When I took up the position of CERN Ombud in April 2021, I was faced with a variety of reactions when I told my colleagues the news: 

• “Won’t you get bored? Won’t it be lonely?”
• “Are you sure? I don’t know anyone who’d want to be Ombud!”
• “I hope I won’t need to come and see you!”

Of all the reactions, the one that struck me the most was the last one: “I hope I won’t need to come and see you!”. It implies that the only reason to visit the Ombud is that you have a serious problem to discuss and are in an extremely difficult situation. Today, I would like to show you that that’s not the case.

True, the Ombud’s mandate revolves around helping resolve interpersonal conflicts and, indeed, in 65% of cases, the people who come to see me are seeking to resolve a conflict. Sometimes they come in the early days of a conflict, when communication is simply proving difficult. Much more often, they come when a conflict has been rumbling on for a while and has reached boiling point. Some people also contact me before a conflict arises, as a “preventive” measure, to prepare for a difficult conversation or get an outside perspective on a potentially conflictual situation that’s troubling them. 

But I also receive colleagues who aren’t dealing with a conflict and come with other intentions:

• They simply want to share their personal experiences of organisational processes, recognition of qualifications, advancement, budget allocation, internal mobility, etc. 
• They want to talk about things they perceive as a systemic issue for our Laboratory, such as persistent sexism or a lack of transparency in recruitment processes.
• They want to point out things they see as a risk to the Organization, such as a loss of knowledge and expertise in the use of certain equipment or a loss of resources in a given area of activity, and where they feel that they aren’t being listened to when they flag the issue.
• They are simply looking for information about the rules, policies, procedures, etc., in force, such as the Organization’s policy on sabbatical leave, external activities, personal data privacy, etc.  
• They want to discuss a project, a choice they have to make or a decision to be taken and are looking for a sounding board – someone external and impartial with whom to explore their ideas.

The Ombud offers a safe space that is governed by the principles of absolute confidentiality, informality, impartiality and independence, where anyone can express concerns or ask questions that don’t necessarily have to be connected with a conflict.

If these conversations bring to light problems that appear to be systemic, the Ombud, acting as a watchdog, can escalate them to colleagues who are in a position to address them, particularly the Management. This is what I do, for example, when I present the Ombud’s annual report to the departments and the collaborations.  
When I escalate these problems, I never reveal the identity of those who confided in me, nor provide any information that would lead back to those individuals.

No one should feel guilty or worried because they need to consult the Ombud. Doing so is not an admission of weakness either. When you come to see the Ombud, you’re simply using a resource that’s placed at your disposal to explore a problem, concern, question or choice. Rest assured that no mechanism will be triggered against your will, and that you will be met with active listening and empathy and an external, impartial perspective. 

                                Laure Esteveny

PS: And no, I don’t get bored! And yes, the role can be a little isolated, but that’s the price to be paid for its fundamental independence.

I want to hear from you – feel free to email ombud@cern.ch with any feedback or suggestions for topics you’d like me to address. 
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