leadership, management

Jun 13, 2018

Decision Making – Take the whistle out of the ref’s mouth !

With the soccer World Cup starting in a few days (I’m a fan) and with the US not in action, I’ve been giving some thought to the larger context of the situation. I played soccer in high school, college, and beyond and have also served as a referee. And, as I think about the larger…

May 23, 2018

Inside Outsider – The Independence of the Organizational Ombuds

  What makes an organizational ombuds office different from other available resources?  I often get this question and, in answer, I point to the IOA (International Ombudsman Association) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice that include Independence, Confidentiality, Informality, and Impartiality. While some resources within an organization have some “parts” of these as features,…

Apr 9, 2018

Ombuds Day – October 11, 2018 !!

Well – it is “official” !!!  The American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section (voluntary association of attorneys) has designated October 11, 2018 as Ombuds Day! There was much talk of Ombuds Day at a recent Ombuds Committee meeting at the ABA Dispute Resolution Section conference last week in Washington, D.C. Here’s a photo of the…

Mar 13, 2018

Set Your Next Meeting Up for Success !

  We all go to meetings and some are better than others.  What makes the difference? While  using someone to serve as meeting facilitator that’s not part of the group can be an excellent way to free everyone to fully engage in the meeting content, many groups don’t have such a resource.  (I sometimes serve…

Feb 19, 2018

IOA Board of Directors Election Results

  The International Ombudsman Association (IOA) recently provided Board of Director election results. There were 6 seats open with a slate of 9 candidates. The candidates elected will step onto the Board at the IOA Annual Conference in late April. The newly elected Board members include Roy Baroff, NC State Faculty & Staff Ombuds. The full…

Jan 31, 2018

Impact of Ombuds Office Highlighted

  The NC State Faculty Ombuds Office was profiled in a recent article jointly published by The Journal of the California Caucus of College and University Ombuds and the Journal of the International Ombudsman Association -“Ombuds and Conflict Resolution Specialists: Navigating Workplace Challenges in Higher Education.”  The article explores various ombuds practices and impacts on an…

Dec 28, 2017

New Year’s Resolution = Conflict Resolution

  It’s the end of 2017 and, of course, it’s time for 2018 resolutions! What are your plans for 2018? Here at the NC State Faculty & Staff Ombuds Office, we are working on our own resolutions (drink less coffee, eat a more balanced diet, get more sleep, help people solve more problems – the list…

Nov 27, 2017

It’s all a matter of perspective – Going South !

  I recently attended a gathering of NC ombuds and we had an excellent meeting with far ranging discussion. These are great meetings for ombuds to share ideas and ask for input on issues and ombuds processes. At one point we were talking about how each visitor to the office usually comes in with only…

Oct 24, 2017

Case Examples

  People often ask what kinds of issues, concerns, or conflicts come to the NC State Faculty & Staff Ombuds Office and I’ve added a page to the website providing some faculty focused case examples. (I’m planning a similar page for Staff issues.) I define a “case” based on a faculty or staff member contacting the…