The Foreign Service Journal, December 2016

6 DECEMBER 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 61 Call for Nominations: 2017 Constructive Dissent Awards 62 State VP Voice—A Primer on Labor-Management Relations 63 USAID VP Voice—Workplace Bullying: Setting the Agency Standard 64 FAS VP Voice—Crash Course on Promotions 64 Reminder—2017 High School Essay Contest 65 AFSA Receives Six-Figure Planned Gift 66 Retiree Corner—Managing Your TSP in Retirement 67 AFSA Governing Board Meeting Notes 68 AFSA Hosts Autumn Happy Hour 69 AFSA Engages with UTAustin Students 69 Sinclaire Language Award Nominations 70 360-Degree Feedback in the Foreign Service AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION On the Cover: A view of the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. In the foreground, a Russian national flag and flowers at the place of death of Boris Nemtsov, well-known Russian opposition leader, who was killed on this bridge on Feb. 27, 2015. Cover photo and several others inside this issue are by Arthur Bondar. Born in Ukraine, this award-winning photographer studied at New York University. The recipient of a National Geographic Grant (2011), his work has been widely exhibited worldwide and published in The New Yorker, The New York Times , and elsewhere. 7 President’s Views Cultivating Strong Leadership By Ba r ba r a S t e p h e n s o n 9 Letter from the Editor Understanding Today’s Russia By Sh awn Do rma n 18 Speaking Out Why USAID’s New Approach to Development Assistance Is Stalled By T h oma s D i c h t e r Departments 10 Letters 14 Talking Points 71 Books 117 Reflections In Praise of the Ambassador’s Self-Help Fund By Ro b e r t G r i b b i n 118 Local Lens Buenos Aires, Argentina By Kev i n Ke e n Marketplace 112 Classifieds 114 Real Estate 116 Index to Advertisers 78 Perspectives FOREIGN SERVICE 61