2022 Session Block E

• Session E1
• Session E2
• Session E3
• Session E4
• Session E5

Team Ombud: Case Study of a Collective Model for Academic Conflict Resolution

Summary: 

This case study unpacks the dimensions and advantages of a multi-person ombuds program. Built on the critical insights of Lave and Wegner (1991), this program model situated learning, communities of practice (COP), and 'legitimate peripheral participation' turning theory into authentic practice. Effective ombuds work requires empathetic questioning and careful listening to draw out visitors' stories, followed by the synthesis of complex facets to recommend useful strategies. The solo ombud has a near-Herculean job in managing these tasks. Along with the ability to involve multiple colleagues in our program, we recognized our limits as a new cohort of trainees. With multiple ears and multiple minds, we saw opportunities that were largely unimaginable otherwise. The COP model focuses attention on a group of people engaged in a shared commitment to a common 'domain' as defined by Wenger - in our case conflict resolution. This collective learns together through regular interaction around that domain. Our COP originated in grass-roots fashion, meeting weekly over a two-year period to build our own capacity in Alternative Dispute Resolution. We identified a range of needs across our liberal arts college campus and researched options to facilitate culture change around workplace conflict before designing a multi-person ombuds program. Our program is deeply informed by the intersections of the situatedness of our visitors and ombuds, and the co-constructed insights of our COP. As faculty members, we are peers to our visitor's faculty focused on faculty and we bring the automatic 'expertise' of knowing the culture in which our visitors exist. Generally, we handle the intake process in pairs (i.e., two ombuds with one visitor) and we bring the visitor's situation to our full group (with their permission) where we exchange and examine options, scenarios, tools, and solutions in a generative space. This step facilitates our ability to triage multiple cases, and often to slow down processes that otherwise move too quickly toward zero-sum results. Our collective approach has yielded additional benefits in terms of peripheral participation. In our latest development phase, we have recruited new members in an 'apprentice' mode, scaffolding their involvement through careful participation in our own continuing education and the generative discussion of current cases (again, with visitor permission). Our own insights are greatly refined through the engagement of apprentice-ombuds in these processes, and new members have ramped up their skill set far more rapidly than our original group did through its formative process. Certainly, not every institution provides a structure for a group ombuds program, nor is it necessarily the case that multiple individuals care to participate. Yet, organizations, where peer networks are possible, may find value in building on the community models we have undertaken in the construction and operation of our ombuds program.

Objectives:

• Build perspective about ombud program models, focusing attention on collective options
• Gain facility with strategic ombud approaches through the "community of practice" framework
• Recognize and potentially utilize strategies to maximize ombud program effectiveness while preserving ombud mental health (or at least reducing stress)

Presented by:

Abram Kaplan
Professor of Environmental Studies; co-founder of Faculty Ombuds Program, Denison University

Abram Kaplan, Ph.D., is a Professor and founding director of Environmental Studies at Denison University, where he has taught for 28 years. His research, teaching, consulting practice, and service all revolve around the change process: fostering supportive environments toward productive interactions at individual and organizational scales. Kaplan served as lead instructor for the ADR and negotiation segment of the U.S. Geological Survey's national leadership training program for twelve years. He has regularly taught full-semester conflict resolution courses at Denison, published in Negotiation Journal and ACResolution, and presented relevant work at the annual conferences of the Environmental Research Design Association, International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and at the International Engineering Management Conference. Kaplan is a certified mediator through the Social Justice Mediation Institute, completed the IOA Foundations course, and is a long-standing member of the Association for Conflict Resolution. At Denison, Kaplan spearheaded the Faculty Ombuds Program, now in its third year of operation. The group of five senior professors works collaboratively to provide in-house workshops and ombuds services for colleagues on campus.

Frank "Trey" Proctor
Professor, Department of History, Denison University

Frank "Trey" Proctor, is a Professor of Latin American History at Denison University, and a founding member of the Denison University Faculty Ombuds Program. He is a certified mediator through the Social Justice Mediation Institute and has participated in the Summer Academic Ombuds workshop.

