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Cafeteria Politics at State
By Michael Hornblow, Associate Editor
The cafeteria has long been the gastronomic and social center of the State Department, its heart and soul. Recently refurbished, it now has a dazzling selection of international cuisines for all palates.
Until recently secretaries of state were rarely seen in the cafeteria. After his appointment and before confirmation James Baker dined there regularly with his staff. Once confirmed, he was never seen again.
Madeline Albright was a regular. She always ate in the same location, a rather obscure table behind a pillar, near the salad bar, lunching with her staff or a visiting ambassador.
Colin Powell practiced management by wandering, strolling through the cafeteria wearing a jump suit for the occasion, accompanied by a lone agent stationed discretely behind. Powell would stop and chat with passers by, but rarely took the time to chow down with the troops.
What will Condi Rice do? According to the press she often takes her lunch to the White House in a brown bag. Is it her style to take the time to manage by wandering and to meet with her employees? This is an important question as the cafeteria is the only place where she can be seen by employees and show that she cares about them.
In my view she needs to visit the cafeteria to see and be seen, but need not do it often. This extraordinarily talented public servant must be true to herself and play to her strengths. If she chooses to model herself after any predecessor it should be her mentor from Stanford, George Shultz. Management of the department was important to Shultz. He knew how to insinuate himself into management and morale matters when necessary and when his involvement made a difference.
Dr. Rice will have to decide early on how she will manage her time and priorities. She already knows that the State Department itself is like one big cafeteria, filled with color-coded hallways and a large collection of bureaus and offices and personnel, most of whom will want her attention.
To become a great secretary of state she will need to keep her focus and not become overwhelmed by that other great cafeteria, the world beyond Foggy Bottom. Out there Congress lies in wait and so does the press. Prime Ministers and foreign ministers and ambassadors both ours and theirs will all demand to see her.
Her first priority will be to retain the trust and ear of her one most important constituent. Although their relationship will now be different because of new ceremonial, congressional and foreign travel demands on her time–it need not be too different. Perhaps there can continue to be weekends at Camp David, visits to the ranch, family dinners, work outs and football-game-watching.
But there will always be the cafeteria both inside the department and without. She will have a large menu, but will only be able to focus on a few entrees and daily specials. Much of the day- to-day running of the department will be delegated to trusted advisers. That said, in my view she will need to pay some attention to seeing and being seen by the troops, to meeting periodically with AFSA, to swearing in new ambassadors, presiding at retirement ceremonies and lobbying Congress for sufficient funding. She needs to be aware of morale issues and will learn that State Department employees will support her and work for her tirelessly if she shows an interest in their working conditions and well being.
So I respectfully suggest that she consider visiting the cafeteria during her first week in Foggy Bottom.
December 4, 2004