Job Posting: American Red Cross

The Red Cross Office of the Corporate Ombudsman is hiring an Ombudsman Analyst for its Washington, DC headquarters. The position provides professional and technical support for case intake and projects, and assistance in preparing reports.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and one to three years of professional experience in general business, HR, compliance, dispute resolution, psychology, organizational development or other related fields. No closing date or salary information provided. (Am. Red Cross, req. no.: NHQ3564.)

This is an entry-level position at a high-profile Ombuds program, which is led by a past IOA president.

Related posts: New Ombuds at American Red Cross; Red Cross Issues Second Annual Report.

Why Bosses Avoid Conflict

Mediator and author (Conflict Resolution at Work For Dummies) Vivian Scott observes that some managers have a special knack for looking the other way when it comes to bad behavior and conflict on the job. She suggests there are four possible explanations.

1. Can’t Find Starting Line -- Some managers feel overwhelmed with the complicated details and aren't open to sorting through who said what and who did what to whom and why they did it.
2. Doesn’t Want to Look Bad -- Some managers think that if they keep quiet about the problems on their team no one will be the wiser.
3. Has “Real Work” to do -- Some managers may feel that personnel squabbles are secondary to her or his primary objectives.
4. Can’t See the Problem -- Some bosses lack perspective on issues that are important to subordinates.

For each of these situations, Scott offers straight forward suggestions on how to get the boss more engaged in conflict resolution. Perhaps a worthy seminar for your organization. (Mediate.com.)

Fort Valley State University Ombuds Starts Blog

Dawn Della DeVeaux, the Ombudsperson for the historically black university in Georgia, has launched a blog. Her bi-weekly postings will share her reflections about her work as a professor as well as an administrator at the academy. (FVSU Blog.)

Related posts: Higher Ed Ombuds Are Embracing Social Media; Friday Poll: Embracing Web 2.0; Two Organizational Ombuds Launch Blogs.

Five Long Days With a Hospital Ombuds

The latest Werner Institute Newsletter offers a glimpse into the life of an Ombuds working at a major medical center. Creighton University grad student Mike Miller spent five days shadowing Laurie Patterson, the Ombuds for Akron General Hospital.

Miller, who has hospital experience himself, describes a grueling schedule. "I quickly discovered that the Akron General Hospital Ombuds runs a half-marathon every day, going from meeting to meeting and having employees stop by her office with little to no warning."  He points out that Patterson is unique among hospital Ombuds in that she does not handle patient matters. Instead, her "sole responsibility to focus her efforts on conflict engagement of all staff members – from housekeeping and maintenance staff to vice presidents and surgeons." He was justifiably awestruck by Patterson's work. (Werner Institute Win/Win.)

Related posts: Ombuds Help Hospitals Meet Joint Commission Standards; Werner Institute Opens Portal for ADR Community

Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution Offers Second Annual Training Program

The ADR center at the University of Texas at Austin will offer its annual skills enrichment institute on July 28-30.  "Innovations in Collaboration and Conflict Resolution" includes one- and two-day tracks featuring prominent trainers.

Two-Day Programs:

• Advanced Negotiation Skills: A Skills Based Institute of Strategy and Technique (Nina Meierding, Pepperdine University)
• Designing Dispute Resolution Systems (Judy Mares-Dixon)
• The Public Policy Facilitator's Toolbox: Designing Processes for Multi-Stage Initiatives (Bill Potapchuk, Community Building Institute)
• The Role of Apology, Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Collaborative Processes (Lee Taft)

One-Day Programs:

• Getting to the Heart of Conflict (Bernie Mayer, Werner Institute)
• The Next Generation of ADR: Utilizing Technology to Effectively Resolve Disputes (Colin Rule, eBay)
• Ethical Challenges in Dispute Resolution: Principles and Practice for Advocates and Third Parties (Julie Macfarlane, University of Windsor)
• Brains Matter: The Art and Science of Using the Mind in Conflict (Jennifer Kresge)

Priority registration through June 27. (UT Austin-CPPDR Info.)

The Story of a Suicide -- An Ombuds' Worst Case Scenario

The University of Washington Daily has a profile of a former UW employee who took his own life in 2008.

It is every Ombuds' fear.

In Soo Chun worked as a custodian on the Seattle campus and frequently bickered with coworkers. His writings revealed mental disorders that manifest as paranoia about supervisors and the institution. His supervisor was unable to mediate a dispute, which eventually grew to involve managers, the UW Ombudsman, the union, other custodians and the human-resources department. Eventually, Chun disengaged and took a vacation. When he did not return to work, he was terminated for job abandonment. After the State denied unemployment benefits, Chun committed suicide in a public plaza in the heart of the campus. (UW Daily.)

Related posts:  University of Iowa Endorses Ombuds Office After Faculty Suicide; Edinboro University Settles Lawsuit Against Ombuds and Other Administrators.

There is no indication that the Ombuds or any of the other programs were negligent per se in this case, but that is little comfort for an outcome that all Ombuds dread.

Job Posting: University of Minnesota Twin Cities

The public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul is hiring a full-time Assistant Ombudsman. Applicants must have at a bachelor's degree and five years of professional experience. Preference will be given to applicants with experience as an organizational Ombuds, familiarity with UM, and a master's degree.

The position will report to Jan Morse, who currently serves as the Secretary to the IOA Board of Directors. The annual renewable contract pays $48,000-52,000. Applications are due June 7. (UM Jobs, job code 9336, via Upper Midwest HERC.)

Related posts: Seeking Leverage, Minnesota Students Reveal Work with Ombuds; Job Posting (Student Intern); IOA Elects Officers at 2010 Conference.