I have been wondering what my first Word from the Ombud could be when I have only recently taken on the role. I thought that sharing with you my own visit to the Ombud would be a good start.

I contacted the Ombud many years ago, as I found myself in a semi-permanent, slightly conflictual situation. It wasn’t particularly a big deal in the grand scheme of things but it was a real problem for me. Years of experience at the Laboratory, facing various situations, did not really help, as new interpersonal challenges tend to emerge throughout a career.

Although I had reflected carefully on the root of the conflict, and what I could possibly do to resolve it, it only became more and more present every day and was a constant challenge. I was angry, nervous and fed up with it.

One day, following a particularly tense exchange, I decided that I could do with some advice and contacted the Ombud. I got an appointment very quickly.

The Ombud’s first words were to remind me of the four principles that apply in this office.

Confidentiality: Very often referred to but hard to get in the Laboratory. Still, I fully trusted that this would be the case with the Ombud.

Independence: This is the freedom from any kind of influence or conflict of interest. I trusted the independence of my interlocutor, guaranteed by a direct hierarchical link to the Director-General.

Impartiality: This is the absence of judgement and not taking a side. This was less my cup of tea, as everyone has a natural tendency to want to gain the sympathy of their interlocutor. However, I realised that the Ombud offers empathy but not sympathy. Empathy is when you understand the feelings of another but do not necessarily share them. Sympathy and sharing one’s feelings is a dimension that a colleague, but not the Ombud, can offer.

Informality: This was new to me. It meant that I would stay in full control of the situation and no action would be taken that I did not agree to. I could use my own words, I could disclose any information that I was aware of, or reveal anything I feared I had done, and this would stay strictly between the Ombud and me and would not set in motion any process.

The Ombud then asked, giving me undivided attention: “So, tell me, what brought you to this office?”

To my great surprise, the Ombud was not interested in a full detailed analysis of the situation I was in. Rather, the questions were “So how do you feel about this? What impact has this conflict had on your work or your personal life? How would you feel if the problem were solved? How do you think the other person feels about this situation?”

That triggered a few thoughts.

The Ombud went on to ask: “What have you tried so far to solve the problem? What options do you have? What are their pros and cons? How do you think the other person will react? What do you need today to move forward?”

That led me to consider the issue from a different angle.

The Ombud concluded the discussion by asking what would be my next steps when I left the office and suggested that I come again to follow up on the discussion and see what progress I had been able to make in resolving the conflict. The Ombud also offered mediation with the other person, should we both be willing, in good faith, to address the conflict.

When I left the office, I had no ready-made solution, but a much more balanced and objective view of the situation and much clearer ideas of how I could move forward.

Whatever the issue you are facing, a discussion with the Ombud is worth your time, and remember: The Ombud’s office is a safe place and the Ombud is here to help you!

Laure Esteveny

If you’d like to comment on any of my articles or suggest a topic that I could write about, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at ombud@cern.ch.