Whether you are an executive looking for the fuller picture, a compliance leader, a manager tackling a difficult issue, or an employee unsure of how to raise a concern, this podcast is your invitation to help build a workplace where everyone feels safe to share their perspectives and bring their best selves to work.
Chuck Howard is widely recognized as the leading legal authority on ombuds confidentiality in the United States. His introduction to the profession began in 1990, when he was retained as independent counsel for a multinational corporation’s ombudsman office in a federal court case with almost no precedent to draw on. He won, asserting an ombuds confidentiality privilege grounded in Federal Rule of Evidence 501 and an implied contract of confidentiality, and that case became a seminal one for the profession.
That win led to decades representing ombuds clients and organizations across the country and internationally, defending litigation and helping build ombuds offices from the ground up. Chuck eventually became the inaugural Executive Director of the International Ombudsman Association, helping shape the standards the profession still relies on today. He’s also the author of two leading books on organizational ombuds, published by the American Bar Association, drawn from his experience advising programs at every level, including building one himself as general counsel of a large Connecticut law firm.
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Key Takeaways:
- Early in his career, Chuck caught a partner in malpractice and had no confidential place to raise it, so he simply wrote a memo and locked it in his desk, a moment that later shaped his lifelong case for ombuds programs.
- Individuals may only need an ombuds once or twice in a career, but that one moment can determine whether they stay or leave an organization entirely.
- Retaliation isn’t always direct. Chuck describes “under the radar” and “ripple” retaliation as quieter forces that keep people from speaking up.
- Ombuds are separated from formal channels like HR, compliance, and hotlines by having no managerial authority and no duty to report, which is what makes people trust them enough to talk.
- Ombuds programs aren’t just for junior employees. Chuck has seen CEOs, general counsel, and senior leaders use them, and middle managers are often the most vulnerable group of all.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
01:07 – Katherine introduces Chuck Howard
03:44 – Chuck’s origin story: catching a partner in malpractice
07:58 – Setting up an ombuds program at his own law firm
12:01 – The travel and expense reports story
14:48 – Ombuds vs. formal channels like HR and hotlines
18:37 – Confidentiality and internal vs. external ombuds roles
21:21 – Why the charter is what protects confidentiality
24:33 – Building trust through an ombuds program
28:06 – Ombuds isn’t just for junior employees
29:45 – Chuck’s advice for leaders
33:03 – Chuck’s one tool for staying calm: hiking and blacksmithing
36:52 – Outro
Sana Manjeshwar
What if the hardest conversations at work were the key to building trust, retaining talent, reducing risk, and creating a culture where people want to stay?
Spoken in Confidence with Sana Manjeshwar is a podcast for executives, HR leaders, compliance professionals, legal teams, managers, and workplace decision-makers who want to navigate conflict with more clarity, confidence, and care.
Hosted by Sana Manjeshwar, a former HR leader, employment lawyer, and organizational ombudsman, this podcast explores workplace conflict, conflict intelligence, psychological safety, speaking up, leadership accountability, employee trust, compliance, and healthier workplace cultures.
Each episode features real stories, practical tools, and honest conversations with leaders who chose to handle conflict differently. Listeners will gain insight into how high-performing organizations surface concerns early, build safer channels for employee voice, reduce costly turnover, and strengthen trust across teams.
Follow Spoken in Confidence and learn how today’s leaders can turn conflict into a strategic advantage while creating workplaces where people feel safe to share, stay, and do their best work.