If Madam had to choose a personal favorite, it would have to be "Judgment," which she suspects falls in mid-group simply because the list is in alphabetical order. But no favorite you might choose can possibly be wrong. Enjoy. And let's always remember: this is why they hired us; it's what they pay us for.
• Composure. To stay calm, poised, and effective in stressful or difficult situations; to think on one's feet, adjusting quickly to changing situations; to maintain self-control.
• Cultural Adaptability. To work and communicate effectively and harmoniously with persons of other cultures, value systems, political beliefs, and economic circumstances; to recognize and respect differences in new and different cultural environments.
• Experience and Motivation. To demonstrate knowledge, skills or other attributes gained from previous experience of relevance to the Foreign Service; to articulate appropriate motivation for joining the Foreign Service.
• Information Integration and Analysis. To absorb and retain complex information drawn from a variety of sources; to draw reasoned conclusions from analysis and synthesis of available information; to evaluate the importance, reliability, and usefulness of information; to remember details of a meeting or event without the benefit of notes.
• Initiative and Leadership. To recognize and assume responsibility for work that needs to be done; to persist in the completion of a task; to influence significantly a group’s activity, direction, or opinion; to motivate others to participate in the activity one is leading.
• Judgment. To discern what is appropriate, practical, and realistic in a given situation; to weigh relative merits of competing demands.
• Objectivity and Integrity. To be fair and honest; to avoid deceit, favoritism, and discrimination; to present issues frankly and fully, without injecting subjective bias; to work without letting personal bias prejudice actions.
• Oral Communication. To speak fluently in a concise, grammatically correct, organized, precise, and persuasive manner; to convey nuances of meaning accurately; to use appropriate styles of communication to fit the audience and purpose.
• Planning and Organizing. To prioritize and order tasks effectively, to employ a systematic approach to achieving objectives, to make appropriate use of limited resources.
• Quantitative Analysis. To identify, compile, analyze, and draw correct conclusions from pertinent data; to recognize patterns or trends in numerical data; to perform simple mathematical operations.
• Resourcefulness. To formulate creative alternatives or solutions to resolve problems, to show flexibility in response to unanticipated circumstances.
• Working With Others. To interact in a constructive, cooperative, and harmonious manner; to work effectively as a team player; to establish positive relationships and gain the confidence of others; to use humor as appropriate.
• Written Communication. To write concise, well organized, grammatically correct, effective and persuasive English in a limited amount of time.
3 comments:
A very nice list. Too bad that so many - especially at supervisory levels - lose track of the idea that these items might apply to them.
I "get it" that people in a hierarchy love to see their superiors as part of the problem instead of part of the solution. And I've always had an inherent flair for upward disrespect. But I have to say that in my 30 years in the service I saw most officers exhibiting most of those "13 dimensions" most of the time.
The exception was "objectivity and integrity", which was diminished by the reflexive "rankokinesis" of many officers. [As in: rankokinesis is to FSOs as photokinesis is to sunflowers.]
Where do you put the "kiss ass" item so you can get out of consular bog fast and be acting somebody someplace even if you lack the right seasoning?
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