The Foreign Service Journal, December 2018

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2018 29 FSJ: Does AAD ever take positions on policy issues? REN: Not as an organization, although many individual members take positions on policy issues. The Foreign Service Career FSJ: What are the essential ingredients for a successful diplo- mat? REN: There are probably as many answers as there are dip- lomats. One essential is listening well, so that you know how to shape your own arguments for maximum success. Another is to master your home bureaucracy, so that you know how best to advocate for policies you believe in. Few things are more prone to ridicule and ineffectiveness than a diplomat who is tone deaf to his or her own nation’s politics. This does not mean that one should not advocate for unpopular policies; but, rather, that one must know how to shape the argument. Clear and precise writ- ing is essential. Those are a few things that I would pick out, but there are whole books written on this subject. FSJ: Who were some of the people you especially admired or were inspired by during your Foreign Service career? REN: I have had so many mentors and guides that it is dif- ficult to pick out a few. Certainly my father was one. We were col- leagues and friends, as well as father and son. Hal Saunders was another, as I mentioned in my remarks on receiving the award. I have learned from every ambassador for whom I have worked— from Ed Clark long ago in Dakar to John Negroponte in Iraq. FSJ: How would you describe Civil Service-Foreign Service relations, and what changes have you seen over time? REN: The Civil Service has become a much more crucial part of the conduct of diplomacy than it was when I entered the Foreign Service. The department has to manage three personnel systems: Foreign Service, Civil Service and Locally Employed staff. There are many structural rigidities in the sys- tems that cause strains between the Civil and Foreign Service. These problems weaken our diplomacy overall. There are also American Diplomacy Award