Q&A > Charles Ray
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What inspired or motivated you to become a diplomat?
As I was preparing to retire from the army, I was considering what I should do next—being just 36, going on 37 at the time—and I didn’t want a 9-5 job. I was a language advisor at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey at the time, and was friends with the librarian there, who suggested the Foreign Service. Although I’d worked with embassies often during my 20-year army career, I had no idea how the people I interacted with got their jobs, and none of them ever said. At any rate, after reading a couple of old books (written in the 40s and 50s) about diplomacy, it sounded like an interesting career, and the rest is history.
Who was your best boss and why?
James Hall, the first CG in Shenyang, China, because he gave general directions, or desired outcomes and didn’t micromanage. He also encouraged innovation and risk taking.
What would you tell your a-100 self?
Loosen up a bit, and get to know your colleagues well. You'll be bumping into them for 20 or more years if you make it a career, so this is a good time to start building your peer network. I find that I’m even working with former A-100 classmates in retirement, in the American Academy of Diplomacy, for example. Like some military training and experiences, A-100 is a time for bonding with people who are in similar circumstances. Learn from them, and share what you know.
Describe a day you felt you made a difference.
When I took a chance and went around the State bureaucracy and directly to DOD regarding the mil-to-mil relationship with Cambodia (notifying the A/S, Deputy Secretary, and Secretary) it changed the dynamic of how we dealt with that government, and gave us more visibility on security issues, which was critical at the time, being just after 9/11. A similar achievement was when, as charge d’affaires in Sierra Leone, I took a huge leap and threw the embassy’s support behind elections, which many in Washington didn’t believe could happen. They did, and thankfully, the new ambassador, when he arrived, agreed with my views, and joined me in fighting the Washington bureaucracy.
What has a colleague done for you that made you wish all of us had a colleague like that?
I define colleagues very liberally. Mary Ryan, for instance, even though she was A/S for consular affairs, and I was just a second-tour consular officer, always made herself available to me for consultation and advice, and over the years we became friends. When I was an FS-01 and competing with Senior Foreign Service Officers (SFS) for the chance to be the first American CG in Ho Chi Minh City, she used her influence to convince the committee to choose me.
What was the mistake you learned the most from?
When I was Admin (Mgmt) Officer in Chiang Mai, we had a problem with eucalyptus tree limbs being blown off during the windy month of April and breaking windows in our houses. I researched the problem, and found that if we pruned the trees in March, we didn’t have the problem anymore. Unfortunately, I forgot to consult with and advise the residents, and I had a revolt on my hands that didn’t calm down until July came and the darn trees were back to their original height. Had I taken the time to talk to people and explain what I was going to do, this little crisis could have been averted. As an army veteran, with command experience, I should have known better, and believe me, I never made that mistake again.
What was your best and worst experience working with the interagency?
My best interagency experience was working with DOD in all of my assignments. Probably because of my military background, they always treated me with respect, and never tried to blow smoke up my skirts, and with their budgets, they’re good to have on your team. My worst—actually, two worst—was, in the first instance, with DEA, whose people in Northern Thailand ran around like cowboys, On the night before the first Gulf War started, when we were supposed to be on security alert, the DEA chief and his son, decided to go to a vacant lot adjacent to our housing compound and shoot fireworks. Freaked the poor unarmed security guards something fierce, and they thought it was funny. The second was in Zimbabwe, when I learned that one of the USAID subcontractors was running a program that neither I nor the USAID director had been briefed on until it came to the attention of local security forces who raised a stink and accused the contractor of spying.
What is the one tour you would recommend FSOs consider?
There is NO one specific tour that’s right for everyone. I, for instance, only did one tour in the Department, as an FS-03, I took an FS-04 special assistant job so my kids could be in the US to finish high school. As an FS-02, I left that job to be DCM in Sierra Leone, where I was promoted to FS-01, and got a chance to compete for the SFS job as CG in Vietnam. The best tour is the one that excites you, fits your talents and objectives, and gives you a chance to learn new skills, and grow as an FSO.
If the state department had a mascot, what animal should it be?
That’s a hard one to answer with a straight face. I’ve always felt that the Department is too meek and complacent, so a lamb would be appropriate given that. On the other hand, the bureaucracy can do its heels on the dumbest things, so a mule comes to mind. Then, there’s all the red tape and over-dependence on paperwork and coordination, rather than trying to streamline things, so for that, an octopus. Finally, there’s the resistance to change. When I was in Chiang Mai, I introduced the fax as a way of sending documents and pictures to DC for a quicker turnaround on name checks. It took over six months for the legal types and bureaucrats to decide this was legal.
What was the biggest challenge of FS life for your family, and how did you manage it?
Ensuring a good education for my two youngest, who were in grade school when I joined the service. This was a special problem when I was in Chiang Mai and the only high school in Thailand for Americans was in Bangkok, a city that I was not about to send my kids to unsupervised. We ended up sending them to a British boarding school in Singapore, which was probably the best thing that could have happened to them. They were so far ahead of their classmates when they finished high school at Wooten in Rockville, MD, it made the months of separation all worthwhile.
What is your leadership philosophy?
Keep it simple, inspire people to do and be more than they think is possible, and never forget, mission first, people always.
What tips would you give a first-time manager?
Listen to the people who have been on the job (your subordinates), but don’t necessarily let them make your decisions for you. Think a decision over carefully, considering the pros and cons, before you implement it. My uncle was a carpenter, and his advice was measure twice and cut once—or sometimes, don’t cut at all.
What would you change about the State Department?
I would make it more proactive and adaptive to change; less risk averse, and more into managing risk, and less shy about telling congress or the White House when they have their heads in a dark place.
What were your pet peeves?
A bureaucracy that sometimes seems to be more focused on process than progress, and has forgotten that it’s job was to drain the swamp, and the alligators are just a distraction.
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