Q&A > Robin Raphel
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What inspired or motivated you to become a diplomat?
My story is serendipitous, as are many of my generation. When I was teaching at a women's college in Tehran in the early 1970s, I met a number of young officers from the US Embassy who were active in the Iran American Society amateur theater group. I married one of them, and instead of continuing to teach, joined the service myself.
Who was your best boss and why?
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Lawrence Eagleburger, one of the most "unstuffy" senior officers of his generation. He was smart, unpretentious, direct, nonhierarchical, and charming. He could talk to anyone at any level and see several steps ahead in the game. I learned a lot from him.
What would you tell your a-100 self?
A few things: 1) despite the fraught political climate of today, the foreign service remains a worthy and fascinating way to serve your country; while it appears still very stodgy, it is evolving, especially in terms of management and technology; 2) the fundamentals of successful diplomacy still require that you become steeped in culture and language so that you can understand what motivates your counterpart, and how to influence his/her thinking; 3) try to spend as much if not more time in the field than in Washington; 4) recognize that at the moment, because of security restrictions, there are many people in the field (journalists, NGO workers) who are likely to have their ear closer to the ground than US officials; it is important to take advantage of their access and knowledge; 5) work hard to remain objective, and avoid the herd instinct in your analysis (much harder since 9/11 and the "war on terror"); 6) be prepared to "speak truth to power", but pick your battles; 7) do not try to game out your entire career; rather take advantage of opportunities as they come along.
Describe a day you felt you made a difference.
Persuading a consular officer friend at the Embassy in London to favorably consider an asylum request from a Jewish Iranian carpet dealer friend who had smuggled his family out of Tehran after the revolution. He subsequently settled in New York and was always grateful to his old American clients for their support.
What has a colleague done for you that made you wish all of us had a colleague like that?
When I became the target of a misguided FBI investigation, a colleague organized a defense fund for me to help pay legal expenses. In today's fraught political climate where many colleagues are needing legal counsel, everyone needs to know someone has their back.
What was the mistake you learned the most from?
In London I worked in a section with an OMS who we believed was substandard and needed to move on. I was the person put in charge of documenting the instances in which her performance was below standard and building the case for her removal. We lost the case. The lesson is, never underestimate the power of the bureaucracy to protect the status quo, rightly or wrongly.
What was your best and worst experience working with the interagency?
The best was with the first civilian interagency team to go into Iraq in 2003. It was very ably led by a retired general who was superb at getting the best out of everyone in a small diverse team with an impossible mission. The most difficult was diffusing State-USAID tensions over how to manage the tripling of economic assistance to Pakistan in 2009 in the early days of the Holbrooke SRAP office.
What is the one tour you would recommend FSOs consider?
Look for an assignment outside of State to round out your perception of the international relations field—e.g., as a political advisor to a military command, or at a multilateral agency.
If the state department had a mascot, what animal should it be?
A State mascot needs to be intelligent, wise, perceptive, balanced, patient and agile—something like a cross between an owl and a cougar. We should also consider a State Department service song—one possibility from my experience with mega assistance programs in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan is "Money Can't Buy You Love".
What was the biggest challenge of FS life for your family, and how did you manage it?
Foreign Service life often requires long hours and travel that keep you away from family. I often left my young daughters with a nanny while on extended business trips. While technology today makes it easier to keep in touch, there is a price to pay for long absences. My children survived quite well, but some do not. One needs to plan very carefully and deliberately to mitigate the effects of this particular professional hazard on family life, especially today when there are still so many unaccompanied posts. This might require sacrificing career ambitions on occasion for the sake of the family, but over the long term is not likely to be a disadvantage. In other words, keep your priorities straight!
What is your leadership philosophy?
Keep an open door, listen, do not be trapped by traditional hierarchical views of your position, and do not delay key decisions (even when you would like to have more information before you make them).
What tips would you give a first-time manager?
Remember that your main responsibility is to give people on your team confidence in themselves, in the team, and in you as a leader.
What would you change about the State Department?
The State bureaucracy on the management side remains quite stodgy, nontransparent, and often subjective. For example, it seems at times to delight in foiling efforts of couples to be assigned together. This is changing, but too slowly. The modern marketplace, with which State competes for talent, is more flexible.
What were your pet peeves?
The individual officers at state are for the most part exceptional people; the institutional culture is "wussy", for lack of a more eloquent term. The failure of the Secretary and senior officers to stand up for Ambassador Yavonovitch in Ukraine was an example.
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