Monica Ayala-Martinez
Associate Professor of Modern Languages and Director of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Denison University

Monica Ayala-Martinez is Associate Professor of Modern Languages at Denison University, teaching courses in Spanish and Portuguese. She serves as Director of Denison's Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program and is a founding member of the Denison University Faculty Ombuds Program. She is a certified mediator through the Social Justice Mediation Institute and has participated in the Summer Academic Ombuds workshop.

Conflict Reimagined: Understanding the Role of Power and Attachment at the Heart of Conflict

Summary:

The lines between work and home have blurred irrevocably but our human need for connection remains the same. And yet, many feel less connected than ever. It's time to look at relational conflict at work through a new lens: attachment theory. Work through a common workplace relationship conflict issue through multiple lenses, including structural and relational power dynamics from a practicing ombuds as well as attachment theory from a practicing Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. This interactive and reflective session allows us to consider what can we learn as ombuds from an emotionally-centered approach to addressing conflict? Understanding family dynamics can be an important tool in an ombuds toolkit, especially now as we reimagine the experience of belonging and resolving relational conflict at work. Gain knowledge and understanding of how attachment patterns play out at work and how ombuds can help visitors from a practical and problem-solving perspective gain insight and restore relationships. This interactive and reflective breakout session will be presented in several parts:

1. Introduction of the presenters and making it clear that the focus is not on providing a therapeutic/counseling experience for visitors, but rather, to be alive to a different kind of relational dynamic at work and what we as ombuds can do within our roles to help folks gain insight and mitigate relational conflict.
2. Introduce a relatively common way of examining conflict at work, but with a twist: relationship (power); structural components (constraints); and personal characteristics (personality, culture, experiences, and resilience capability). This is a lens many in the field would already be familiar with. This breaks it down into component parts so that folks can better isolate and spot conflict triggers.
3. Introducing attachment theory, including the various types (secure and insecure-avoidant, insecure anxious, insecure disorganized) and how these patterns show up at work and why they show up at work.
4. Introduce a common workplace relationship scenario and discuss together as a group the scenario through the lenses of power and attachment and talk about how as non-therapeutic practitioners, ombuds can assist visitors in gaining insight into these patterns and how to address them.
5. Using breakout rooms to discuss the scenario and how ombuds might approach it from an attachment theory perspective.
6. Come back together for further discussion and to share reflections, practical tips, and answer questions. worksheets and tips will be provided to session attendees.

Objectives:

• Understand attachment theory and how it presents in work relationships
• Understand structural and relational power dynamics and how they present in work relationships

• Gain new ways to examine the conflict between individuals and apply new techniques to mitigate and resolve conflict

Presented by:

Jennifer Mahony
Ombuds Office Director, Bostons Children Hospital

Jenn Mahony is the Boston Children's Hospital Ombuds Office Director. She has 20 years of conflict resolution and conflict resiliency work as an ombuds, mediator, facilitator, conflict coach, and educator. She focuses on restorative practices so that people can feel successful at work and in their working relationships. She obtained her J.D. from Emory University School of Law in 2001, worked as a dispute resolution professional and ombuds in New Zealand for almost 10 years, and was most recently an Associate Ombudsman at the National Institutes of Health. She is a member of the International Ombuds Association and the Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand, where she is a Fellow in Arbitration and on the AMINZ mediation panel. She is a frequent presenter and educator on conflict resolution and building conflict resiliency at work.

Laurel Marshall, LMFT
Director, Laura Marshall Counseling

Laurel Marshall has been in private practice since 2010 working with individuals, couples, and families. She has been in the Human Services/Mental Health field for 20 years in a number of settings that include the Farestart Work Training Program working with the homeless population as a life skills counselor, Renton Youth and Family Services as a case manager/mental health counselor serving children, youth and families in crisis, the Antioch Community Counseling Clinic as a psychotherapist for adults with mild and severe mental health issues, and the Returning Veterans Project as a psychotherapist for the Veteran population returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has a B.A. Psychology, University of Washington and an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy, Antioch University, Seattle. She has advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples from the International Centre for Emotionally Focused Therapy, and for Individuals from the Emotional Focused Therapy Clinic in Toronto Canada. She brings a diverse perspective to her work and is committed to deepening her understanding of the human experience.

