In today’s diverse and dynamic work environments, fostering a culture of respect and civility is paramount. An organizational ombuds plays a crucial role in promoting workplace civility by providing a confidential, neutral, and informal resource for employees to voice concerns, resolve conflicts, and navigate challenges. The ombuds assists employees and managers in addressing workplace issues […]
How the Ombuds Promotes Civility Read More »
For two years in a row, Samantha was passed up for what she thought was a well-deserved promotion, while others with seemingly less experience and qualifications were moving ahead at her company. Samantha was confused and tried to speak to her manager about the situation, but she found the conversation unhelpful and even belittling. As
Your Business’ Best Kept Secret: The Ombuds Read More »
Last Friday, I introduced Harmony Circles to a packed room of Human Resource professionals from all across New York City. I had been invited to speak at the NYC-SHRM conference, to introduce some key concepts from the world of ADR (alternative dispute resolution), as they apply to business settings. ADR has been gaining attention and
What I Learned at NYC-SHRM Read More »
As a Conflict & Communication Consultant, I am often asked my opinion on the most important skills that a manager needs, in order to inspire and lead effectively. Since each individual company and team will have its own flavor and style, you might think it nearly impossible to come up with skills that hold across
The 3 Most Important Communication Skills for Business Leaders Read More »
I came upon the idea of Harmony Circles* by chance. I hadn’t expected Harmony Circles to take over my practice and become my passion-project. I thought it was just another hippie idea, the newest fad. But once I witnessed and experienced a few Circles, it was clear that there was no denying the fact: Harmony
The Magic of Harmony Circles Read More »
Kira Nurieli’s interview on Conflict Management for Human Resource professionals. Enjoy! Click here to follow the author on LinkedIn.
I recently attended a business networking event at which there was a palpable common thread: Nobody wanted to be there. I heard things like, “I hate networking events, but I figured I’d give it a shot,” and “I know this is how I’m supposed to market myself, so it’s a necessary evil.” One woman was
The Secret to Networking (That Gets Results!) Read More »
In high school, I had a fantastic chemistry teacher, Mrs. B, who was driven to inspire us with a love of learning. We were a crowd of honors students, and she seemed to bare her soul to us, through her passion for chemistry. In her commitment to challenge us in our scientific growth, she served
What My Chemistry Teacher Taught Me About Conflict Read More »
We face many decisions, challenges, and problems every day. From choosing our clothes, to our deadlines, to our children’s meals, we have to make myriad decisions in our lives. Most of these decisions (nay, all of them, if you ask an anthropologist) are driven by, informed by, and/or affect those around us. We have to
How to (un)solve problems Read More »
A friend in human resources recently shared with me that the toughest part of her new job is when she has to fire/let go of an employee. She can handle long-hours, neurotic personalities, and even an angry or belittling comment, but being the “bad guy” and bearer of bad-news feels jarringly wrong. Unfortunately, this is
Handling Difficult Conversations Read More »
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Kimberly Jackson Davidson is currently the University Ombudsperson at George Mason University and member of the Harmony Strategies Group. She spent two decades at Oberlin College in Ohio, holding positions in the Office of the Dean of Students and as Visiting Lecturer in African American Studies. During her final five and a half years there, she served all campus constituencies as Ombudsperson and Director of the Yeworkwha Belachew Center for Dialogue (YBCD). Davidson is active within the International Ombuds Association (IOA), the California Caucus of College and University Ombuds (CCCUO), and the Ombuds Section of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR). She earned a B.A. in English Literature from Spelman College in 1986 and an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in African Literature in 1991.
Hector Escalante is an experienced Ombuds and learning and development professional with over seven years of ombuds experience and over twenty years of experience developing and teaching course offerings which promote inclusion, healthy communication, and conflict resolution. He is the Director of the Ombuds Office at the University of California, Merced, having served many years as the organizational ombuds at the University of the Pacific. He is an ombuds partner with Harmony Strategies Group, and a consulting ombuds for Earthjustice and Union of Concerned Scientists. Hector holds two master’s degrees and a doctorate in education. He is a United States Marine Corps veteran, a husband and father to four children. Hector’s passions include treating all with fairness, equity, dignity, and compassion and good food.
Kira Nurieli is the CEO of the Harmony Strategies Group and is an expert mediator, conflict coach, trainer/facilitator, consultant, and restorative practices facilitator. She has spent upwards of twenty years helping clients handle conflict and improve communication strategies and has presented at numerous conferences and symposia as a subject matter expert. She holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Performance from Barnard College. She especially enjoys helping individuals, teams, and lay-leaders become more impactful and empowered in their work and is honored to work alongside her esteemed colleagues with the Harmony Strategies Group.
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Drop us a line for a FREE 15 minute consultation to help you handle your conflict or challenge!
Glad to help you out – please fill in the form below, so we can get started!
