It’s not what leaders know that keeps them up at night; it’s what they don’t know.
– Chuck Howard, Attorney and former IOA Executive Director, A Practical Guide to the Organizational Ombuds
The world has shifted beyond unpredictable to totally volatile. Beyond risky to perilous. Beyond conflicted to polarized and entrenched. There’s no shortage of risks or workplace conflict these days, and many are feeling the pressure. Today’s business leaders are up against some of the toughest challenges. I talked about some of these challenges in my previous presentation at the World Mediators Conference. As if navigating mounds of laws weren’t hard enough, the laws themselves are changing rapidly; some may even feel more and more like the law depends on where you go and who you ask. In all this chaos, it might feel like with so much to do the last thing you need to do is learn – but that’s exactly why you want to tune in and listen carefully about how the Organizational Ombuds is the solution. Ombuds can make a tremendous difference in workplace conflict resolution — and some of the biggest brands are already implementing their Ombuds programs.
Organizational Ombuds, with court-tested confidentiality as their secret to success, is what your organization has been waiting for. In my latest presentation for the Small Business Development Center at the University of Texas San Antonio, business leaders will learn about the high risks of common business management infrastructure when handling issues like misconduct and disputes, illustrated with real world examples — from my practice and from experienced attorneys, Ombuds, and other professionals. Plenty familiar with how to mitigate risks with Ombuds, I’ll be sure to answer questions, as well.
I’ll introduce Ombuds as a pivotal conflict resolution entity apart from human resources that contributes to an organization’s overall effectiveness, lowering risks and resolving conflicts for employees while benefiting the organization long term. With the help of an Ombuds, organizations can overcome the win-lose dynamics employees are all too familiar with. Yep, I’m talking about the bad reputation Human Resources has — did you know nearly half of employees don’t trust HR to help with conflict resolution? See the Forbes study. As it turns out, when your employees actually talk to you (with the identity protecting layer the Ombuds provides), you can resolve their issues and protect the both of you in the process… who knew?
Participants will leave with a firm grasp on how an Ombuds can fit into the organization, what their standards of practice are, and how organizations can assess the cost-effectiveness of investing in an Ombuds.