Blaze Your Trail^SM: Identify Change Goals to Further Your Ombuds Practice

Summary: 

Blaze Your Trail^SM with Angela Dash and Mike Rozinsky is about engaging in a process of intentional change. Angela and Mike crossed paths at the 2019 IOA Annual Conference and co-created Blaze Your Trail^SM,  to realize a shared desire to enable the practice of change that taps into the "might", both the "power" and "possibility", within each of us individually and as a community. In this 60-minute session, you will focus on identifying a change goal that furthers or reimagines your ombuds practice. Your change goal can be new, in process, or one from the past that's worth revisiting. This highly interactive session mixes reflection exercises along with small and large group discussions and is designed to also build communities of support and belonging. Additionally, we will share Blaze Your Trail^SM, worksheets to provide you with a tool that helps you stay on the path to achieving your change goal.

Objectives:

• Identify a change goal that furthers or reimagines their ombuds practice
• Gain tools that will help them stay on the path to achieving their change goal

• Build communities of support and belonging

Presented by:

Angela Dash
Founder and President, The Pace Institute, LLC

Angela is co-creator of Blaze Your Trail^SM,  and Founder and President of The Pace Institute LLC. As an organizational conflict management consultant, coach, trainer, and facilitator, she supports individuals and organizations in strengthening relationships and setting course in times of conflict, change, and opportunity. She has been a practicing organizational ombuds since 2014 and has served IOA as a volunteer faculty for the Foundations course and as a JIOA peer reviewer. She also serves as an on-call Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisor for the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) where she supports the capacity building of FEMA's disaster-field workforce through the provision of workplace conflict management services. Angela is a Professional Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation and a faculty at New York University's School of Professional Studies where she educates future professional and executive coaches. She integrates coaching in her ombuds practice, supporting visitors in developing the clarity, competence, confidence, and way forward to work through tough situations. A lifelong learner, Angela has a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Nova Southeastern University, a Graduate Certificate in Executive and Professional Coaching from the University of Texas at Dallas, an MPA in Public Personnel/HR Management from Troy State University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College.

Mike Rozinsky
Founder and Principal, RZNSKY LLC

Mike is co-creator of Blaze Your Trail^SM,  and currently Founder and Principal of RZNSKY LLC where he works with clients and partners globally serve as an organizational ombuds team member at Brandeis University, and the University of Kansas, and is a confidential coach and dialogue facilitator at Bravely. He holds a Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution from the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB) and was recognized in 2020 with the Donald Paulson Service Award. This award is given by the faculty in recognition of outstanding service in the field of conflict resolution, both within the program at UMB and in the wider conflict resolution field. As a #conflicthugger with over 20 years of experience, Mike helps enable constructive change and progression of individuals as well as their teams, collaborators, and organizations. He partners to create impact through a combination of conflict management, people and organizational development, facilitation, ombuds, mediation, visual illustration and storytelling, communication, coaching, meeting/program design, and change enablement practices as well as workshops. Additionally, Mike was a panelist, advocate, and ally for the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging program during his time at Fidelity Investments in Enterprise Technology, which is a passion he continues to engage in.

Fresh Insights on Ombuds Practice: 2022 Survey Findings and Trends

Summary: 

This engaging session will present fresh findings from the 2022 IOA Practice Survey. What are the most pronounced patterns in visitor concerns? How has the pandemic affected our practices? How did we handle our most serious cases in 2021? Please join us to consider trends involving political polarization, workplace safety, intersectionality, and many more. We'll present both relevant context (we've conducted the past four biennial surveys) and practical implications (we're all experienced ombuds). We'll conclude on a high note, taking stock of our contributions to visitors and host organizations alike.

