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The Effectiveness and Value of Organizational Ombuds

This page contains articles (in reverse chronological order) that cover such topics as:

  •  the importance—for all the members of an organization and the organization’s image and reputation—of having a safe, accessible, fair, and credible professional with whom to discuss any work-related issue and develop options going forward.
  • the ombuds’ role in reducing risk for all constituents who wish to discuss a concern or a good idea and how this helps the organization manage risk by helping to surface information to leadership.
  • the role of an ombuds in responsive listening throughout an organization, identifying and assessing new concerns, good ideas, and issues needing attention.
  • the ombuds’ role in sustaining attention to recurring problems like racism; discrimination on the basis of gender, identity, or religion; xenophobia; ableism; ageism; myriad forms of abuse and retaliation; unfair processes; and integrity issues.
  • the importance of ombuds office data collection and especially a) collecting benchmark data before an ombuds office starts, and b) data about an ombuds’ most serious cases.
  • the ombuds’ roles in dispute resolution, including as sounding board, interpreter, go-between, catalyst, bridge-builder, informal fact finder, facilitator, and expert resource (as an “inside outsider”) for the conflict management system.
  • the ombuds’ role in providing informal and largely invisible coordination for all the units in a conflict management system in the context of constant referrals to and from the office.