Category: Article
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Each and every one of us matters
Each and every one of us matters Some visitors to the Ombud’s office tell me that they are “too insignificant” or “too low” in the chain of command for their opinion to really matter. Or they tell me they feel that, because they are an assistant or a technician, there’s a difference in attitude towards
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Knowing how to set limits for ourselves and others
Knowing how to set limits for ourselves and others We all have our own needs and our own limits. They are part of our personality and can change over time as our personal and professional lives evolve. Peter* is reserved and somewhat introverted. He is appreciated by his colleagues for his kind nature and the
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Seven ways to protect your team from conflicts
Seven ways to protect your team from conflicts Conflicts within a team have repercussions not only for its members’ well-being, but also for the achievement of work objectives, resulting in loss of efficiency, lack of collaboration, absenteeism, damage to the team’s reputation, etc. That’s why it’s important that you, as a manager, do your utmost
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The “I need” behind the “I want”
The “I need” behind the “I want” Very often in the Ombud’s Office, I hear the word “want” rather than “need”. “I want an apology from her”, “I want the guy to be fired”, “I want to be taken off this project NOW”, or even “I want you to resolve this issue for me”. These
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The power of mediation
The power of mediation In a previous article, I underlined how conflicts may actually have a constructive impact when addressed in a timely and effective fashion. One of the conflict-resolution tools that is available to all members of the CERN community is mediation facilitated by the Ombud. Unlike a formal grievance procedure, mediation has the
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Listening as an effective management tool
Listening as an effective management tool As a CERN manager, you need to have access to many different channels of information. One – and perhaps the most important – of those channels is direct communication with your team and your peers. However, if you have not created an environment where people are encouraged to speak
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A purposeful return to work
A purposeful return to work By mid-September, most of us are back at work after the summer break, although some lucky souls may still be recharging their batteries in their holiday destination of choice. Like the new year, the end of summer and the return to work often go hand in hand with good resolutions
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Don’t sweep conflicts under the carpet
Don’t sweep conflicts under the carpet Conflicts are a normal part of workplace life. They are unavoidable and inescapable because we all have different expectations and needs. However, depending on how a conflict is managed, it may be either constructive or destructive, hence the importance of understanding how a conflict evolves. The earliest stage of
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Five ways to jump-start a new job
Five ways to jump-start a new job I recently had the pleasure of hosting a virtual stand at the onboarding meeting for new CERN collaborators, “Connecting the dots”, where I also realised that none of the new colleagues I was talking to knew what an Ombud is. It was a pleasure to enlighten them. After
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Staying in the driver’s seat: on the principle of informality
Staying in the driver’s seat: on the principle of informality Often, visitors come into my office and say: “This is not right, I want someone to know about this.” To avoid any confusion, I always take care to reply: “Yes, the ombud will know about this, but NOT the Organization.” This is all about the