Hockey Players Oust Director With Input From Ombuds

The National Hockey League Players' Association fired its Executive Director, Paul Kelly, after a lengthy deliberation by the executive board. According to media reports, interim NHPLA Ombuds Buzz Hargrove, was summoned into the boardroom twice to participate in the discussion before a final vote was taken. It is believed that Hargrove presented a review of Kelly’s tenure that indicated employees were divided on Kelly’s proficiency. (Sporting News; Toronto Globe & Mail.)

New Canadian Banking Ombuds Named

The Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments has appointed Douglas Melville as its ombudsman and chief executive officer. OBSI is a voluntary dispute-resolution service established in 1996 that deals with complaints between participating Canadian financial service firms and their clients. Melville has been serving as interim ombudsman since mid-May, following the resignation of David Agnew. "Mr. Melville brings to the Ombudsman role a rich and varied background in financial services, dispute resolution, public policy, media, government, and community relations," said Peggy-Anne Brown, chair of OBSI's board of directors. Melville originally joined the organization in 2006 as senior deputy ombudsman for banking services. He earned his BA from Carleton University, a JD and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario, and an LLM from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University. (Toronto Star.)

Related post: Canadian Banking Ombuds Releases Year-End Review.

21 Recommended ADR Blogs

Diane Levin, who compiles a directory of about 200 alternative dispute resolution blogs at ADRblogs.com, has a list of her 21 favorites. This is a great place for newcomers to get a feel for the array of voices in the field. Of course, if I were to create a list, Levin's own site would be in the top ten. (Mediation Channel.)

Handling a Tyrant Boss

Lynn Taylor, a workplace expert and contributor to Business Week magazine offers suggestions book on how employees can manage difficult bosses, which she dubs TOTs "Terrible Office Tyrants." She says TOTs are bosses who act strikingly similar to children, like toddlers in their Terrible Twos. Taylors says there are five hallmarks of a TOT and she offers tips on managing them:

Tantrums
• Determine the best time of day and day of the week to approach your TOT;
• Don't hang around for the fireworks or engage;
• Keep CALM -- Communicate, Anticipate, Laugh, and Manage;

Demanding
• Set expectations through regular meetings;
• Let your TOT know when you are feeling overwhelmed and use priority task lists;
• Communicate when a project has been successful;

Needy
• Encourage your TOT's independence and reinforce her own competence;
• Offer a plan to cover excessive workloads;
• Help your boss learn that other people can serve her as well;

Stubborn
• Use positive language to relax your stubborn TOT;
• Know that it's easier for TOTs to be more flexible if there's something in it for them;
• Offer choices and compromises that empower your TOT;

Distracted
• Make communications compelling;
• Use props, visual aids, and humor to keep your manager engaged and on target;
• Manage interruptions.

These tips and Taylor's book, Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant (TOT): How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job, will be valuable for many Ombuds' visitors. (Business Week; Tame Your Tot Blog.)

Related posts: When the Boss is a Bully or Jerk; Opinion of Boss Drives Most Decisions to Quit.

Study Shows That Ridicule Undermines Workplace Performance

Research published in the Journal of Management Studies finds that perceived workplace injustices directly affect employees' ability to cope with workload demands and performance-related expectations. In other words, when managers ridicule or disrespect their workers, the results are likely to be lowered output and higher turnover. The study was authored by Michael S. Cole, PhD, at Texas Christian University. (Wiley InterScience; UPI; Science Daily; hat tip to Mary Rowe.)

More science confirming common sense.

Harvard University Ombuds to Take on Public Safety Issues

In April 2009, Harvard president Drew Faust appointed an independent committee to look into complaints by black students and faculty of unfair treatment by the predominantly white campus police force. That committee ultimately recommended that Harvard create a public-safety Ombuds and take other steps to repair the relationship between the campus police and the campus community. On Friday, Harvard announced that University Ombuds Lydia Cummings will take on the public safety functions recommended by the committee.

In her newly expanded role, Cummings will meet with the Safety Advisory Committee, review and recommend resolutions to general and specific concerns raised by members of the University community, and bring any systemic issues to the attention of the administration, when warranted. To ensure that community members know where to bring issues, the office’s expanded role will be communicated on the Harvard College Web site, in the Handbook for Students, in House newsletters, in the Freshman Newsletter, and through the residential deans.

(Harvard News; Boston Globe.)

Ombuds as Antidote to Rising Threat of Litigation in Academia

Amy Gajda, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Illinois, warns that a rise in lawsuits poses a serious threat to academic freedom. In her new book, The Trials of Academe: The New Era of Campus Litigation, Gajda says that litigation is now common on campus, and perhaps even more commonly feared. She argues that several factors are driving the increase in lawsuits, including a breakdown in communication by academic leaders, a culture of distrust among colleagues, and anxieties from the shift to nontenured faculty.

Gajda does offer some hope. In an interview with the Chronicle of Higher Education, she says:

[C]olleges and universities need to build a stronger sense of community on campus. By this I mean an inclusive, open, diverse community with open channels of communication and effective means of addressing disputes internally. If students, faculty, administrators, and staff are divided by a sense of detachment or mutual suspicion, we can expect to see more litigation. Offering alternatives through campus mediation, ombudspersons, and the like can help to defuse conflicts and keep them out of court.

Her book is scheduled for release in October. (Harvard University Press; Chronicle of Higher Ed.)