“When you squeeze an orange, what comes out of it? Orange juice. Why? Because that’s what’s inside it….When we get squeezed—when things aren’t going well for us—what comes out of us? Whatever’s inside of us,” explains Susan Scott, author of Fierce Conversations. No matter what emotions, thoughts and values we may consciously or unconsciously hide […]
Courageous Conversation Read More »
Recently I met with a small group of staff from a unit that has gone through a number of changes in the last two years. For Employee #1, this was her last day of work. She had resigned and was leaving the University without any job prospects. When I asked why she chose to move
Communication between a leader and their team: a cautionary tale Read More »
In December 2018, I wrote the blog post “You Sent that?”, which discussed both WHEN to use email and HOW to use email more effectively. If you have not read that post, or have since forgotten, one of the items I addressed was the importance of including a descriptive subject line that explains the purpose
Emails Should Include a Call to Action! Read More »
Do any of these statements sound familiar around performance evaluation time? From a direct report: “I was never trained to do that.” “That happened 9 months ago, but it is the first I am hearing of this.” “It says I was rude to
Performance Evaluations: Only Good Surprises Read More »
An interpretive summary of Kenneth Cloke’s keynote presentation at the Rocky Mountain Regional Ombuds Day Event We are in a time of polarizing political crisis and power struggle. Today’s political conflicts seem to be hostile win/lose situations filled with prejudice and personal attacks. Power is used to dominate others. Conflicts reside inside of us (internal
Ken Cloke is known world-wide for his work and teachings in conflict resolution, mediation, dialogue facilitation, systems design, and more. I remember seeing his name for the first time in my syllabus for Intro to Conflict Resolution my freshman year of undergrad. A visitor I met with a few moths ago reminded me of a
Debate vs Dialogue Read More »
Need to calm a combative conversation? Consider BIFF. No, I am not talking about Biff Tannen the bully in Back to the Future or the Boulder International Film Festival. Rather, I am referring to the High Conflict Institute’s highly effective method of responding to personal attacks, hostile email and meltdowns. A BIFF response is Brief,
Dealing with Porcupines (and we can all be one) Read More »
Understanding the dynamics of conflict can help you feel more in control in your relationships. This blog entry will look at one way you can bring awareness to your conflict and help you feel more in control. Consider the two-phase model of effective conflict management from the book Working Through Conflict by Folger, Poole, and
Bring awareness to your conflicts Read More »
“Question everything.” –Albert Einstein Normally I am not one to argue with Albert Einstein. However, I would like to suggest that HOW we choose to question things is as important as what we are questioning. According to Marilee Adams, author of Change Your Questions, Change Your Life (Berrett – Koehler Publishers, 2015) there are “Judger”
The Quest: Cultivating & Constructing Questions Read More »
It is an ongoing effort to help institutions understand the Organizational Ombuds role and how we specifically help our constituents, especially when our roles seem similar to those of others. For this post, the University of Colorado Ombuds are thrilled to share Caroline Adams’, University Ombuds, University of California Santa Barbara, interview with Jason Shelton