For confidential advisor Katja Laumans-Bakers, this interview feels a little unusual. ‘Normally, at my job, I function mostly in the background and am the listening ear. In this interview, I mostly talk,’ she confesses. Still, she feels it is important to also have a more active role to play, by, for example, giving presentations and now an interview, to explain the added value of a confidential advisor and remove possible barriers. 'Often, staff and students think that they can only turn to a confidential advisor when a situation escalates. That is a misunderstanding: we can do a lot in the stages before that, to prevent escalation. Because when a situation escalates and formal procedures start, more and more people get involved and, as a student or employee, you might lose control. A conversation with a confidential advisor in advance can therefore help to stay in control.'
Most important pillar
Your own self-direction is the main pillar which contact with a confidential advisor builds on. ‘A confidential advisor is an independent discussion partner who knows the university well and who is detached from your problem and your study or work environment,’ Katja explains. 'As a student or employee, during a conversation with a confidential advisor you are given all the space you need to tell your story. The confidant listens to understand your point of view, without judgement. As soon as you have told your complete story, the confidential advisor examines with you what possible steps you could take yourself. You will discuss all options separately, paying attention to the pros and cons in your situation'.
According to Katja, exploring options together is very valuable. ‘It helps you to make a good consideration,’ she clarifies. 'With those insights, you can make a conscious choice and decide whether you want to take a follow-up step at all. And if so, which one? Ultimately, you can also choose to do nothing. At least, nothing that is visible to those around you. Simply talking about the situation, how you deal with it and the effect it has on you and others, can already help you feel and behave differently in your study or workplace in the future. As confidential advisors, we often notice that employees and students already feel relieved simply because someone is listening to them, someone who is there solely for them at that moment. The power of conversation should not be underestimated.'
Confidential and informal
Katja also stresses that all contact with a confidential advisor is strictly confidential. 'Nothing you tell is recorded. Even the fact that you have seen a confidential advisor is confidential. Did your manager refer you to a confidential advisor? They cannot find out whether you followed that advice. Such a conversation is therefore not a formal step with consequences: as confidential advisors, we are here for only you. The talks are informal. Afterwards, you decide for yourself whether it's just one conversation or you would like a follow-up.
This choice is also part of self-direction, Katja explains. 'It may be that you have new information after the conversation with the confidential advisor, which makes you realise why you keep getting stuck in your contact with a fellow student, manager or colleague. Based on this, you can choose to start the conversation with the person in question yourself. The confidential advisor can help you prepare for that conversation. And if you feel more comfortable, the confidential advisor can also join that conversation to support you.'
Such a conversation is not a formal step with consequences: as confidential advisors, we are here for only you.
Yet, Katja regularly hears that staff or students saw barriers beforehand taking the step to a confidential advisor. This is due to thoughts such as ‘Is my problem important enough?’, ‘Nothing will ever change anyway’, but also to the unjustified belief that approaching a confidential advisor is immediately a big, formal step. ‘That's a shame,’ Katja believes. 'Because if you suffer from undesirable behaviour or suspect integrity violations at work, that is reason enough to come and talk to us. Undesirable behaviour can start small with, for example, a joke about a colleague, but eventually, due to time and frequency, even become transgressive, think about bullying or gossiping. So, even if you have doubts: please come to us. If you do nothing, both you and possibly others will remain trapped in a socially unsafe atmosphere.'
‘Of course, after a conversation with a confidential advisor, you can choose to take more formal steps, for instance requesting mediation or filing a formal complaint,’ Katja continues. 'Usually by then, the situation has run high. The confidential advisor can then stand beside you to support you in these formal procedures. But there are plenty of examples of staff and students who have taken steps after contacting a confidential advisor to come to a mutual agreement with the other person. Not everyone is aware of their own behaviour and actions. Having a conversation in which you share how their behaviour affects you can be incredibly valuable. It helps the other person become aware of the impact of their actions and gives them the opportunity to change. Such a conversation can also have a power that should not be underestimated. For us as confidential advisors, it is encouraging to hear afterwards that students and staff have managed to improve the situation for themselves in this way. It shows that reaching out to us in time can always help. Because with a single conversation, you're already setting change in motion.'
Are you a student, employee or PhD student suffering from undesirable behaviour or have concerns about (scientific) integrity? Find out how to request an interview with the Team Confidential Advisors