Objectives:

• Learn important findings and trends related to ombuds functions
• Recognize the diversity of ombuds practices

• Appreciate the range of ombuds accomplishments and contributions to their visitors and host organizations

Presented by:

Timothy Hedeen
Professor of Conflict Management, Kennesaw State University

Experienced ombuds and veteran mediator, Dr. Hedeen conducts research and evaluation of ombuds services and other dispute resolution systems. He has served in leadership roles with the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the National Association for Community Mediation, and the Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Dispute Resolution. He's led or partnered to perform comprehensive reviews of ombuds offices in federal agencies, international organizations, and higher education. For over two decades he has supported schools and families nationwide to resolve conflicts constructively through work with National Center on Dispute Resolution in Special Education.

Mary Rowe
Adjunct Professor of Negotiation and Conflict Management, MIT Sloan School of Management

Mary P. Rowe is an Adjunct Professor of Negotiation and Conflict Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and taught these topics for twenty years. She served for almost 42 years as organizational ombuds reporting directly to five presidents of MIT. As a conflict management specialist and an expert in interpersonal negotiations, Rowe hears from hundreds of people a year about serious conflicts and concerns; she consults widely with corporations, academic institutions, and government agencies

Jennifer Schneider
Student Ombuds, University of South Florida

Jennifer Smith Schneider has been the student ombuds at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa since 2015. She has also taught in the graduate higher education program at USF and has served on several doctoral committees. Prior to her current role, she held various positions at USF, the University of Central Florida, and Polk State College. She has earned bachelor's and master's degrees in education and a Ph.D. in higher education administration. Jennifer is an IOA mentor and she serves on IOA's Research and Assessment Committee. She is also one of the creators and facilitators of IOA's "Nuts and Bolts" course.

Hector Escalante
Ombuds, University of the Pacific

Hector Escalante is an experienced ombuds and learning and development professional with over 6 years of ombuds experience and over 20 years of experience developing and teaching course offerings that promote inclusion, healthy communication, and conflict resolution. He is a full-time organizational ombud for The University of the Pacific, Special Assistant to the VP of DEI and consulting ombuds for Earthjustice and Union of Concerned Scientists. Hector holds two master's degrees and a doctorate in education. He is a United States Marine Corps veteran, a husband, and a father to four children. Hector's passions include treating all with fairness, equity, dignity, compassion, and good food.

Ombudsing in Africa: Experiences, Challenges, and Approaches

Summary: 

Abdoul Aziz Cisse, Regional Ombudsperson for Africa at the International Committee of the Red Cross since 2014, discusses his experiences as an ombudsperson in the international humanitarian sector and the particularities of applying the standards of practice to the African setting, including the management of tribal issues.

Objectives:

• Ombuds approaches to managing tribal issues
• The added value of diversity & inclusion in ombudsing
• The concrete application of the standards of practice in various African countries

Presented by:

Abdoul Aziz Cisse
Regional Ombudsman for AfricaTitle, International Committee of the Red Cross

Abdoul Aziz Cisse currently serves as Regional ombudsman for Africa at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Abdoul Aziz Cisse is on his seven years as regional ombudsman for Africa at the ICRC. He is based in Dakar but offers services to the 9000 employees of the organization who work in Africa. Abdoul Aziz strikes a balance between coaching individual or group and mediation through crises and working with management on systemic issues. He is presently working on developing a program about diversity and inclusion in ICRC that aims to open a dialogue about racism, equity, respect, and growth. He is a member of the IOA and UNARIO. He was an HIV /health focal point for 10 years in ICRC covering Senegal, Guinea Bissau, and Niger before being appointed as Regional ombudsman for Africa in 2015. Prior to that, he worked with the International federation of family planning on their program of youth sexual reproductive health as director of programs. Abdoul Aziz was a Peak Fellow at the University of Michigan from 2001-2005. His training background is in marketing and international business with a master's degree. Abdoul Aziz is married with three children. He enjoys Jogging and meditation.