Workshops & Training

The Office of the University Ombuds offers a variety of no-cost training programs and workshops for the UC community. These programs are designed to enhance participants' understanding of conflict and their conflict management skills. Each program can be tailored to fit the group or department's individual needs. Additional related topics may be developed upon request. Schedule a time to explore your workshop needs on our Microsoft Bookings page. Here are some common presentations:

  • Ombuds Office 101: A presentation about the Office of the University Ombuds. What we do and how we can help you. 
  • Conflict Engagement Skills/ Tools: This survey session will provide a brief overview of several different ways to navigate conflict and guide participants through developing skills and applying techniques that can be supportive in difficult situations.  
  • Conflict Styles & Communication: Everyone has a conflict style, do you know yours? In this presentation, you will take an assessment that will show you your conflict style. We will discuss the strengths and challenge areas for each conflict style when it comes to communication.
  • The Art & science of Giving and Receiving Feedback:Giving and receiving feedback are among the most challenging conversations we have. In this interactive session, participants are invited to explore a structural framework to support these difficult conversations in all of their various capacities— Participants will have the opportunity to exercise several tangible techniques in real time to support skill-building for future applications.
  • Navigating Difficult Conversations: Difficult conversations are a common-- often integral-- component of an education environment. This session will provide participants an opportunity to explore and practice specific tools to support their desired outcomes in these interactions. Participants will critically assess if and how they choose to engage, identify an approach to initiate these difficult conversations, and apply multiple methods in support of productive engagement within these conversations. 
  • Setting & Responding to Boundaries: Conflict often arises when expectations are uncommunicated or unmet. In this session, participants will explore their personal boundaries, consider multiple approaches to clearly communicate those boundaries and navigate the boundaries of others. 
  • How to Be an Effective Team: Teamwork can be challenging. Learn what it takes to be an effective team and skills that help move groups through from destructive conflict to constructive conflict. 
  • Navigating Conflict in Teams: When individuals work together, conflict is bound to occur.  This session will explore the typical stages of team development and explore ways to navigate relationships with teammates amid conflict.
  • Civility in Workplace: How do expectations of workplace conduct impact the ability for conflict resolutions.
  • Exploring Hierarchy & Managing Power Differential: Power dynamics are an omni-present reality and rarely do we find the playing field to be perfectly level. Even within situations where there are significant positional differences, there are often unique levers to pull and untapped pockets of power we can use to navigate a given situation effectively. In this session, participants will explore multiple sources of power; evaluate how they hope to exercise power when they have it; and apply share several specific tools for navigating hierarchical situations from both high-and low-power positions. 
  • How to Work with Anyone-- Even Difficult People: Some behaviors are more difficult to work with than others, this workshop will provide one approach to considering how we can respond to particularly challenging behaviors and personalities. Based on the work of Amy Gallo, this session will share several common difficult person architypes as well as ways that individuals can respond to-- and navigate around-- those people.
  • Effective Self-Advocacy: Trying to get your message across but finding it difficult? One common experience of conflict is feeling unheard. This session will help participants clarify their message and develop a plan to convey that message to others.
  • Practicing Curiosity: One tool that can be particularly effective in navigating conflict is curiosity. This session with share why you may want to add curiosity to your conflict resolution toolbox and provide a structured opportunity to practicing the cultivation of curiosity.