Conflict Management Tips from the UCLA Office of

Ombuds Services

Tom A. Kosakowski, JDOmbudsperson for the Center for

Health Sciences

March 15, 2012

Mission of the Ombuds Office Provide the UCLA Community

• Faculty• Students, and • Staff

Assistance• Confidential,• Independent,• Neutral, and• Informal

With University-Related• Issues, • Conflicts, and • Complaints.

Conflict in Academia

Sources of Conflict:InterdependenceIncompatible GoalsScarce ResourcesInterference from Others

Albany State UniversityAlgonquin CollegeAmerican University of KuwaitAmherst CollegeArizona State UniversityAshford UniversityAthabasca UniversityAuburn UniversityBall State UniversityBaylor University Binghampton UniversityBishop's UniversityBoise State UniversityBowling Green State UniversityBrock UniversityBrown UniversityCalifornia Institute of

TechnologyCalifornia State BakersfieldCalifornia State HumboldtCalifornia State Long BeachCalifornia State Monterey BayCalifornia Poly PomonaCalifornia State San BernardinoCalifornia State San DiegoCalifornia State San JoseCalifornia Poly San Luis Obispo Camosun CollegeCarleton UniversityCentral Connecticut StateCentral Michigan UniversityCentral Washington UniversityChicago State UniversityThe CitadelCUNY Baruch College

Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFlorida International UniversityFlorida State University SystemGallaudet UniversityGeorge Mason UniversityGeorgetown University Georgia Institute of TechnologyGeorgia State UniversityGuilford CollegeHamline UniversityHampshire CollegeHarvard UniversityIdaho State UniversityIllinois Institute of TechnologyIllinois State University Indiana State UniversityIndiana UniversityInstitute of Transpersonal

PsychologyIowa State UniversityJames Madison University Jefferson Medical College Kansas State UniversityKeio UniversityKennesaw State UniversityKent State UniversityKenyon CollegeLakehead UniversityLehigh UniversityLeiden UniversityLewis & Clark CollegeLouisiana State UniversityLoyola Marymount University Marquette UniversityMassachusetts Institute of

Rutgers UniversityRyerson UniversitySaginaw Valley State UniversitySaint Louis UniversitySanta Monica CollegeSavannah College of Art & DesignSchoolcraft College Seneca College Simon Fraser UniversitySmith CollegeSouth Texas CollegeSouthern Illinois UniversityStanford UniversitySUNY AlbanySUNY PurchaseSUNY Stony BrookSullivan UniversityTechnische Universität

Darmstadt Technische Universiteit DelftTennessee State UniversityTexas A&MTexas State University Texas Southern University Texas Tech UniversityTexas Woman's UniversityUnion CollegeUniversitat Autònoma de

BarcelonaUniversiteit GhentUniversity of AlabamaUniversity of Alberta University of Amsterdam

University of MassachusettsLowell

University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey

University of MemphisUniversity of MiamiUniversity of Michigan University of MinnesotaUniversity of MissouriUniversity of NebraskaUniversity of New BrunswickUniversity of New Mexico University of North Carolina:

Chapel HillUniversity of North FloridaUniversity of North TexasUniversity of OklahomaUniversity of Ottawa University of Paris 1 Pantheon-

SorbonneUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Puerto RicoUniversity of Rennes 1University of San FranciscoUniversity of South CarolinaUniversity of South FloridaUniversity of Southern MaineUniversity of TennesseeUniversity of TexasUniversity of ToledoUniversity of TorontoUniversity of TorontoUniversity of VictoriaUniversity of VirginiaUniversity of Washington

A Few Other Universities With an Ombuds Program

Fundamental Attributes of The Ombuds Office

Confidential

Independent

Neutral

Informal

Confidentiality

The Ombuds Office• Doesn’t keep records; and• Doesn’t reveal visitor information.

The Ombuds Office is not a mandated sexual harassment reporter.

Independence

The Ombuds Office reports as a part of the Chancellor’s office.

Ombuds and are not students or members of faculty.

Neutrality

The Ombuds Office does not• Take sides in a conflict; or• Impose a resolution.

However, the Ombuds Office may• Advocate for fair process; or• Report on systemic concerns or problems.

Informality

The Ombuds Office provides informal alternatives to formal remedies.

The Ombuds Office can help explain the formal remedies available, but will not participate in any formal processes.

Range of Ombuds’ Services

Listening Clarifying Informing Referring Coaching Facilitating Mediating

Outside the Ombuds’ Scope

Receiving formal complaints Assigning blame or culpability Deciding outcome of dispute Enforcing agreements Providing legal or psychological

advice

Conflict Do’s and Don’ts

DO learn the policies of the university and the practices of your department;

DON’T assume things will work the way they did at your last institution.

DO seek mentoring and counsel; DON’T always try to figure it out on

your own.

Conflict Do’s and Don’ts

DO set expectations early and share information often;

DON’T make others try to figure out how to work with you.

DO make agreements in advance; DON’T assume agreement on critical

issues will be easy after the fact.

Conflict Do’s and Don’ts

When a conflict is escalating, DOwait for parties to cool off;

DON’T try to resolve conflict in the heat of the moment.

Conflict Do’s and Don’ts

DO address your concerns to the other person directly;

DON’T immediately go over their head;

DON’T share your complaints widely; and

DON’T try to resolve a conflict by email.

Ombuds Case Example

A successful PI has two trusted staff members in her lab with an intractable dispute. The long-time Project Manager, who has overseen several projects, has developed a problem with a third-year Post Doc. The Post Doc has introduced some new techniques that have resolved issues that were holding up research on one of the PI’s largest grants.

Ombuds Case Example There have recently been some

blowups between the Project Manager and Post Doc. Although the PI hasn’t witnessed these, others in the lab have reported on the arguments. Other lab members have also commented that the Project Manager has been especially difficult to work with since his wife filed for divorce and his side business has picked up.

Ombuds Case Example

The Post Doc has now come to you seeking advice about the situation. She reveals that she is considering an offer from another lab.

Contact Info Main Office

Strathmore Building501 Westwood Plaza, Suite 105

CHS OfficeRoom 52-025

Call for an Appointment310-825-7627

Websitewww.Ombuds.UCLA.edu