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In Practice: Ombuds Dilemmas: Do Ombuds Provide “Emergency” Services?

Ombuds Dilemma: Do Ombuds Provide “Emergency” Services?

I’m a new ombuds and am surprised by how many visitors call my office in a state of distress, with situations they describe as “an emergency.” I feel an internal pressure in those moments to make space immediately on my calendar – space I really don’t have – and I sometimes find myself working into the evenings and on weekends to accommodate these unexpected demands, in addition to my other responsibilities. I no longer have time for many activities I enjoy and that support my health and well-being (like exercising) and calls outside of business hours are impacting my time with my family. I pursued this role because I find purpose in helping others but I’m starting to wonder where the line is between service and altruistic narcissism – I don’t want to cross it.


Emergency Calls as Opportunities

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The Structured Reflective Instrument

As an Ombuds, I regularly look for tools to add to my practice that help me engage effectively with those I serve. Recently, I was introduced to behavioral research-based reflective practice tools that I could use in my regular routine of reflection and practice.  The Structured Reflective Instrument (SRI) provided a comprehensive framework for working through those tough cases that linger in my mind as an ombuds. Using this framework and the thoughtful lines of inquiry allows me to constructively work through my individual engagements with visitors in my office. As an ombuds working in an office of one, I believe it is critical to look for various types of frameworks for reflection to help us work through those times when we feel challenged by the cases we are presented with so we can ensure that our approach remains rooted in the proven mental models that we use to engage in our work. Following the training, I reached out to the program facilitators, Michael and Tzofnat, to see if they could share a bit about their reflective work and the SRI with our IOA colleagues. - Bryan Hanson



The Structured Reflective Instrument

By Tzofnat Peleg Baker and Michael Lang,

As third-party interveners, we navigate through complex and strenuous circumstances, where intense tensions and high emotions are the norm. The diverse concerns and goals of the parties and visitors we assist are often implicit, making them challenging to identify and express. To effectively address these invisible undercurrents that drive destructive conflict, we must constantly evolve and learn as professionals.

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IOA's AP-RAC holds Conference in Beijing, China

By Fred Wright, Chair of the International Outreach Committee and Co-Chair of the Asia Pacific Regional Advisory Committee of the IOA,

Over three days in September 2024 the Asia Pacific Regional Advancement Community (AP-RAC) held its 6th in-person conference in Beijing, China. Seventeen members of the RAC attended in person whilst four members were able to attend some sessions virtually. The conference was generously hosted by the Asia Investment Infrastructure Bank (AIIB), and MARS Incorporated whilst Sophia Qiao, Pfizer Ombuds generously supplied wine for some of the social events.

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Breaking the Cycle: A Meaning-Centered Approach to Workplace Conflict Resolution for Ombuds Practitioners

By Martina Peskoller-Fuchs
Ombudsperson, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 

As ombuds practitioners, we often encounter workplace conflicts that seem intractable. Today, I'd like to explore a powerful approach to conflict resolution rooted in Viktor Frankl's logotherapy and further developed by Elisabeth Lukas. This meaning-centered approach offers valuable tools for helping our visitors break free from cycles of conflict and find paths to personal growth and improved relationships.[1]

I believe this approach can be understood and applied effectively regardless of whether one fully subscribes to logotherapy or has an in-depth understanding of Viktor Frankl's teachings. The core principles of personal growth, freedom, values, and meaning that underpin this approach are universal concepts found in many philosophical and psychological traditions. As such, this approach can be valuable for practitioners from diverse backgrounds and theoretical orientations.

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In Practice: Ombuds Dilemmas - The Use of Postnominals

Ombuds Dilemma: Should I list my degree? 

I am an attorney who has been working in the ADR field for more than a decade - and as an organizational ombuds for the last several years. In my email signature and on my business cards I use the postnominal, “J.D.” I work in academia where terminal degrees are the “coin of the realm,” however at times my J.D. seems to have created specific expectations on the part of visitors or leaders within my organization. As an ombuds, would it be better to not include this mention of my law degree? I have the same question about other credentials - such as LCSW and coaching certificationsAre those best left off signatures and business cards as well?


