Dispute Settlement Counsel

Posts Tagged ‘Ombuds’

(second in a series and dialogue on the workplace)
Workplace bullying and harassment are emerging issues to be addressed by employers.  Add the potentially larger problem of increased stress, decreased morale and diminished productivity of those employees who remain after layoffs, who are expected to carry the same load with less people, less experiential knowledge and less resources.  Factor in a still sluggish economy and high unemployment, and we have a workplace perfect storm and a cresting wave of workplace discontent.

I think employers need to be proactive and act ahead of the law. Ignoring this rising crisis may result in a layer of liability and non-compliance resulting from new laws.  Their efforts to run a business may be stymied by a mobilized work force or they may have to close down because they failed to navigate this storm effectively.   This storm will stay in the workplace and be also strengthened by the changes in the workplace brought by information technology and Generation Y.  This is not your father’s work environment anymore.

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Whenever I suggest the use of an Ombuds person (also referred to as an “Ombuds” or an “Ombudsman”) as a key component in the business strategy of being proactive and taking steps to prevent disputes from arising, I get the question:  What is an ombuds? What does an Ombuds person do?

An ombuds is a neutral, independent and confidential resource person that a company or an organization hires to help it solve problems – small ones as well as big ones – early on, before they escalate into bigger problems or disputes.  An Ombuds is usually someone who is either trained and/or talented as a trusted counselor/intermediary/facilitator.   An Ombuds is a part of the process of identifying and solving the problem early on, and plays an important role in helping to solve it.  The Ombuds may not be the one that solves it, as much as being the person who puts the wheels of solution into motion.

The most important skill that the Ombuds needs to have is the talent of active and empathetic listening.  That is a talent that is highly underrated and often overlooked in the business or organizational world.  But it is critical, and is greatly appreciated by those who benefit from the efforts of a good listener.

Equally vital is the talent for having the insight and resourcefulness to identify the essence of the problem and know which way to direct people’s actions, and what resources to bring to bear to solve it.  You might call an Ombuds a problem solving architect or engineer, a person with a knack for dissecting the problem, seeing what needs to be done to solve it, and setting things in motion in a neutral way, all the while respecting the confidentiality of the situation. Read the rest of this entry »