Thinking About An Organizational Ombuds? Here’s How To Get The Most Out Of Your Resource

By Chuck Doran, MWI’s Executive Director

Rolling out an organizational ombuds resource doesn’t happen overnight, nor should it. Once you decide to bring in an ombuds resource, its impact and effectiveness will be determined by the support it receives from leadership. My team and I have helped dozens of organizations design, implement and support successful ombuds programs. This article distills many of the key lessons I’ve learned about how leaders can get the most out of their organizational ombuds resource.

Build Collaborative Relationships With Formal Channels

When an organization announces that it is bringing in an ombuds resource, it is not uncommon for formal channels (such as HR, Legal, Employee Relations and Compliance) to view the ombuds as an unwelcome reviewer of their work. Understandably, they may distrust the ombuds’ confidential nature or its potential to misinterpret their important work.

However, there is an opportunity for an ombuds resource to support and enhance the work of formal channels. I’ve found that organizations often benefit when formal and informal resources collaborate, given their complementary roles. Leadership can also benefit when formal channel heads meet with the ombuds early and often, by forming collaborative relationships and leveraging insights to help formal channels address challenges. Collaborative efforts can include introductory meetings with key channels, role-clarification discussions and ongoing follow-up meetings.

Find The Right Institutional Home

Where an ombuds is positioned in relation to the organization should reflect their independence and support from leadership. Avoid placing an ombuds resource under the umbrella of a single department such as Human Resources, Compliance or Legal. Doing so could compromise the resource’s impartiality, informality and independence.

The ombuds resource should have access to top leadership, which I’ve found can reassure hesitant employees with highly sensitive issues that their concerns will reach those who can take action. Best practice is to have the ombuds report to the highest authority possible within the organization, such as the CEO, president or board, which will complement the ombuds’ working relationship with formal channels.

Adopt An Ombuds Charter

A key element that drives the effectiveness of an ombuds resource is confidentiality—ombuds do not reveal the identity of their visitors (unless the visitor gives them permission or the ombuds concludes that maintaining confidentiality might lead to harm). This understandably raises concerns about liability, notice and risk for many leaders. The best way to address these concerns is to adopt an ombuds charter, which clarifies the scope and principles of the ombuds resource.

An ombuds charter defines what the ombuds resource is and isn’t. It should be approved by executive leadership, be widely distributed and clearly posted on the ombuds resource’s website. Beyond its legal protections, a charter represents your organization’s commitment to the unique principles and benefits that the ombuds resource provides. While a charter provides critical clarity and protection, its impact is strongest when paired with ongoing alignment and support from leadership to reinforce the resource’s independence and purpose.

Spread The Word

Employees won’t utilize a resource they don’t know exists. Supporting a robust communication plan to build awareness about what the ombuds is and how it works may help your organization get the most out of your ombuds resource. Some leaders assume that if more people use the ombuds resource, it’s a bad sign. In my experience, the opposite is true—organizations benefit when employees share concerns with the ombuds, as leadership will have the necessary information to address and resolve problems within their organization.

Ombuds do more than help people raise concerns up the chain. They serve as a strategic resource and a sounding board to help individuals at all levels of the organization manage conflict effectively, foster innovation and build stronger relationships. Ask your ombuds to help articulate the benefits of the ombuds resource to key leaders and stakeholders, and address any questions or concerns they may have. Your leadership team will be an important ally as you implement a plan to educate employees about when, how and why to utilize the ombuds resource.

View Feedback As An Advantage

In addition to supporting employees, ombuds should provide anonymized summaries of themes to leadership. In my experience, four out of five of these summaries focus on what’s not working at the organization. These are often difficult for leaders to hear, particularly when the sources are anonymous. Leaders who view complaints as opportunities and as clues for how their organization might improve can open up more channels for employees to share important information.

I encourage leaders to stress-test feedback from an ombuds by comparing it with other sources, such as employee surveys, exit interviews and HR metrics. Ask questions and try and avoid the instinct to dismiss unfavorable feedback. A qualified ombuds resource should support the organization by helping you find solutions to challenges.

Demonstrate Your Support

As a leader, your buy-in drives everyone’s buy-in. Leaders can get more out of their ombuds when they promote the resource, discuss its value and demonstrate how employees’ engagement with the ombuds resource has driven change. For instance, when launching an ombuds resource, craft messages that explain what the ombuds resource is and why you support it. I’ve found this can increase the likelihood that employees will engage with the ombuds and the organization will get the most out of their resource.

Remember that an ombuds resource is there to help you meet your leadership goals: to grow a healthy and productive workforce, find innovative solutions to challenges and thrive as an organization. Understanding and supporting the unique benefits of this resource is key to getting the most out of your organizational ombuds.

Chuck Doran is an experienced organizational ombuds, mediator, and dispute resolution trainer. Chuck is a Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner (CO-OP^®) and a member of the International Ombuds Association who completed ombuds training with the IOA in 1995. Chuck has served as an organizational ombuds for companies, universities, and other organizations since 1997. A mediator since 1992, he is a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and the CPR Dispute Resolution Panel of Distinguished Neutrals. Chuck is also a Distinguished Fellow with the International Academy of Mediators (IAM) and a past president of IAM’s Board of Governors. (cdoran@mwi.org)

This article was originally published by Forbes Business Council on January 23, 2026, and is reprinted here with permission.