As a mediator, are you curious about other fields that use conflict resolution skills? Are you looking for a field that combines a systemic approach with conflict resolution skills? In this episode, Chuck Doran--experienced mediator, ombuds and Executive Director of MWI--provides an introduction to the ombuds role.  Questions answered in this episode include:

• What is an ombuds?
• What are the different types of ombuds?
• What is the difference between a mediator and an ombuds?
• How can one get into the ombuds field?

Links mentioned in the show: International Ombuds Association FAQ SectionChuck's article: Mediator as OmbudsA Practical Guide to Organizational Ombuds: How They Help People and Organizations by Chuck HowardMWI WebsiteConnect with Chuck Doran on LinkedInThe LinkedIn Group – Outsourced Ombuds Network can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14059472/The Ombuds Blog About Chuck:Chuck Doran is an experienced mediator and ombuds specializing in the resolution of employment, franchise and other commercial disputes. A mediator since 1992, he is a member of the CPR Dispute Resolution Panel of Distinguished Neutrals and has provided mediation and other ADR services to a variety of clients including AT&T, Bose, BMW of North America, Coca-Cola, CVS Health, General Motors, Oxfam America, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), and the USPS REDRESS I and REDRESS II Mediation Panels. Chuck is a Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner (CO-OP) and a member of the International Ombudsman Association who completed ombuds training with the IOA in 1995. In 1993, Chuck completed a Specialization in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. In 1994, Chuck founded MWI, a nationally recognized dispute resolution service and training organization based in Boston, MA that provides individual and corporate clients with mediation services, negotiation consulting and training, and mediation training. Chuck served as a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution and was Chair of the Qualifications Subcommittee. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Advisory Group and is a past president of the Association for Conflict Resolution, New England Chapter. He is also a Distinguished Fellow with the International Academy of Mediators (IAM) and a past president of IAM's Board of Governors.