Getting Our Ombuds Message Out: How We Align with Business Needs, Target Audiences and Track Progress

Course Description

We all look for new ideas to keep our programs front and center in our constituents’ minds, and remain relevant, fresh, and “part of the conversation” to help resolve workplace issues. And, how do we decide what programs, communications, and tools to pursue, and what to leave behind: The “Start, Stop, Continue” of our efforts? Do we need an annual report? Should we launch a new training? How about social media and different communications platforms? Expand the reach of the office? And what can we realistically take on, given current resources?

Come learn, share and discuss one example of how to decide WHAT to pursue given your overall strategy, business conditions and plans, resources, timing, etc. Learn about Chevron’s process and the discipline we use to prioritize our outreach efforts to stakeholder groups, and then systematically address each group with various types of tools. One of the keys is to consciously and rigorously each year identify target audiences and adapt, given resource availability (our time, our people, our dollars).
We would like this to be very interactive, so come prepared to address what your organization does in its process to decide what your Ombuds Office will do each year, and for multiple years.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify one model for aligning with vision, and strategic and business plans
2. Select and prioritize critical audiences and how to target them
3. Describe how to track progress against plans

Biographies

Eric Mayo earned his Bachelor’s degree in International Business and Government from the University of Texas, Austin and a MSW degree from the University of Houston. He did additional graduate work in France and Spain. Before coming to Chevron, Eric had a ten-year career in International Banking in Houston, covering Latin America, Canada and the Caribbean. Then he was the principal and CEO of Mayco Consultants in Houston for eight years, focusing on strategy, international business, marketing, and customer perception studies for oil and gas, financial, healthcare and legal industries.

He joined Chevron in 1998 in Houston as an OD consultant, with a specialty in change management. Eric has had assignments in Houston, San Ramon, CA. and London working in Human Resources for project and change management, consulting, leader development, and organization performance. He became an internal Ombudsman, helping employees resolve workplace conflicts, in 2012.

Eric is learning more about his Cherokee ancestry and working with native elders to participate with all creation.