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Are you Ready for Ombuds Day 2024?

By Lana Smith-Hale, Assistant Ombuds at UCSB & Anthony Keen-Louie, Associate Ombuds at UCSC,

If you’ve been a part of the IOA community for a while, you probably have a good sense of what Ombuds Day is, and have found creative ways to recognize the day with your colleagues and constituents. But for the newer Ombuds or for the Ombuds who are looking to refresh their Ombuds Day practices, this blog post is for you! 

Ombuds Day grew out of the ABA Dispute Resolution Committee, which realized that the field needed to better understand the role of an Ombudsperson. So now, every second Thursday in October, we celebrate Ombuds by both connecting Ombuds with others in the Community (usually with a free webinar - link to sign up for this year’s event), as well as an opportunity to encourage each Ombuds to engage with their own constituents. IOA highlights this as an opportunity to understand the profession deeper and encourage greater awareness and use of the Ombuds services and programs.         

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Prioritizing Well-being and Engaging with #WellnessWednesdays

By Julie Muroff,
Ombuds Director - Howard Hughes Medical Institute/Janelia Research Campus

Last week, while serving as a guest moderator for the OmbudsLinked discussion forum on LinkedIn, I made a request to our ombuds community: to consider collectively launching #WellnessWednesdays. As ombuds, we may be navigating turmoil in our workplace and trauma in our visitors, on top of other tensions in our lives and in the world. Among other considerations, those circumstances can make us vulnerable to burnout syndrome, a work-related toll on emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing. That vulnerability has been highlighted by the global mental health crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Other fields, including medicine and law, have acknowledged those concerns and are promoting initiatives to address them.

Likewise, I have appreciated the attention to self-care that has been emphasized in our ombuds community, in particular during conference sessions and other gatherings, especially during the pandemic. While it is beyond the scope of ombuds practice to diagnose or treat mental health issues, I also have appreciated the attention to wellbeing by visitors in my casework, consistent with a recent survey of several academic ombuds offices in Texas. Given all above, I went back to school to bolster my toolkit of evidence-based strategies to advance the wellbeing of ombuds and our visitors, organizations, and field with a focus on interventions from positive psychology.

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In Practice: Ombuds Dilemma - Should I stay or should I go?

Ombuds Dilemma: Should I stay or should I go?

I’ve been in my ombuds role for a year and would like to remain in this role for the foreseeable future. The president who hired me unexpectedly retired 6 months after I arrived and there have been significant transitions as a result. Just as I was starting to build relationships, leaders started exiting the organization – sometimes I look around the room at meetings and don’t recognize many of the faces. The president’s expanded cabinet (about 40 leaders) has been invited to a two-and-a-half-day retreat at a retreat center in the mountains, about 3 hours from where most of us live. This is the first ever off-site retreat for this group. Many of our activities will focus on planning for the future, and our new president has also been very clear that this retreat is an attempt to help the organization’s leaders get to know one another and build relationships. I’m included in this invitation as a direct report to the president. Should I stay or should I go?

Response 1: Mary Rowe, consulting ombuds

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Introducing In Practice: A new column to consider challenges we face in our profession

Welcome to “In Practice” a new column edited by a panel of experienced ombuds colleagues

Our goal in this column is to elevate ombuds practice by engaging practitioners from all sectors in the analysis and discussion of practice-related dilemmas for which IOA's Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice do not offer conclusive guidance.

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An Option for OOs in Troubled times: Helping their Conflict Management System (CMS) People to Collaborate

By Mary Rowe, Tim Hedeen, and Ellen Miller,

"The nature of relationships among the adults within a school has a greater influence on the character and quality of that school and on student accomplishments than anything else. ……..Our ability as adults to collaborate in service of the complex needs of the …. youth that we serve requires us to change our individual and collective relationship to conflict and learn to leverage our diversity in service of this work…." Gregory Abell

Many Organizational Ombuds (OOs) are asking how they can help serve their constituents and their organizational mission in times of high conflict. One of the options being pursued by some OOs, this summer of 2024, is to help all the conflict management personnel of their organization to work together in strategic planning—and to share their diverse skills, lived experience, values and wisdom, in service of the organizational mission. 

