SHENYANG CONSULAR LEADERSHIP DAY 2010 - DEVELOPING THE NEXT

UNCLAS SHENYANG 000027 STATE FOR CA/VO/F FSINFATC FOR FSI/SPAS/CON SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADD ADDRESSEE) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CH CMGT CASC CVIS KFRD AMGT AFSI SUBJECT: SHENYANG CONSULAR LEADERSHIP DAY 2010 - DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: AmConGen Shenyang's Consular Leadership Day on January 28 brought together the consular section's Locally-Employed Staff (LES),Entry-Level Officers (ELOs),and Eligible Family Member (EFM) by allowing them to collaborate in small groups as they undertook a challenging photo scavenger hunt that led them to the far corners of Shenyang. The focus was on Developing the Next Generation of leaders, but the activity also educated the staff on other Consular Leadership Tenets. Every team member assumed a leadership role at some point during the day, which culminated in a section-wide dialogue on leadership and communication attended by the Consul General and other sections. Sixteen ELOs, LES, and EFMs participated, and team members were able to strengthen their cross-cultural communication skills and gain a deeper understanding of the consular district in which they operate. END SUMMARY. -------------- BUILDING GREAT TEAMS -------------- ¶2. (U) Several days prior to the Leadership Day, the consular section staff was divided into four groups, each composed of one ELO (or EFM) and three LES members. Team members were informed that they would be participating in a photo scavenger hunt around Shenyang and each team was provided with a list of items they would have to find and photograph on the day of the hunt. The list was composed of over one hundred items related to the Consulate, Shenyang, or China in general, and every item provided a unique challenge to the team's collective creativity and local knowledge. Teams held several brainstorming sessions prior to the day of the scavenger hunt, during which each team member provided suggestions to increase the team's efficiency and creativity in solving the more challenging items on the list. Through this warm-up exercise, a sense of mutual support was fostered among team members, as each member was able to contribute his/her own ideas and local knowledge for the benefit of the entire team. -------------- LEARN CONSTANTLY -------------- ¶3. (U) On the day of the scavenger hunt, teams braved the Shenyang winter and traveled to numerous districts all over the city, and both FSNs and ELOs were able to introduce their teammates to new areas. The small- group setting provided a safe environment in which every group member felt empowered to openly contribute his/her own suggestions and assume a leadership role. Team members were instructed to use the exercise as an opportunity to familiarize themselves with their consular district, thereby increasing their effectiveness in carrying out their consular section duties. In one instance, a team visited a homeless shelter and made a valuable new American Citizens Service (ACS) contact. Another team visited a local visa agency and gave them a presentation on the new DS-160 visa form, while yet another toured a fire station and visited the medical clinic frequently visited by local expats. Team members took turns educating one another on various aspects of the Consular district, and every member was able to serve as a team leader at some point during the day. -------------- COMMUNICATE -------------- ¶4. (U) Through the week following Leadership Day, teams developed PowerPoint presentations composed of the photographs taken over the course of the scavenger hunt. On February 4, teams introduced their presentations before a panel of judges, including the Consul-General. During the larger group discussion, teams compared their experiences and shared ideas on how to improve group dynamics and ensure smooth cross-cultural communication. As each team took note of how their competitors fared during the scavenger hunt, the exchange of ideas sparked a dialogue on how to better utilize each team member's talents and leadership skills. -------------- DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION -------------- ¶5. (U) COMMENT: Through the development of creative solutions to the inherent challenges of the day's activity, the Leadership Day program aided in the development of the next generation of consular officers. The materials developed provided a valuable training tool, and added value to the overall knowledge base of the section's line officers, enhancing their adjudication abilities. The day's activities and the discussion that followed not only helped the consular section become more familiar with the surrounding environs, but they also fostered the leadership skills of every member of the section. END COMMENT. WICKMAN