Dealing with troublesome coworkers or a difficult boss is tough.  Let me give you 8 suggestions you can put to good use right now to disarm a bully. 1.  Be prepared- ensure the your communication,EQ and negotiation skills are up to date. This means you’ll have the mindset and skills to get a positive outcome.  2.  Listen- Listening well is an art and skill. Listen to what’s said and also what isn’t expressed. Think about why the speaker chose certain ...

Sue them! That’s typically the advice given by family and friends who hear you talk about the bullying and mistreatment you get at work. Does that sound familiar? It’s heart-felt advice from people who love and want to protect you from harm.  But, it’s not the best first solution.  New clients sometimes select me because hope legal analysis comes with the Ombuds work (for the record, I don’t give legal advice). Should I take legal action comes up in the ...

You are a house. 🏡 Let’s imagine what that looks like. There’s the sidewalk in front of your lawn. Then, the stairs that lead to your porch where your front door stands. All of this exists outside of your house. Inside, is your foyer, the space before you enter the home. The living room, a public space, is next followed by the dining room. Your kitchen, the heart of your home, is in the back. Sometimes it’s enclosed and private, other times the kitchen is open and public. ...

I love the idea of creating more safe spaces for Black women. We do have to protect ourselves. Over my three decades of service as an Ombuds, I realized that more Black women who were exhausted from the struggle are visiting me for comfort, support and strategies to move forward. I strongly believe that most businesses should provide an Ombuds for their employees and I’m working to develop more programs. But that’s gonna a a minute and people are suffering now. Very shortly, I will ...

Nobody likes micromanaging or being condescended to, but you don't have to get angry. Get conflict ready instead!

Three reasons why bringing Ombuds programs to middle market private equity firms that favor organic growth is critical right now:   Post-merger integration, organic growth and Boomers. Cultural Fit Up to 90% of mergers fail and many because of cultural incompatibility.  Private markets struggle with how to assess and manage culture. Post merger, Ombuds encourage collaboration, communication and understanding by assisting both the acquirer team and target team to recognize the ...

What does a neuroscientist have to say about stress impacts organizational wellbeing that you haven't heard?

The chief people officer said, ‘we have that already’.  Recently, I spoke with an entertainment company about installing an Ombuds program. As I shared the Ombuds role, the chief people officer stopped me.  He said, we already have that. Curious, I asked a few more questions.  While the concept of an organizational Ombuds has been around since the 1960’s,very few companies today know what an Ombuds is, much less, invest in this valuable organizational wellbeing ...

We can probably all agree about the challenged faced during the post-merger integration period. But did you know there's a new approach for working through culture issues.

How will the draft guidelines impact you?If you have an acquisition growth strategy, this new approach and focus on approving mergers and acquisitions may slow you down.What can you do?Be much more intentional about post merger culture compatibility issues. Why?With a fully engaged, trusting and drama-free workforce, you actually get the deal value and synergies you wanted.An Ombuds program helps you achieve that and more retention. Read the article