[Town Hall] As part of what he calls a "redesign" of the State Department, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has surveyed more than 35,000 State employees on the most fundamental questions facing the organization. And Tillerson -- or, more accurately, a consulting firm hired by the secretary -- has found that large blocs of State workers do not agree on what the department's mission should be."For an organization with a very significant role in the world, too many in the Department of State were not clear on the exact mission of the agency," consultants from Insigniam wrote in a "Listening Report" completed in June.
Some said the mission is, or should be, "installing democracy" around the world. Others said it is "spreading American values." The one mission that the largest number of employees could agree on was "protecting Americans and the interests of America throughout the world."
Beyond that, no single phrase united the department's employees. So now, Tillerson and his top aides are trying to craft the material gathered from those 35,000-plus questionnaires into a new mission statement. (Changing the department's mission statement is pretty much standard procedure when a new president and party take over.) Working with Insigniam, a group of leaders from State and the U.S. Agency for International Development came up with three draft sentences, one to describe the department's purpose, the next to describe its mission, and the next to describe its ambition.
The purpose statement: "We promote the security, prosperity, and interests of the American people globally."
The mission statement: "Lead America's foreign policy through global advocacy, action, and assistance to shape a safer, more prosperous world."
The ambition statement: "The American people thrive in a peaceful and interconnected world that is free, resilient, and prosperous."
Rubbish, total rubbish! "Prosperity, prosperous, interconnected, free".... free unicorn burgers for everyone ?