The Foreign Service Journal, December 2018

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2018 53 What Local Staff Want You to Know E arly in 2018, through AFSAnet messages and networking, we began asking Locally Employed staff/Foreign Service Nationals from around the world to submit stories and advice based on their experiences working with American staff, working for the United States. The purpose was to gain a sense of how local employees see their work and what we can learn from their perspec- tives—perspectives that may not always be solicited at post. We shared a set of questions widely, suggesting respondents use the questions as a guide but essentially, to tell us what we should know about them in relation to their work and experiences. We asked the following questions: • What advice would you give American employees at the embassy about working with local staff? • How have you in your work contributed to relations between your country and the United States? Please share the story of a time you felt your work made a difference. • What do you think the U.S. embassy/mission should focus on but isn’t? • The most interesting thing about my job is… • The hardest thing about my job is… We are sharing all 18 responses here, edited lightly for style and clarity. We are so grateful to all those who responded for their thoughtful and insightful comments. Thank you to these local staff members, and to all Locally Employed staff around the world, for your work on behalf of the United States to advance diplomacy, development, prosperity and security. —The Editors ON FSN PERSPECTIVES FOCUS Engage Your Local Staff Right Away n HELANE GROSSMAN, HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE, U.S. EMBASSY PARIS, FRANCE “When I get to post I plan to innovate and be remembered for my innovation.” What U.S. direct hire hasn’t aspired to this at least once in their career? While making a positive differ- ence naturally goes hand in hand with career advancement Helane Grossman.