B. Resources: Demystifying Distress
These resources were all presented for free at a Demystifying Distress program co-sponsored by Mediate.com, the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR), the Academy for Professional Family Mediators (APFM), the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM), and the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR). We engaged over 500 registrants to share tools that help dispute resolvers anticipate distress, create bias-resistant behavior boundaries, overcome avoidance, and practice self-care. A recording is available at https://mediate.com/demystifying-distress and the extensive takeaway tools at https://bit.ly/DemystifyingDistress.
Below are three additional takeaways designed specifically to help ombuds use trauma-informed approaches with parties in distress.
C. Ombuds Takeaway 1: Remember Your Lens is Different Than the Parties'
In their 2010 Journal of the International Ombudsman Association article, "Cases Involving Allegations of Workplace Bullying: Threats to Ombuds Neutrality and Other Challenges," Tom Sebok and Mary Chavez provide a story of an ombuds experiencing great distress and potential bias when someone alleges workplace bullying. They suggest bias mitigation techniques and ways to clarify the ombuds role, communicate neutrality, and advocate for a process rather than an individual. This type of communication should begin by remembering the vast asymmetry between the ombuds and the party. There are concepts that may resonate more closely with an ombudsperson because they have more experience in the organization, a better understanding what the policies are, and an awareness of the practical realities of how cases are handled. Parties do not have this bigger picture perspective, leaving them with more confusion and distress. They may have questions about things that seem straightforward. Ombuds should remember that perspective gap and be patient when orienting the parties.
D. Ombuds Takeaway 2: Be Transparent and Consistent
In "Towards Therapeutic Complaints Resolution" (Chapter 12 of The Ombudsman in the Modern State), Jane Williams, Chris Gill, and Carolyn Hirst detail a trauma-informed approach for complaints resolution. A key aspect of trauma-informed principles is to be transparent with parties so they can have their bearings. This is crucial for ombuds offices because so many parties do not understand what the role of an ombuds is, how it may vary in different organizations, or how they tangibly operationalize important principles like confidentiality or neutrality. Ombuds should evolve flexible, understandable, and accessible ways to routinely explain all of these things to reduce distress for everyone involved.
E. Ombuds Takeaway 3: Develop Clear Boundaries for Challenging Behaviors
There are many resources to help dispute resolution professionals deal with so-called "difficult people," but research has also shown that our unconscious biases lead us to perceive some people as more difficult than others (even based on biases linked to particular diversity groups such as inappropriate, negative impressions of assertive women). Instead of writing people off, we can develop consistent boundaries for specific challenging behaviors like monopolization of time, persistence on an off-limits topic, rude or offensive comments, and other disruptive behaviors. I recently co-authored a Journal of Dispute Resolution article with resources on this topic, called Ending the Epidemic of Accidental Personality Disorder Discrimination by Well-Meaning Mediator It helps make the shift from seeing people as "toxic" or "narcissists" because of their perceived mental health differences, and toward responding to behaviors instead. This behavior focus is a shift ombuds should be making to develop more effective boundaries.
F. Conclusion: Anticipating Distress
Conflicts are inherently stressful, even for the ombudsperson tasked with providing informal support throughout. Visit https://bit.ly/DemystifyingDistress for tools to overcome some of these challenges to be accessible with parties while setting consistent, trauma-informed boundaries.