DEALING WITH A
DIFFICULT PROBLEM
There is no magic formula for resolving a difficult problem.
The suggestions provided below may help you get a sense of the nature of a problem and
provide a systematic basis for resolving it. Remember that the Ombudspersons are here to
help you with difficult situations. You should never hesitate to contact us.
Consider the following suggestions when working through a
problem. Once again, we are grateful to the University of Michigan Ombuds Office for many
of these suggestions:
1. Always try to solve a problem informally first. Many
disputes can be resolved through informal discussions, and this avoids stressful,
time-consuming, and adversarial official University procedures. Moreover, many (but not
all) official University dispute resolution policies require such attempts.
2. Focus on the problem, not the person. Be hard on the
problem and soft on the person. You will have greater success if you see the person as a
potential partner or resource who can help you solve the problem.
3. Be assertive, but be courteous. Civil and respectful
behavior goes a long way toward enlisting someone's cooperation in achieving your goal and
solving the problem.
4. Focus on the immediate problem. If you are appealing a
grade, this is not the time to raise all of your complaints about how the class was
organized or managed. You may raise those concerns in a different forum (such as your SPOT
form) or at a later time.
5. Prepare for your meeting. Know what you hope to achieve in
any meeting that deals with a problem. Do you want a new policy or procedure instituted?
Are you seeking an exception to an existing policy? Do you want someone's behavior to
change? If you don't know what you want, you might not get it. Also,
remember that the approach you take to deal with a problem may differ depending upon the
nature of the problem and what you wish to achieve.
6. Put yourself in the other person's shoes. Anticipate and
consider other points of view. Most people truly want to be fair. If you understand the
other person's perspective, you may discover a way to achieve outcomes that serve both
your interests.
7. If you do not feel comfortable talking with someone in
person, send a letter explaining how you feel and what alternatives you think are
appropriate. Enumerate each point you would like addressed, and ask for a written response
to each point. If you forget an item or want to add something later, send an addendum.
8. Be specific. When you make a complaint, list your concerns
and ask for a response to each concern. This will help to facilitate an appropriate and
complete response.
9. Watch your language. Your tone of voice and what you say
can work against you if you blame the other person or make that person feel defensive or
hostile. Focus on the results of an action and how you've been affected, not on your
assumptions about the motivations or intent of the other person. For example, students
concerned about a grade might say: "I do not understand how you arrived at my grade;
I believe I met the criteria outlined for a "B" for the following reasons . . .
" This is more tactful (and effective) than saying: "You graded me
unfairly." The first response states your concern and offers evidence to support your
position; the second may be seen as whining or as an attack on the professor. This may end
your conversation rather than lead to the conclusion you seek.
10. Give people time to consider the issues you raise. Do not
always press for an immediate response. Writing letters is one way to accomplish this. Let
the other person know that you will contact them if you do not hear back by a certain
date. Check back with people even if they deny your request at first. If given time to
think, they may change their minds.
11. Give yourself time to think about options presented. If
you're inclined to use e-mail, do not send the message right away. Save it and send it
after you've had a chance to consider the issue and check the message for tone. E-mail
messages are often misinterpreted because they seem terse. You have to be careful what you
e-mail to someone else. You should view it as a form of formal written correspondence.
12. Do not send anything over e-mail that you wouldn't want
repeated or "on the record." If you are involved with an issue of a confidential
or sensitive nature, do not use e-mail at all.
13. Keep your options open and do not burn bridges. Turn in
papers, projects, or other course requirements on time even if an instructor says they
will not be accepted. Turn them in to the department chair, if necessary, to show that you
are fulfilling your obligations. If there is a question about whether or not you ought to
be attending a class, keep attending until the matter is resolved.
14. Be creative and open to compromises. When two parties
have opposing points of view and nothing else has worked, the best solution may be a
compromise.
15. When it appears that someone has made a mistake in good
faith, let him or her save face; give the person room to find a graceful way out.
16. Keep a log (date, time, place, person, matter discussed)
of anything that happens that is related to your complaint or problem.
17. If you believe that your concern may not be resolved in a
satisfactory manner, talk to someone in the Office of the Ombudsperson.
18. Follow the organizational hierarchy. If you have a
problem with a person or unit, first go to that person or unit to resolve it. Writing
letters to the Regents or to the University President prior to working your way through
the organizational hierarchy does not ordinarily speed up the resolution of the problem.
19. Find others who feel the same way you do about a
situation; this often adds credence to your complaint. When working with a group, however,
use extra caution so as not to put the person you are complaining to on the defensive.
20. Pick an appropriate time to talk. Talking with an
instructor in a crowded hallway after class or when you know a person is under pressure
may not be the best time to resolve a problem or discuss a sensitive matter.
21. If you are only seeking information, do not wish to
pursue a complaint, or want a conversation to be confidential, state this initially so
there are no misunderstandings.
22. Resist the temptation to seek revenge. When someone
involved in a disagreement decides to "teach the other person a lesson," it
becomes very difficult to forge a quick and satisfactory resolution.
