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Remarks Prepared for Delivery by
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Asian Pacific American Federal
Career Advancement Summit
Washington Convention
Center
Washington , D.C.
Tuesday, May 3, 2005
Thank you, Ambassador Bloch and thanks so much for being our Mistress
of Ceremonies today.
Welcome, everyone, to the fourth Asian Pacific American Federal Career
Advancement Summit!
It is amazing to look out across this room and see how much this event
has grown.
The first summit for Asian Pacific American federal government employees
was launched in 2002. The first Summit had more than 200 people, most
speakers were from the Department of Labor, and it was held in the auditorium
of the Department of Labor Building.
With each passing year, the numbers grew and grew. This year, so many
people signed up that we had to hold the summit at the Washington Convention
Center!
Four years ago, we had one co-sponsor—the Office of Personnel Management.
This year, there are 11 federal Departments, agencies and organizations
co-sponsoring this event.
And more exhibitors than ever before are signing up as well. In fact,
we've had to turn away exhibitors.
The attendance in this Summit is a reflection of the government's focus
on diversity and the growing awareness of the talent of the Asian Pacific
American workforce in the federal government. According to the latest
OPM figures, Asian Pacific Americans already comprise about 4.9% of the
federal workforce. So there is still room for improvement.
As you may know, President George W. Bush has appointed a record number
of Asian Pacific Americans. He has appointed 289 Asian Pacific Americans
to top leadership positions, including 94 Presidential appointments requiring
Senate confirmation. Please let me recognize some of them, who are here
with us today in support:
David Chu, UnderSecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness;
Ed Moy, Associate Director of Presidential Personnel;
Sam Mok, Chief Financial Officer of the U.S. Department of Labor;
I also want to thank Karen Czarnecki, Director of the Office of the 21st
Century Workforce at the Labor Department, and her team. They have worked
very hard to make this summit the best one ever.
And let's also thank the tremendous number of volunteers who are devoting
their own personal time to help out on this event. Thank you!
These summits are all about you. We ask for your feedback after each
event. Your comments and insights helped us refine the program, so we
can help you reach your goals.
This year, we designed the summit around the 3 skills you identified
as most important to your career advancement. In addition to technical
expertise, of course, those 3 areas are marketing; networking and presentation
skills.
This summit brings together a menu of top presenters and experts in each
of these areas to help you refine your skills.
We are once again offering executive coaching sessions. We've received
feedback that this is a great tool for those of you applying for senior
executive service positions. And we've brought back—by popular demand—Tim
Koegel, the author of “The Exceptional Presenter.”
The communication workshop is important because communication is key
to effective leadership. In fact, it is impossible to advance within a
complex organization like the federal government without the ability to
communicate clearly and persuasively both verbally and in writing.
As you go through the day, let me offer some thoughts to you.
First, it's important to learn to be a leader. And, as I just mentioned,
the ability to communicate is critical to being a good leader. America
has one of the most diverse workforces in the world. People come from
all different ethnic backgrounds and heritages. Individuals all think
differently. So being appointed to a leadership position does not automatically
make you the leader. A leader must be able to
persuade the team that the direction he or she wants to go in is best
for the mission. Once people are convinced, then they will follow you.
Therefore, the ability to motivate and inspire others is the key quality
that distinguishes top leaders from everyone else
You may ask, in addition to attending this Summit, how do I hone my
leadership skills? Well, a lot of people hone their leadership skills
outside the workplace. That's why team sports, which teach leadership,
are so important in American culture. Volunteer work with nonprofit organizations
is another way in which people can practice leadership skills. The most
important thing to remember is that leadership comes through practice.
And, like everything else, you get better at it as you practice. So, don't
get discouraged if you don't do well in the beginning—you will get better
as you lead.
The second critical component of leadership is, interestingly enough,
teamwork. In most large organizations, people work as a part or a member
of a team. Teamwork requires knowing how to communicate. Again, that communication
skill is very important—knowing how to communicate or voice your opinion
in a constructive, non-threatening way. And it means participating constructively,
without overwhelming others.
