The Foreign Service Journal, December 2022

30 DECEMBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL bypass marginal performers and not try to improve their performance. Instead, I just gave the work to the superstars. When I was a counselor, one of my DCMs [deputy chiefs of mission] really worked with me on this personnel management problem, as well as discouraging me from consulting him every five minutes. In one of my ambassadorial posts, I saw a counselor absolutely transform one of his marginal performers into a highly pro- ductive member of the embassy instead of tending to write her off as I would have done. So you have to work always on your leadership shortcomings. LOOKING AHEAD FOR DIPLOMACY FSJ: Every administration comes in with new ideas for reforming the State Department and the other foreign affairs agencies. And yet, sometimes it feels like moving the chairs around. What are the most critical reforms needed? AWP: The most important institutional and cultural reform, I believe, is overcoming the aversion to risk so we can find out what is taking place in foreign countries. But the most important operational reform is increasing the State Department’s ability to surge. The recent reform agenda prepared by Arizona State University and several distinguished retired officers [the Ameri- can Diplomacy Project—Phase II] lays out legislative language to get this done. If we had this capacity, we could have responded more effectively in Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, and many places in Africa. We could backfill existing staff, so it does not take three years to get a visa in some posts. We might also be able to address some of the long-standing issues with work/life balance. FSJ: What issues would you point to that will require increased focus for American diplomacy in the coming years? AWP: Our international position is not as strong as it was 20 years ago. Being an American diplomat was not hard because we represented the sole remaining superpower, and everyone had to listen to us. But now, we will need to up our game. We need more and better language officers, people who really speak hard languages and can conduct business in them. In most places, we are too dependent on talking to English-speak- ing elites. We need longer tours, so our officers really under- stand countries that are profoundly alien to Americans, like China, Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Service needs a better grasp of international economics: how to articulate debt, sanctions, climate change, energy policy, competition from China, etc. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne Patterson meets with Saudi Interior Minister Mohammed bin Nayef at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Feb. 11, 2014. On Aug. 17, 2011, U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson presents her credentials to Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who ruled Egypt for 17 months after Mubarak stepped down. COURTESYOFANNEPATTERSON DEPARTMENTOFSTATE