesman, politician, street sweeper, etc. But not supervisor. As that word’s etymology suggests, we su- pervisors have a duty not just to over- see but to look out for those we supervise. Midnight is not too late to meet and talk with them; 5 a.m. is not too early. Being there — always — will help them get through the tour. But while your time is theirs, the opposite is not true. To the extent pos- sible, don’t intrude on their brief, spo- radic opportunities to absent them- selves from the office and from work. Foreign Service personnel tend to be breathless about everything. We de- lude ourselves into believing that whatever we are working on is urgent and important and must be attended to right now. This natural tendency is compounded and rendered almost in- sufferable in a high-stress post. The Boss as Grand Inquisitor It used to be said — perhaps it still is— that high-stress posts are full of the “needy, speedy and greedy.” I did de- tect some of each category in Kabul, but for the most part my colleagues were there because they felt a strong commitment (at least when they first arrived) to serving their country and making a real difference in the lives of the Afghan people. Nothing changes that idealism to cynicism faster than a boss focused on his or her own ad- vancement or too concerned with the mundane aspects of bureaucratic life. Dostoevsky once wisely observed that if you really want to break a per- son’s spirit, the most effective means is simply to take from that person his or her purpose in life. What is true in the ordinary world is, again, even truer in high-stress environments where one’s work — indeed, one’s whole justifica- tion for having sacrificed to be there— is caught up in one’s job. Bosses always have an obligation, especially in such an environment, to ensure that their staff are doing useful work and are being ap- preciated for doing it. Not for Everyone There is a wonderfully ridiculous scene in an episode of “The Office” in which Michael Scott has to fire some- one by the end of the day. He has put off doing it for months, and prolongs the agony until the very last minute. Off camera, he is asked if he has ever gone hunting. He responds boast- fully: “Yes, I shot a deer once — in the leg.” Then after a lengthy pause he adds: “I had to beat it with a shovel for about an hour. It’s hard to watch, though. It’s hard to hit another living thing in the face for about an hour. Where’s the joy in that? Where’s the sport? When you are the one with the shovel and they are just lying there.” Quizzically, he finally says: “Why do you ask?” The last thing I told every new ar- rival in Kabul is that high-stress posts are not for everyone. It doesn’t mean you are less patriotic, less a man (or woman), less dedicated or competent, if you decide to leave or if post man- agement decides you need to go. There is no shame in going and there is great honor in having tried. But it just prolongs the agony and the sense of shame to let these matters drag on. During my tour in Kabul, more than two dozen personnel either voluntarily left post early or were told to leave: quickly, humanely, decisively. Supervisors dragging their feet just ex- acerbate the situation. As individuals we also need to not drag our feet. We need to see ourselves clearly and ruthlessly assess whether we can really cope with such an environ- ment. At one point I almost brought a shovel into my office as a reminder of that insight. But then I thought better of it. Joseph Adamo Mussomeli, a Foreign Service officer since 1980, is currently the U.S. ambassador to Slovenia. Prior to that, he was assistant chief of mis- sion in Kabul from 2008 to 2010, and ambassador to Cambodia from 2005 to 2008, among many other assignments. F S K N O W - H O W High-stress posts are not for everyone. It doesn’t mean you are less patriotic, dedicated or competent if you decide to leave, or if post management decides you need to go.