VZCZCXRO5577
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHGZ #0897/01 2210846
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090846Z AUG 07
FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6363
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 000897 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR HR/CDA, CA/EX and EAP/CM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: APER CMGT CH
SUBJECT: Mentoring: The Guangzhou Way 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: Nearly all 25 Entry Level Professionals at Congen 
Guangzhou serve in the consular section but the intent of management 
- and the desire of the ELPs - is to provide a varied experience, 
with mentoring integrated into every aspect of work.  The Congen, 
mostly through a dynamic ELP working group and its interaction with 
senior management, has come up with a strong rotation program, 
within and without the consular section, conversations with/direct 
access to the CG via monthly meetings and participation in trips and 
events at the CGR, a DVC program with senior leadership in the 
Department and at missions abroad, and a thoroughgoing commitment to 
participate in Public Affairs programs to achieve the Secretary's 
vision of transformational diplomacy.  In the process, ELPs have 
gained considerable experience in managing their own affairs while 
learning just how varied and demanding the work of the Foreign 
Service is.  Delegating authority to junior level officers, while 
initially a necessity given the small number of mid and senior level 
officers in Guangzhou, has now become an ethos of the Guangzhou ELP 
experience.  This cable reports the findings of an ELP committee 
about the success of current mentoring in Guangzhou and offers 
additional recommendations for improving how we accomplish our 
training objectives.  End Summary. 
 
Mentoring Starts in the Consular Section 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The rotation program at Congen Guangzhou begins in the 
consular section.  Unlike in other parts of the China mission, which 
do not do immigration work (for historic reasons, all IVs are done 
here in the South), ELPs work in both the Immigrant and 
Non-Immigrant visa sections, either ACS or FPU, and spend one month 
in an office of their choice outside the consular section.  Rotating 
into different sections within and without the consular section 
allows officers to learn about the full range of consular 
operations; the one month "out rotation" to a non-Consular section 
gives officers a feel for the work they may be doing on future 
assignments.  Consular officers also rotate out in recognition that 
the Foreign Service wants them to develop broad skills that will 
allow them to manage mission-wide, not just consular-wide.  An 
important benefit of the rotations is that Entry Level Professionals 
get to work closely with almost every mid and senior level officer 
at the Consulate.  These interactions create opportunities for 
one-on-one mentoring. The rotation program is further augmented by 
an ELP Exchange Program, which allows ELPs in the Consular Section 
to exchange posts for two weeks with Consular ELPs elsewhere in 
Asia. 
 
¶3.  (U) The management of the rotation schedule is in and of itself 
a mentoring experience.  ELPs create and manage the schedule, and 
then work with management to ensure it meets Post's needs. 
Delegating the day-to-day management of the schedule, gives ELPs 
valuable insight into the management challenges of staffing a large 
and busy consulate which is the size of France and has a population 
of over 220 million people.  They witness first hand the constant 
balancing act between prioritizing high quality service to American 
citizens and our applicants, while creating a variety of 
professional experiences for Entry Level Officers. 
 
The Role of the Consul General 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (U) Direct access to the CG is another valuable cornerstone of 
the mentoring in Guangzhou. In addition to the monthly All-Hands 
Meeting, ELPs have a separate meeting with the CG to discuss issues 
of interest and concern which they suggest.  ELPs use this meeting 
to ask about what is happening in our Consular district, the China 
Mission and Washington.  Topics range from the high-level policy 
issues and career development to very specific advice, such as how 
to answer questions regarding Iraq (very carefully and in line with 
Department-provided guidance).  These meetings play a valuable role 
in connecting ELPs to the events and shifts beyond the visa line. 
 
DVCs with Senior Managers 
------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) One very successful result of these monthly meetings has 
been the development of a DVC program whereby the CG invites senior 
leaders in the Department or at other missions to participate in 
DVCs with ELPs.  Participants have included Ambassador B. Lynn 
Pascoe, now the UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific 
Affairs Tom Christensen, and former Executive Director of EAP/EX 
Llewellyn Hedgbeth.  The ELP Committee and the CG have also 
scheduled Beijing DCM Piccuta for a DVC in September. 
 
Come to Dinner and Be Prepared to Talk 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) In addition to these scheduled meetings, the CG often 
invites ELPs to dinners when senior level officials from Washington 
come to town.  These gatherings provide ELPs access otherwise not 
available to them, about the priorities and challenges of decision 
makers in Washington.  In addition, for the past 5 years, CGs in 
 
GUANGZHOU 00000897  002 OF 002 
 
 
Guangzhou have invited ELPs to travel with them.  These trips serve 
as a welcome break from a hectic visa line, and provide ELPs 
reporting opportunities as well as a chance to see what is happening 
beyond Guangzhou.  For non-Consular-coned officers serving on a 
two-year Consular tour, these trips also serve as valuable lessons 
in trade craft for future posts. 
 
Public Diplomacy and Transformation Diplomacy: 
The Keys to a Successful Career 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶7.  (U) Guangzhou ELPs are active participants in the Public Affairs 
programs at post.  This involvement not only allows PAS to run a 
robust program with a small staff, but it also allows ELPs 
opportunities to practice their public speaking skills, interact 
with students, and get a clearer idea of Chinese perceptions of the 
U.S.  ELPs participate in the PAS's Weekly Forums on topics ranging 
from Blues and Jazz, to famous American speeches, to American 
architecture.  They have also organized special events such as a 
Mock Court, U.S. Congressional election commentary and an Oscar 
Night.  ELPs routinely judge English competitions at local 
universities and speak to students in our Consular district about 
student visas.  And they get to suggest new programs for PAS 
consideration. 
 
ELPs as Mentors 
--------------- 
 
¶8. (U) Even though most Guangzhou ELPs are on their first tour, ELPs 
mentor Locally Engaged Staff, their peers and, at times, given the 
skills they have brought into the Foreign Service, even management. 
These opportunities are embedded in the functions ELPs play as team 
leaders for LES teams and as portfolio leaders.  Even though some 
ELPs have prior management experience, leading and mentoring an LES 
team provides invaluable lessons on management in a multicultural 
environment.  Peer mentoring and mentoring up take various forms, 
one salient example being a team-building exercise to be held this 
fall working on a Habitat for Humanity project in Guangdong to 
rebuild houses destroyed by flooding.  The project was organized by 
an ELP who secured partial funding from the J. Kirby Simon Fund and 
is working with other ELPs and management to raise the rest of the 
funding. 
 
Portfolio Work Give ELPs Opportunities to Lead New Initiatives 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶9.  (U) Managing a portfolio - such as AmCham, Chinese Language 
training for Officers, or education - in addition to interviewing 
also allows ELPs to propose to management improvements in the way 
things are done.  For example, ELPs have suggested establishing an 
Amcham-type referral program for employees of key Chinese 
enterprises in the region, developed a robust Post language program 
complete with weekend immersion trips, and created an innovative 
software tool to help streamline the revocation writing process. 
 
What's Next? 
------------ 
 
¶10.  (U) Despite the various mentoring opportunities that already 
exist at post, ELPs have still voiced an interest in creating an 
even more structured mentoring program.  One idea is to develop a 
mentoring group, consisting of mid and senior level officers who 
volunteer to meet with ELPs once every couple of months.  Topics of 
discussion will include the work in which the mentors are currently 
engaged, advice on bidding, trade craft skills such as reporting, 
and how to balance family and work in the Foreign Service. 
 
GOLDBERG