Feature

Jun 11, 2020

Ombuds Office – Words of Support

Apr 6, 2020

Ombuds 20:3 / One Sided Conflict Resolution

For the latest Ombuds 20 virtual meeting (4/1/20), with staying home the current norm to battle covid-19, it seemed fitting to focus inward, on one sided conflict engagement / resolution. However, before we addressed conflict tools, Alexis Steptoe from Wellness and Recreation, led us through the STOP meditation practice to connect us with our resiliency…

Mar 18, 2020

Ombuds – 20

Mar 16, 2020

Covid 19 and the Ombuds Office

Feb 24, 2020

Ombuds Role and Risk Management

I’ll be participating later this week in a URMIA (University Risk Management & Insurance Association) regional conference in Raleigh where I’ll have an opportunity to talk with attendees about how an ombuds can help an organization address and manage risks. I’m attending on behalf of the International Ombuds Association (IOA) along with its Executive Director…

Feb 7, 2020

Total Leadership

I was recently asked by various faculty leaders (a Dean and Department Head) to present some ideas about building teams. Based on work as ombuds and prior work in the conflict resolution field, I shared several concepts including the idea of Total Leadership. Total Leadership is based on work I did with Bill Sanford from…

Dec 12, 2019

Ombuds Office as Safe Place to Raise Issues

An ombuds office is designed to be independent, confidential, informal and impartial. It is an alternate communication channel for an organization by providing a safe space to bring issues forward. A recent article by International Ombudsman Association (IOA) Executive Director, Charles (Chuck) Howard in Bloomberg News highlights this aspect while considering all the whistleblower considerations…

Nov 18, 2019

Employee Appreciation

Nov 7, 2019

The Ombuds as Conflict Engagement Extension Practitioner

Two weeks ago, the NC Cooperative Extension State conference “Partnering to Serve” was in Raleigh to bring together extension from across North Carolina. All told over 700 extension agents, faculty and staff attended the event with multiple presentations and educational sessions. As the NC State Faculty & Staff ombuds I serve extension and had a chance…