Secrets of the State Department

Changing Connections reports going to a speech on February 13 given my Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Research Randy Fort (my boss....through several layers of people normally but I am working directly for him as his Staff Assistant this week).

Secrets from the State Department

"During Presidents’ Weekend, 28 students traveled with Miss Brinson and me to Washington, D.C. for NAIMUN, North American Invitational Model United Nations, hosted by Georgetown University. NAIMUN began of Thursday, February 13, with a Keynote Address that promised to deliver STATE SECRETS. A conference room housing over 2850 student delegates and their moderators suddenly hushed.

Mr. Fort, Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, manages the production and dissemination of all-source intelligence analysis to the Secretary of State, other senior policymakers, and heads the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Assistant Secretary of State Randall M. Fort gave the Keynote Address for the opening of the 45th North American Invitational Model United Nations Conference on November 14, 2008.

Thirty-two years ago, Mr. Fort was a participant at a Model UN and he remembered being bored by the Keynote, so he wanted to do something different. He offered his audience of 3000 spectators “secrets from the State Department.” At that moment, his audience quieted.

The secrets were a formula for success: 4 secrets containing 3 words each—words to live by.

1. DO GOOD WORK. Come to someone’s attention that you are better than the mediocrities because you will enable opportunities for yourself.

2. DEVELOP AN EXPERTISE. Find something you love and become an expert, a skills set that will serve you forever.

3. BUILD YOUR ROLEDEX. Know people who can contribute to your career.

4. MAINTAIN YOUR INTEGRITY. Don’t compromise your ethics. Mr. Fort said this secret was the most important component to success.

After a short but motivating keynote, Mr. Fort devoted the rest of his presentation to fielding a Q and A session."