Manners of Substance

As part of the ongoing FS hiring push, the A-100 course (basic training for diplomats, that is; a.k.a. the "Foreign Service Officer Orientation") was recently reduced by about two weeks. That allows the Foreign Service Institute to schedule more training cycles into the training year and get more newly-hired FSOs out to the field sooner.

Some applaud the move, on grounds that the course is too long anyway. It's been awhile since I went through the course, and while my impression is that there are parts that could have the slack tightened out of them, that slack could be profitably employed by additional useful training.

Having knocked around the Foreign Service for a few years now, both as an entry-level officer (ELO, a.k.a. "junior officer") and afterwards, I've had occasion to observe more than once how we (we being those of us already in the Foreign Service) fail to prepare our ELOs for service abroad representing the United States.

One of those areas has to do with manners.

I'm not really talking about etiquette, or perhaps I am, but not as it's taught during the optional one-day class at FSI. That's a useful class as well, if you can remember enough of it by the time you find yourself in a situation where you're not sure which fork to use, or how to set a dinner table properly.

Once upon a time, your humble scribe was stationed overseas with the military. There was a Cold War in progress, something called NATO was taken pretty seriously by its member nations, and the U.S. Army was perfectly serious when it told its teenaged soldiers, fresh from boot camp, that they were American ambassadors. That is, in the dozens of interactions you might have every day with foreign nationals, civilian and military, the impression you left would be the one they had of U.S. soldiers, of the United States Army, and of Americans in general.

If that's true for soldiers, you can magnify its significance for diplomats who really are America's "ambassadors."

In other words, the eyes of Texas are upon you, each and every day. So it's important to make a good impression, or at least not a bad one.

This gets drummed into the minds of consular officers, with respect to the thousands of visa interviews and other professional interactions they have with foreign citizens, but it's equally true beyond the interview window.

For the most part, I think our ELOs do pretty well at this. They try to speak the local languages, eat the local foods, treat people respectfully whether they're shopping in the marketplace or trying to explain to the maid how to change the vacuum cleaner bag.

But at certain public events, some of our ELOs fall short. In many ways it's not really their fault. Let me give a few examples regarding public appearances.

First, each U.S. embassy will receive literally hundreds or even thousands of invitations during any given year. Mostly they're addressed to the ambassador him- (or her-) self but oftentimes will be for various agency or sections heads. Chiefs of consular sections are quite popular in this regard for reasons which should be obvious. The point is that other commitments will often prevent the invitee from attending any particular event and that the invitation can usually be passed to a less senior diplomat within the mission. This accomplishes two things: the embassy shows that it respects the invitation enough to send someone even if the ambassador can't make it as well as giving the less senior diplomat the experience of representing the United States.

So if you're getting these invitations yourself and can't attend for some reason (even though the event or the host is deserving of the U.S. embassy's representation) it's up to you as a supervisor to make sure your junior officers are getting experience at this.

That's a small "m" management issue.

The other issue is just how well are our ELOs prepared to represent the United States at various events. Oh, I'm not talking about the political aspects of who we are or aren't talking to at a given time, or about toeing the talking points correctly. That I think our training covers sufficiently.

What bugs me again and again are the little things that should have been covered in, ohletmesee, elementary school. But then it's my understanding that things like the Pledge of Allegience have been dropped from primary school programs so knowing how to behave when the national anthym (ours, their's, anybodys!) is played is perhaps too much to expect.

So here are some suggestions:

INVOCATIONS & BENEDICTIONS

These are prayers said at the beginning and end of an official program or event.

Show some respect. I don't care what your personal religion is or what you think the Bill of Rights says about not respecting religions (that's not actually what it says, look it up); if the bishop or chaplain or shamen says "Let us pray" (or the local equivalent, then you've got to show that you respect your hosts.

How to do that?

Well, if the prayer is preceded with a request that you "please, rise" then by all means stand up. Stand up straight. Place your feet about shoulder width apart, clasp your hands together and let them fall naturally to your front, and bow your head.

Former military will recognize this as sort of a modified "Parade Rest."

Be aware of your surroundings. If no one else is standing, then by all means stay seated. Place your hands together in your lap and bow your head. When the prayer is over, return to your previous pose.

NATIONAL ANTHYMS

Learn to recognize them, both our own and that of the host country. No one will expect you to sing the local national anthym (it's not yours, after all), but you should recognize it and show respect when it's being played or sung.

How do you do that?

First, about the Star-Spangled Banner. For most of us, particularly men, singing it is difficult due to the key in which it's composed. But if it's being played and you can manage it, by all means sing it. You are, after all, a U.S. diplomat. No one, least of all you, should be offended by your exhibiting a little formal patriotism.

But that's perhaps too advanced for this essay.

Stand up!

Veterans will know what to do: face the U.S. flag (if there is one) or straight ahead and stand at the position of attention and either place your right hand over your left breast (this is the civilian version of a salute). Military personnel in uniform will perform a military-style salute; this is now also an option for veterans either in uniform or out.

Non-veterans sometimes need a little help with this. Once standing, face the U.S. flag (if there is one) or straight ahead, place the heels (no clicking!) of your shoes together with your feet at a 45 degree angle, hold your head and face straight to the front, and let your arms fall naturally to your sides. Let your fingers curl inwards a bit and align your thumbs along the outer seams of your trousers before placing your right hand over your left breast.

When the song is over let your right hand fall naturally to the right side before relaxing your overall posture.

Believe me, no one is going to mistake a non-veteran FSO for some sort of militarized robot, but they are going to notice that you respect your own national anthym (and theirs).

For national anthyms other than the Star Spangled Banner, do just as for our own but omit the hand salute portion.

FLAGS

Flag ceremonies are often combined with the playing of a national anthym, so refer to the guidance above. Basically, if a color guard is presenting a national flag or passing in a parade, stand at attention. Only salute if it's the U.S. flag, but show your hosts at least the respect of standing up straight. Be aware of how the other guests or audience respond, but also be aware that some of them will be taking their cue on how to act from you.

SPEAKERS

I recently was at an Independence Day reception (one of our own), and while the chief of mission was giving his speech, ELOs at the back of the event venue were eating and talking among themselves. Perhaps they thought that the invited guests listening politely to the speech only a very few feet away from them were somehow deaf in that direction. I just don't know. But this is not a career enhancing move, no matter how hungry you are or how good the food is.

If someone is giving a speech, turn your fool cell phone to vibrate only. People will understand if you pull out your phone and look at it, even get up and head towards and exit. After all, diplomats can get genuinely emergent calls at any time and no one should get bent out of shape. But if the prime minister's speech is interrupted by the American vice consul's cell phone everyone is going to remember it.

Yes, lots of local guests will fail to heed this and their cell phones will ring and they may or may not be embarrassed. Don't worry about them; worry about you. And worry about your reputation.

REFERENCES

Every FSO should own a copy of Protocol. Any of the several editions will suffice. Short of an assignment as a staff assistant or protocol officer, no one will expect you to have memorized it, but you should read through it once just so you are at least familiar with the contents for later on when you realize you need to look something up.

Also highly recommended is Service Etiquette. For those of you serving in Commonwealth countries, I would also heartily commend to you any of Debrett's publications.