The Advocacy Committee is currently developing two resources to help ombuds and their organizations navigate periods of transition effectively.

The first resource is a toolkit for organizational leaders who are managing changes in the ombuds role. It will outline options and best practices for using temporary or interim ombuds appointments to ensure continuity during transitions. This will be released soon and will be featured in “Hey IOA” and housed on the website.

The second resource is designed for ombuds who are navigating shifts in organizational leadership—and this is where we need your help!

We invite you to share your experiences involving new presidents, CEOs, or other senior leaders. Specifically, we are interested in learning:

• How did you approach the transition process?
• How did you balance maintaining your office's visibility with knowing when to step back?
• What strategies did you use to identify and cultivate key organizational allies and support systems during these vulnerable times of transition?
• What worked well, and what would you do differently if given the opportunity?

Our goal is to collect and share practical lessons learned so that other ombuds can better prepare for leadership transitions in their own organizations. If you're willing to contribute, please send us either:

•          A short video (two minutes or less), or

•          A brief written reflection (one or two paragraphs)

These can be submitted to Jennifer Schneider and Mark Patterson, Advocacy Committee co-chairs, via this form: https://forms.gle/5SskkiZf37CaccFJ7.

We look forward to hearing your stories and sharing the collective wisdom of our community.