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Beyond our own teams, I also believe that human resource management is critical for any group, even a country, to develop to its potential.  I'll begin by talking about the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, the challenges in leading an Embassy, and my strategy for building a strong team with common goals.  Then I will say a few words about the U.S. Department of State, the challenges it faces as an organization, and how the State Department has evolved over the years to become a more inclusive organization.   

 

Beyond that, I will comment briefly on the United States, and how we strive to be a multi-ethnic, open society where people can rise based on their own merits and hard work.  Finally, I will touch on the unique opportunity Sri Lanka has to build an inclusive country that provides prosperity and economic opportunity for all her citizens.  Sri Lanka can succeed and reach its potential, especially if it draws on the talents of all of her people.   

 

Let's get back to the Embassy.  It is not easy to build a strong and effective Embassy team.  I have been fortunate to be responsible for building teams in a number of countries, including Iraq, a country in a civil conflict, and now Sri Lanka, in a post-conflict environment.  The first challenge for an Ambassador is that most of your staff is in place when you arrive in country, and they generally have more experience in country than you do.  A second challenge is that the Embassy team comes from a variety of different backgrounds, with differing perspectives, work styles and even goals.  In the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, for example, many of our employees are not from the Department of State, but instead are from the United States Agency for International Development, branches of the U.S. armed forces, and the International Broadcasting Bureau.  Although coordination of my diverse team is time consuming, it is absolutely essential to develop common goals and coordinated efforts.   

 

The third challenge is integrating the American and Sri Lankan staff.   We have a talented group of Sri Lankan employees, and their experience is absolutely critical to our success as a Mission.  No matter how hard the Americans work, we will not know the country as well as our Sri Lankan staff.  Our less experienced American officers can learn a lot working with local employees who have a wealth of experience.  Sometimes our less experienced employees want to work on their own, and we remind them of the value of taking a team approach.   

 

As you can see, as an Ambassador, I have some real management challenges.  What do I do?  Of course, it depends on the situation and the people, but I have some general rules to follow:

• I give clear work expectations. I want my employees to know what they are supposed to do, and when projects must be completed.

• I build a team by giving everyone opportunities and treating them fairly. It is very tempting to play favorites because you like a person, you knew them from before, or you find some issues more interesting than others. I work to make sure that everyone has a chance, and everyone feels that they are part of the team.

• I think that transparency is the key to each of the first two goals. I am transparent and clear in my expectations and in providing opportunities to excel.

• In addition to transparency, I also practice accountability. Of course, people make mistakes, and I work with them on that. Transparency and fairness do not mean low expectations, they simply mean that everyone knows the standard to which they will be held accountable.

• Another key is inclusiveness. As I mentioned, there are many different types of people on my Embassy team, including both Americans and Sri Lankans. I truly believe that we are a stronger team by incorporating everyone's talents, abilities and perspectives, so that they all become one team pushing forward to common goals.

• My final theme is difficult because it is contradictory. It is empowering people to pursue their own ideas while maintaining a coordinated Embassy strategy. I want people to come up with great ideas and push the ideas up to their supervisors. You are not making full use of a talented staff if they just implement your ideas. If someone has a brilliant idea, I don't want it to get lost in the bureaucracy. At the same time, there is a delicate balance, since I am responsible for all Embassy operations. I make sure that all sections of the Embassy are talking to each other and coordinating all these great ideas.  

 

Now I would like to move onto another topic, organizational change.  I have been a diplomat with the Department of State for over 30 years, and I have seen huge changes over time.  When I entered the State Department, it was still seen as a club dominated by white males.  The State Department was, and remains to this day, a hierarchical and traditional organization, but it has greatly evolved over time.  State Department diplomats must be very flexible, since we cover the entire world, and the world changes.  Thirty years ago we were studying the Soviet Union and few expected China's rise as a world economic power.  But we need to recruit people who can be adaptable to tomorrow's challenges that we cannot even foresee today.   

