Category: Article
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Maintaining motivation throughout your career
Maintaining motivation throughout your career Andrew* comes to my office to discuss an issue of concern. After I remind him of the working principles of the Ombud – confidentiality, informality, impartiality and independence – I invite him to explain what is worrying him. Andrew chooses to start with: “I have only six more years to
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Overcoming a deadlock? Try reappraising!
Overcoming a deadlock? Try reappraising! Janet* has just been informed by her management that she has to step down from her current job and responsibilities and start a new project in another unit, taking on a role that poses a real challenge but entails no managerial responsibilities. Because of her excellent work in her current
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The potential harm of anonymous complaints
The potential harm of anonymous complaints I very rarely receive anonymous complaints or accusations of inappropriate behaviour or misconduct, but it does happen. These complaints always arrive by emails that can’t be traced back to the sender, should anyone want to do so. Because they feel protected from any kind of consequence, the alleged victims
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Active listening – from sponge to trampoline
Active listening – from sponge to trampoline Linda* makes a deliberate effort to be an active listener in a discussion with Igor*. She gives time to the discussion with him and puts all distractions to one side. She listens carefully to what Igor says and nods consciously to demonstrate understanding and attention. She even remembers
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Impartiality or, better, multi-partiality?
Impartiality or, better, multi-partiality? Confidentiality, informality, independence, neutrality and impartiality are the working principles of the Ombud and I have shared with you in a number of articles[2] my experience in putting these principles into practice. With significant experience today in the role of CERN Ombud, I would like to come back to neutrality and
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Pivoting: a basketball metaphor for addressing conflicts
Pivoting: a basketball metaphor for addressing conflicts In basketball, a pivot is a rotation to face another direction, in order to pass or shoot the ball more effectively. I have been reviewing a variety of reading material about conflict resolution and was surprised to find that the book The Conflict Pivot by Tammy Lenski[1] uses
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True or false: How much do you know about mediation? (Part II)
True or false: How much do you know about mediation? (Part II) Mediation with the Ombud is available to all members of the CERN community and is an effective tool, yet it is largely underused, and colleagues who visit my office often describe conflicts that date back six months, a year or even more. Waiting
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True or false? How much do you know about mediation? (Part I)
True or false? How much do you know about mediation? (Part I) Mediation is at the heart of the Ombud’s services. The mandate of the Ombud states that the services of an Ombud can help to resolve disputes in a consensual and impartial manner, thus promoting the good functioning of the Organization. I have dedicated
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How the Ombud can help Doctoral Students
How the Ombud can help Doctoral Students A very interesting article published in 2022 in the Journal of the International Ombudsman Association (JIOA) caught my attention as it examines the specific role that ombuds may play in supporting doctoral students. For each of the past two years, CERN has hosted more than 230 doctoral students*,
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Feeling beyond help
Feeling beyond help The World Health Organization ( WHO) web site defines mental health as: “a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community”. The site also lists – non-exhaustively – risks to mental health, also