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Acronyms and Lingo for International Ombuds Association (IOA)

By Scott B. Cantor, Ph.D.
Ombuds and Professor, 
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer

There seems to be a specialized vocabulary for IOA members, with many acronyms and abbreviations.  With the goal of getting all ombuds to “speak the same language”, I have created a list of IOA terms and their definitions. 

CFP (Call for Proposals) = One of the terms used to solicit proposals for presentation at the IOA Annual Conference.  See also RFP.

CO-OP (Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioners®) = An earned credential for ombuds coordinated and monitored by the IOA.

CO-OP Credential = Same as Certification for Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner.

ComCom = Communications Committee for the IOA.  

Experience: On Display = Activity at IOA Annual Conference where ombuds present their creative hobbies, e.g., artwork, jewelry, music, etc.

Foundations = Refers to the Foundations of Organizational Ombuds course. This is an introductory course offered by the IOA to prepare aspiring ombuds for success as an ombuds.

Howard Gadlin Undebate = An invited panel presentation at the IOA Annual Conference that focuses on a controversy in ombuds practice. Named after Howard Gadlin, who served as an ombuds at National Institutes of Health (NIH).

IOA (International Ombuds Association) = The name of our professional society and host of this blog.

#IOA2025 = A social media tag to reference the IOA Annual Conference in 2025.

JIOA (Journal of the International Ombudsman Association) = Online journal of IOA that publishes articles about the theory and application of ombuds practice.

Mary Rowe Keynote = An invited honorary talk given at the IOA Annual Conference. The talk is named after Mary Rowe, who served as an ombuds at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

PDC (Professional Development Committee) = Committee responsible for developing and providing coursework that supports the mission of IOA and the training and development needs of IOA members.

RFP (Request for Proposals) = One of the terms used to solicit proposals for presentation at the IOA Annual Conference.

SBI = SBI Association Management is the administrative management firm for IOA. They are responsible for such functions as maintaining the membership database, meeting management, etc.

SOP (Standards of Practice) = The core principles that ombuds follow: Independence, Impartiality, Informality, and Confidentiality. The Code of Ethics is a summarized version of the Standards of Practice. The Standards of Practice provides more details.

As noted above, this is a sample of terms and acronyms that may be seen and not immediately recognized as a member of IOA. Please share others that come to mind in the comments below.

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The Power of Terminology: Navigating Workplace Issues Without Labels

By Martina Peskoller-Fuchs
Ombudsperson, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 

In the workplace, how we label and discuss issues can significantly impact their resolution. Terms like "conflict," "bullying," and "discrimination" carry strong connotations and can influence perceptions and outcomes. Understanding why people might avoid these terms and exploring alternative approaches can lead to more effective and empathetic problem-solving.

1)    Why People Avoid the Term "Conflict"

