Welcome back – we here in the Ombuds Office hope you had a restorative winter break!
Thank you for signing up for our monthly Ombuds Events email announcements. If you no longer wish to receive our emails, simply reply with unsubscribe or STOP.

Ombuds is proud to offer a 2024 spring event schedule of communication & conflict management professional development opportunities! View the Ombuds Events Google calendar.

Registration is now open for all Spring 2024 Ombuds educational programming! SIGN UP NOW to reserve a seat and, please, pass this info along to your colleagues, students, and/or supervisors.

Upcoming Ombuds Open Enrollment Events

 Also remember, any Knoxville-affiliated unit or group can request ANY Ombuds workshop or session to be offered specifically at your unit or group’s preferred time & location!

Questions? Contact ombudsed@utk.edu.

Office of Ombuds Services – Education & Outreach

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
ombudsed@utk.edu   |  865-974-6273  | Ombuds.utk.edu

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January 2024 Ombuds Workshop & Info Session Descriptions:

Getting Unstuck: Intro to Ombuds Services
What IS an ombuds and how can they help me “get unstuck” with challenges and conflicts I face at UT?
The Office of Ombuds Services helps to empower graduate students, staff, and faculty to navigate challenges related to their experiences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In this interactive session, participants will be introduced to a range of free services from the Office of Ombuds Services, our perspectives on conflict as a tool for innovation, and our key approaches to navigating challenging situations. No challenge too small or too big – we are here to help!

This presentation will also include scenarios of typical challenges brought to the Ombuds, the standards & ethics we follow, and how to access our consultation, mediation, and educational services. 15 minutes reserved for Q&A in this session.

Communicating More Assertively – (offered via UT HR LOD’s New Leaders Academy)
Struggling with how to effectively assert your needs, opinions, and boundaries? Worried you’ll sound rude? Or maybe not be firm or clear enough? Don’t know how to say “this is not OK with me” or feel guilty when you do?

During this virtual session you will:

• Explore a continuum of communication styles.
• Discuss the benefits of assertive communication.
• Examine common barriers to communicating assertively.
• Practice specific verbal and non-verbal strategies for communicating clearly, respectfully, and assertively.

Our goal is to empower you to honestly communicate what you think, feel, and want in a way that honors dignity and contributes to psychological safety. This interactive workshop includes self-reflection, breakout discussion, and action planning activities.

Giving Feedback Well: Creating Safe Dialogue
Are you frustrated with, or challenged by, giving feedback in the workplace? Do you wish for more engagement in workplace feedback conversations? Looking for strategies you can use to support others’ growth and career success? We can help!

In this 90-minute virtual session, you will examine the complexity and risks – to all parties- in giving workplace feedback. Framing feedback discussions as a dialogue with both parties giving and receiving, we will discuss your role in building trust and a sense of safety for receivers. We will examine effective communication strategies within these dialogues, including: clarifying purpose, focusing on facts vs stories, seeking first to understand, communicating intent, and common pitfalls in communication. Participants will practice strategies for starting a safe and constructive feedback conversation and create a plan for improving their workplace feedback experiences. This interactive workshop includes self-reflection, breakout discussion, and action planning activities.

Receiving Feedback Well: Communicating Your Response (in partnership with UT HR Career Development)
Do you find receiving workplace feedback a challenging experience? Are you comfortable requesting and holding feedback dialogues? What strategies do you use to advocate for your career goals and needs? If receiving feedback is unpleasant, frustrating, or simply missing in your workplace experiences, you are not alone!

Join us for a 90-minute virtual session where we will discuss the receiver’s role in fostering constructive feedback experiences. During this session you will:

• Examine your current reactions and responses in different types of feedback situations.
• Learn strategies for engaging in constructive feedback dialogue to strengthen relationships, improve performance, and foster personal growth.
• Make a plan to advocate for your professional goals as part of feedback dialogue.

Topics include: fostering a growth mindset, managing emotions, setting SMART goals, and planning for regular feedback dialogue. This interactive workshop includes self-reflection, breakout discussion, and action planning activities.

Working together on Psychological Safety: Discussions on Belonging
Have you ever felt afraid to speak up or share your ideas for fear of repercussions or causing conflict? Do you feel uncomfortable expressing or being yourself in the workplace? Are you concerned about staff or peers who have expressed similar concerns? You are not alone!

In this virtual session, you will discuss the importance of psychological safety in open and honest workplace communication, take steps to self-assess your own psych safety needs, and learn strategies to engage in respectful dialogue with peers about increasing psych safety in the workplace. Topics include: workplace culture, belonging, interpersonal risk-taking, compassionate dialogue, and the effects of increased psychological safety on workplace effectiveness and innovation. This interactive workshop includes self-reflection, breakout discussion, and action planning activities.