Many of us were brought up in a traditional Asian home in which speaking
out of turn or in a loud voice was considered rude and disrespectful.
You waited your turn to give your input or voice your opinion. In my very
first job, I remember waiting patiently for my turn to speak—it never
came! People were constantly interrupting each other! I'm not counseling
you to be rude—good listening skills are so important. But it's important
to speak up confidently and appropriately when you have something to say.
That does not mean speaking louder than everyone else. Or, being openly
confrontational. Being able to listen, digest, and come up with solutions
is an invaluable skill.
Third, as you do your job, it's important to understand that the ethics
rules, the personnel rules and the contracting rules are to be taken seriously.
Some people erroneously believe that the higher up they go, the less the
rules apply. Actually, I have found the opposite to be true. The higher
you rise in an organization, the more you are expected to be a role model
for others. And the higher your position, the more attention and scrutiny
you will attract.
Over the past few years, the public has been shocked by a series of scandals
involving the top leadership of important institutions. The public now
demands a higher standard of conduct and accountability for its leaders.
And the government is no exception. So understand the spirit and letter
of the rules of your organization. Don't cut corners.
Fourth, don't be hesitant to cultivate relationships and seek out good
counsel and advice from knowledgeable people. America is an open and informal
society. Most people are easy to approach, generous of spirit, and willing
to help.
This is especially important for women, because we are still making our
way into leadership positions. Let me take this opportunity to say that
half of the members of the top leadership team at the Labor Department
are women. That's the best record of any federal government Department!
It's not necessary to have formal mentors. Build your own network of
people from whom you can seek advice. Meet new people. It's actually one
of the great experiences in life.
Now, if there's a mentorship program in your department, like DOL, that's
great—use it. One of the benefits of mentorship is that it gives you an
opportunity to learn the qualities your agency is looking for in its leadership
team. Then you can evaluate your own skills against these standards, and
see where you need to fill in the gaps.
But, if there's not a mentorship program, don't get discouraged. Seek
out your own counselors. Build your own network.
The 5th and final quality that leaders cultivate is personal initiative.
That means taking charge of your projects and assignments, including your
own career advancement, instead of waiting for others to direct you. You
are taking a step in the right direction by attending this conference!
Our community is known for its hard workers who are loyal, dependable,
and technically more than proficient. But advancement in the workplace
is not so simple or so straightforward. There are many qualities that
are as important as technical competence. The ability to get along with
co-workers is one of them. These relationship skills, sometimes called “soft
skills,” must be cultivated from the inside out. These soft skills are
sometimes culturally based. For a lot of Asian Pacific Americans, even
those who have been here for decades, the cultural gap is still a factor.
Many of you have asked for a module on emotional intelligence. And, so
it was added to this year's training sessions. Emotional intelligence
is all about how to understand and relate to others. This is especially
important when cultural differences are involved. In fact, understanding
and bridging cultural differences are some of the most difficult challenges
in the workplace today. Leaders with these skills are highly valued.
Today, our country is more diverse than ever before. Asian Pacific Americans
are one of the fastest growing segments of our society.
We are branching out beyond traditional career paths, and making contributions
to all walks of American life. Asian Pacific Americans have flown to the
moon. They have won Nobel prizes not only in the sciences, but in literature.
They have designed some of our nation's most cherished national monuments
and public buildings. And Asian Pacific American athletes have won Gold
Medals for the United States in the Olympics.
The doors of mainstream America are opening wider than ever before. So
there has never been a better time for you to assess your goals, nurture
your talents and pursue advancement within the federal government.
Throughout my career, I have tried to help other Asian Pacific Americans
realize their potential and their dreams. And, that's what this summit
is all about. It's a way to help you achieve your goals. It's a way to
further contribute to our country, which has given our communities—and
the world—so much hope, freedom and opportunity. As you advance, I hope
you will be a mentor to others and try to help others along the way.
You've got a great afternoon ahead of you. Thanks for investing in yourself.
Hope you have a great day at the Conference!
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