 

The State Department has put great emphasis on hiring women and minorities.  When I started, there were few women in management positions, but the number is growing.  Here in Colombo, my deputy is also a female career diplomat, as was our previous USAID Mission Director.  The number of women in our introductory diplomat training course has consistently increased over the years.  We have also changed our hiring to focus on attracting minorities to the diplomatic service, and we have made real progress there as well.   

 

The State Department is now facing a different kind of challenge, dealing with Generation X.  Our new recruits are very talented, but many are not used to hierarchy, and they simply don't get it why their boss needs to know about and approve what they are doing.  Many new officers expect to have several different careers, not just one.  They expect to work for the State Department for several years, and then move on to something else.  This is a different challenge than reorienting Soviet experts to new development challenges, but in both cases it requires flexibility, inclusiveness, transparency, and talking to your employees so that they know the direction that you are heading and why.  

 

Now I would like to make a few points how the United States strives to be an open society.  The United States is a multi-ethnic society, with about 65% Caucasian white people, 15% Hispanic, 13% African American, and 4% Asian.  We are not perfect, but our goal is an open and transparent society, where people can rise based on their own merits and hard work.  Sometimes there are conflicts and disagreements, but as multi-ethnic society we make it work because we have common goals, we are committed to working together, and we strive for equal opportunities for all of our people.  The American model still works, and worldwide millions of people still seek to immigrate to the United States.  Indeed, our changing American society is one of the reasons for the changes in the State Department itself, as we seek to better reflect our country.  Once again, openness, transparency and acceptance are keys to our success.   

 

I have spoken a great deal about the United States, but now I would like to discuss Sri Lanka's historic opportunity to move forward and realize her true potential.  We all know that Sri Lanka has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to transform itself through economic growth and to build an inclusive society.  We also know that the Government of Sri Lanka is moving ahead with many new infrastructure projects to build the foundation of a new stage of economic development.  Infrastructure development is absolutely necessary, but it will not be enough.  Sri Lanka also must develop and fully utilize its human capital to reach its goals.   

 

There is no question in my mind that Sri Lanka can succeed in its ambitious goals.  The keys are the same ones that we have already discussed:  equal opportunity, transparency and inclusiveness.  Sri Lanka has citizens from different backgrounds, with different perspectives, and I think that this will greatly benefit Sri Lanka as it builds its new economy.  I know that Sri Lanka will find a home-grown solution, based on the country's unique history.  Nevertheless, I think that the same keys to building a team - providing equal opportunities and open communication - will still be the key for building a new Sri Lanka.  Each Sri Lankan must feel that he or she has the opportunity to excel and has a personal stake in the new Sri Lanka. 

 

One more point here.  Sri Lanka has a wealth of talented people, but in the past, due to the long conflict, many Sri Lankans took their talents overseas.  Many were very successful overseas.  Now that things are better, some Sri Lankans are coming home.  I know that the government has met with some Diaspora groups to encourage them to come back.  I applaud these efforts, and am glad that the government is working to encourage their help in rebuilding Sri Lanka.  The return of Sri Lankans from abroad would be a tremendous asset for the country. 

 

Finally, let me tell you why I have confidence that Sri Lanka can mobilize its human capital to successfully compete globally. The reason is that you have done it before.  Most people thought that Sri Lanka's garment industry would fade with the end of global quotas in 2005.  In fact, the industry has thrived by developing world class merchandise and creating more value added to the products. 

 

There were also skeptics about Sri Lanka's ability to develop information technology companies, and to build a business process outsourcing industry, but you have done it, and these industries continue to grow.  The government has prioritized human capital, emphasizing the development of English and information technology skills, and they have announced plans to improve the university system.  These skills will help Sri Lanka to become a knowledge hub.  Good for you.  The keys of transparency and inclusiveness will remain central to Sri Lanka's work to develop its human capital and achieve its goals.   

 

I am delighted by the opportunity to join you this morning.  Thank you once again to h-senid.