Good ambassadors have a large
capacity for human relationships, can give a finished speech or media interview
at a minute's notice and on any occasion, can inspire the work and loyalty of
embassy officers and staff. They should
also have excellent digestion.
The
ambassador is Mr. or Ms. Outside. The
Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM), almost always a career Foreign Service Officer,
is Mr. or Ms. Inside. DCMs assure the smooth functioning of the entire mission
and deal with internal problems that do not require the ambassador's
attention. The DCM drafts the efficiency
reports of the other senior embassy officers which the ambassador then reviews.
Of
the many fine ambassadors I worked for, I found two outstanding. One was a career Foreign Service Officer, the
other a political appointee. The worst
ambassador I worked under was also a political appointee. In general, I have no objection to
politically appointed ambassadors if they have experience in managing a team in
a complex organization, are politically savvy, know something about the history
and political culture of the country to which they have been sent, and have at
least a minimal professional level in the local language. A previous connection to the country in
question can be helpful but is not necessary.
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