a)    Fear of Escalation: Labeling a problem as a conflict can make it seem more serious and intractable. People may worry that calling it a conflict will escalate the situation and make it harder to resolve.
b)    Professional Image: Admitting to being in conflict with a colleague can be seen as unprofessional or a sign of poor interpersonal skills. Employees may fear it will negatively impact their reputation or career progression.
c)    Desire for Harmony: Many workplaces value teamwork and cooperation. Employees might avoid the term "conflict" to maintain a facade of harmony and prevent disrupting the workplace atmosphere.
d)    Conflict Aversion: Some individuals are naturally conflict-averse and feel uncomfortable dealing with confrontational situations. They might downplay issues to avoid the stress and discomfort associated with conflict. This also relates to how conflicts are seen by the workplace environment. e.g. are conflicts considered a natural occurrence in human interactions, or are they seen as not acceptable, as flaws etc.?
e)    Hope for Resolution: Employees may believe that the problem can be resolved without formal intervention or without labeling it as a conflict. They might hope that the issue will resolve itself over time.
f)     Cultural Factors: In some organizational cultures, there may be an implicit or explicit expectation that conflicts should be handled privately and not acknowledged openly.
g)    Fear of Repercussions: There can be concerns about retaliation or negative consequences, especially if the colleague involved is in a position of power or has strong relationships with management. It might also relate to a lack of trust in the organizational culture and its ability to deal with conflicts once they escalated.
h)    Communication Style: Some people prefer indirect communication and might find it difficult to articulate issues openly. They may downplay problems to avoid direct confrontation. Equally they might not want to use any language that has a sense of it being emotional, unprofessional etc.
i)      Personal Boundaries: Many people worry that addressing a conflict might delve into private[1] matters, which can be uncomfortable and seen as unprofessional. They think there is no place for personal issues at the workplace and want to keep them separate.
j)      Emotional Avoidance: Conflicts are often associated with strong emotions. People may avoid labeling a situation as a conflict because they don't want to deal with the emotional aspects or give space for emotions to surface, which they may perceive as disruptive or unprofessional.

 

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JIOA Special Issue - Call for Articles

JIOA – Special Issue Announcement

Topic: Power, Politics, and Polarization

Submission Deadline: May 1st, 2025

Organizational Ombuds, with their emphasis on conflict resolution, ethics, and systems, play a pivotal role in addressing challenges arising from power dynamics, political tensions, and societal polarization. In an era marked by the proliferation of misinformation, the erosion of trust in institutions, and the amplification of diverse voices, the ombuds profession stands at the forefront of navigating complex ethical and social issues.

This special issue aims to explore the multifaceted relationship between the ombuds field and the broader landscape of power, politics, and polarization. We invite submissions that critically examine topics such as:

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At the Crossroads of Ombuds: A first-timer's experience at the IOA Conference

By Lana Smith-Hale, LCSW,
Assistant Ombuds, UC Santa Barbara,

As a self-proclaimed extrovert, I am still surprisingly nervous about going into a new space filled with colleagues I have never met. And as the only member of my team who attended the conference this year, I was nervously looking forward to what lay ahead. I am an Ombuds in Higher Education and am familiar with attending conferences in this sector; yet as an Ombuds with one year of experience, I felt the pressure with this experience to cement my belief if this was the right field for me. Spoiler alert- it is! Here are the three main takeaways I’d like to share from my time at IOA Indy:

  1. When I arrived late at night, I was surprised at the friendliness of fellow conference-goers that started right away. Even at 11 am, after a long day of travel, someone introduced themselves at the elevator and shared their excitement for elements of the conference. I was delighted to see the friendly face of Paul Sotoudeh whose warm welcome helped ease my worries that this was going to be a fun experience. From there, the friendliness of colleagues connecting was infectious. People were very eager to connect one person to another: "Have you met my friend from XYZ?" "You would love to talk to so-and-so from ABC". The accessibility, warmth, and down-to-earthness of meeting the giants in the field like Chuck Howard and Ellen Miller, to hearing Mary Rowe in sessions felt comfortable and kind. Having lunch with my IOA Mentor, Kathie Greenwood, in person was another big highlight. So be prepared, that even if you are not an extrovert and don't know many folks attending, you will be surrounded by friendly folks, eager to connect with old and new ombuddies alike.

  2. The conference structure involved keynotes and breakout sessions that included an effort to pump folks up for the challenging work we do and give hope in times that feel extra challenging globally. What makes the IOA conference unique in my opinion is the diversity of ideas, thoughts, professions, and education of attendees. I loved learning about different organizations that have ombuds (yay to the US Air Force Academy) and was inspired by many sessions that helped me think in new ways of how culture affects not only our participants’ experiences but my practice as an Ombuds (shout out to Neal Powless). I felt challenged and invigorated by this experience and that the conference's mission to inspire was done.

