Ombuds Self Help Resources

Articles & tools to develop your own skills

Behavior

• 5 Keys of Dealing with Workplace Conflict by Mike Myatt
• All Behavior Makes Sense by Trime Persinger
• How Leaders Listen interview with Ronald Heifetz
• Why Can’t We All Just Get Along? by Douglas E. Noll, Esq.

Communication

• Becoming A Fair Fighter: Healthy Resolution of Interpersonal Relationships by Tom Rohrer
• A Credo for Facilitators by Peter Adler
• Rediscovering the Lost Art of Verbal Conversation and Decreasing Your Legal Liability (doc) by Bob Gregg
• Saying No to Demands by William Ury
• The Top 10 Barriers to Dispute Resolution by Joe Epstein and Susan Epstein
• We Have to Talk: A Step-By-Step Checklist for Difficult Conversations by Judy Ringer
• The Value of Listening by Douglas E. Noll, Esq. 
• Guidelines for Interpersonal Communication from the Ombuds Office at Harvard Medical School. The article provides effective techniques to improve interpersonal interactions.
• Crucial Conversations via E-mail? by Ron McMillian. The article advocates who you should never hold a crucial conversation via email.
• How to Fix A Family Feud by Al Switzler. Communication tips on how you change a judgemental communication patter.
• When You're Under Attack by Emily Moss. What do you do when someone has an attacking style of communication?

Conflict resolution

• Communicating Effectively During Conflict by Lynne Eisaguirre 
• Calming Techniques by John Ford 
• Redefining Conflict Management Systems Options by Blaine Donais 
• Complexity Science Analysis of Conflict by Deborah Sword
• The Six R’s For Changing Minds And Overcoming Resistance by Charles B. Parselle
• The Use and Misuse of a Competing Style in Conflict Management by Dale Eilerman
• Once Upon A Conflict: The Journey from Confrontation to Collaboration by Gary Harper
• The Top 10 Tips on Managing Conflict, Emotional Tension and Anger by Clare Albright 
• Courageous Communication by Trime Persinger
• Ten Things You Can Control In A Workplace Conflict by Vivian Scott

Mediation

• Ten Tips For Managing Conflicts (And Not Needing A Mediator) by Nigel Singer
• The Use and Misuse of an Avoiding Style in Conflict Management by Dale Eilerman
• What Is Mediation and How Does It Fit Into the Workplace? by Tim Hicks
• Preparing For Your Mediation by Tom Sebok
• Calm Upset People with Empathy, Attention and Respect by Bill Eddy

Tools

• VitalSmarts provides free web seminars and other resources in communication, for example "Crucial Conversations" and "Crucial Confrontations" along with other topics in general management.

Workplace relationships

• Can We Call a Truce? Ten Tips for Negotiating Workplace Conflicts by Jeffrey Krivis
• Improving Work Relationships by Managed Health Network, Inc.
• Guidelines for Interpersonal Communication by Linda Wilcox, Harvard University
• How To Handle Difficult Behavior In The Workplace by Tony Belak