  3. Indiana’s motto is the “Crossroads of America”, and to me, this appropriately fits as being my first experience at my Crossroads as an Ombuds. The global attendees were a huge highlight and were so impressive to me. I delighted in the shared knowledge exchanged and efforts to understand the challenges faced by Ombuds around the world. I enjoyed Qinhui Jiang’s session but loved, even more, how folks lined up to share their connection to Kenya with him!

My experience at the 19th Annual IOA conference in Indiana was full of excitement, knowledge, and friendships - I hope to see you at the next one!

10 years of PetrOmbudsman – The Journey Continues

By, Dr. Eng. Ion Anghel

Director, PetrOmbudsman Department

On March 25th, my team and I officially celebrated the 10th anniversary since the establishment of our Ombuds department in OMV Petrom. The occasion was marked with a special celebration event in the headquarters of the organization, together with people who have been there with us during all this time. I can say that we embarked on a time machine journey, on the path of memories, but also of ambitious dreams, to new heights that we set out to conquer, now that we have reached the milestone of 10 years as PetrOmbudsman.

We had with us two of OMV Petrom’s Executive Board Members, Christina Verchere and Cristi Hubati, whom I would like to thank for the nice words they addressed to us on the occasion of our event.

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Reminder - JIOA Call for Papers

By Shannon Burton,

Dear Colleagues,

This past year, the Journal of the International Ombuds Association (JIOA) placed two calls for papers in special issues. The editorial board wanted to send out a reminder about these special issues along with their end dates.

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Free Speech on Campus: What Colleges and Universities Can Do

By Kenneth Cloke,

As I write, it is now the year of the 60th anniversary of the Free Speech Movement (FSM) at U.C. Berkeley, in which I was an active participant (I am at the far right in the photo.)  It is also a time when free speech issues are again triggering campus conflicts, largely because of intense polarization over fighting in Gaza, and the mutually antagonistic activities of student supporters of Israel or Palestine.

Starting in the 1980’s, I began working as a mediator, conflict resolver, and dialogue facilitator, helping thousands of people and hundreds of organizations with vastly differing opinions, many mired in hatred and enmity, discover that they could somehow, unexpectedly, talk to each other, engage in open, honest, constructive dialogue, improve their understanding, and solve common problems.

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50 Possible Questions to Open Israeli-Palestinian Dialogues

By Kenneth Cloke,

Many political conflicts are taking place on campuses and in communities today over the war in Gaza between Israeli and Palestinian supporters.  Here are a few possible opening questions mediators and dialogue facilitators can use to encourage colleges and universities, groups, communities, and people on both sides or in-between to engage in facilitated dialogue and mediated problem solving.  They are suggestive, are likely to work best in small groups, and are only the beginning of a longer term process of discovering how to talk and learn from each other.  For additional questions and techniques, see my chapter on “the art of asking questions” in The Magic in Mediation.  There are thousands of potentially useful questions - please add a few of your own. 

Questions about the Process

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George Mason Ombuds Office Anniversary and Ombuds Day Celebration Reflection

By, Sarah Ahmed Atif,
Program Coordinator, George Mason University Ombuds Office

The current George Mason University Ombudsperson, Kimberly Jackson Davidson, was introduced in February 2022, and the Office Charter was signed in October of the same year by University President Gregory Washington. We identify this moment of a signed charter as the official act of launching the Office. This October, completing one year of operations, the Office celebrated its anniversary by hosting various programs for different audiences.

The office hosted an Ombuds Gathering for academic ombuds from the DMV area at the beautiful Potomac Science Center on October 20. This program was an effort to bring the academic ombuds in one room to have a dialogue on events pertaining to the field. Following were the program topics: 

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Catch up on and Contribute to the JIOA

By Shannon Lynn Burton, Ph.D.,
University Ombudsperson, Michigan State University

Dear IOA Colleagues,

The Journal of the International Ombuds Association (JIOA) has been busy this year!  Please visit our website if you have not done so recently.  There are new articles and book reviews posted. 

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