Grievance Policy

ZLMC GRIEVANCE POLICY 

The Zen Life & Meditation Center, Chicago (ZLMC) Board of Directors receives all complaints about any person at ZLMC. A complaint must be in writing. It may be sent to any officer of the ZLMC board of directors who will then bring it to the full board. The board will appoint when needed, an ad hoc Wisdom Circle to clarify the nature of the complaint and to recommend an appropriate response.  

The purpose of an Ad Hoc Wisdom Circle is to help the board facilitate the resolution or dissolution of disagreements, complaints, or grievances. Wisdom Circle members will also consider all issues that require action and proceed in accord with the Zen Center’s Grievance Procedure.  

The Board/Wisdom Circle will vet the complaint and one or more persons from that circle will listen, help to assess and discern the situation and explore various ways to address it. In all situations, privacy and confidentiality will be a priority, however, the Board/Wisdom Circle may need to speak to other party(s) involved and consult with other ZLMC members. A good faith effort to respond within fourteen calendar days from the date initially contacted by the complainant will be made.  

The ZLMC Statement of Right Conduct sets forth five categories of harmful conduct. These include but are not limited to:  

1.     Situations involving mundane misconduct that is not criminal in nature.  

2.     Situations in which conflicts are not being addressed and are affecting others.  

3.     Situations involving conduct of an egregious or criminal nature. 

4.     Situations in which a ZLMC Sangha member is in conflict with person(s) of another sangha.   

The steps towards resolution are set forth in the following section.  

THE STEPS TOWARDS RESOLUTION 

1. The Procedure for Addressing Situations Involving Mundane Misconduct That Is Not Criminal in Nature.  

A. STEP ONE: go directly to the person(s) involved.  

(i) When a conflict arises, the person(s) who is involved should go directly to the person(s) in question and make every effort to work out the situation. (See Attachment A: Guidelines for Speaking Directly with a Person with Whom One is in Conflict.)  

(ii) We encourage people to speak directly to each other. This is the practice of the Three Tenets: (1) not knowing or being open and not fixing our position; (2) bearing witness by listening and speaking from the heart and being candid, open, and specific; and (3) arriving at a liberating action that serves all parties. It is our experience that many difficulties can be satisfactorily addressed in this way, even if it takes several meetings.  

(iii) A good-faith effort should be made by the Sangha member to exercise this step within fourteen calendar days from the date of the incident, and for there to be a response from the other person(s) in question within fourteen calendar days from the date of request.  

(iv) We recognize there may be situations where speaking directly to another person is not advisable. When speaking directly is inappropriate to the situation or when attempts at speaking directly are unsuccessful, the ZLMC Board of Directors will work with a Wisdom Circle to guide the complainant to STEP TWO.  

C. STEP TWO: A formal, written grievance.  

(i) A formal, written grievance can be made against any person in the Sangha when STEP             ONE does not work, or when the offense is egregious. 

(ii) A formal grievance is written, signed, and dated by the person filing the grievance. The written grievance will include all the pertinent details of the situation(s), what (if any) previous attempts have been made to resolve the issue(s), and why the previous attempts (if any) have not been satisfactory.  

(iii) The written grievance is submitted to an Officer of the ZLMC Board of Directors. The member contacted will immediately forward the written grievance to the other members of the ZLMC Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. Upon receiving the written grievance, the Executive Committee may appoint an ad hoc Wisdom Circle that will convene and decide the appropriate next steps to be taken. The Executive Committee or Wisdom Circle will make a good faith effort to respond to the member filing the written grievance within fourteen calendar days from the date it is initially submitted to inform them of how the written grievance is being addressed. These next steps could include, but are not limited to:  

(a) Further investigation. A narrative timeline documenting incidents is created and verified by all parties involved in the dispute.  

(b) The person being investigated may be placed on leave from teaching duties, a staff position, or have limited access to the Sangha.  

(c) An arbitrated meeting between the parties.  

(d) Referral of the issue to an independent party for investigation and recommendation. Independent parties may include White Plum Asanga teachers or someone with expertise in the subject area of the grievance.  

(e) When conflicts are referred to an outside investigator, the Executive Committee or Wisdom Circle Steward will contact legal counsel for advice and to assess potential liability to the Zen Center.  

(iv) A response in writing will be submitted from the Wisdom Circle within a mutually agreed-upon time limit. The Wisdom Circle should make a good faith effort to respond to a written grievance within thirty calendar days from the date the written grievance is initially received. In the event that the complaint is not able to be resolved in a short time frame, periodic updates will be provided to the complainant. 

B.  STEP THREE: Facilitated Meeting.  

(i) In a situation where a facilitator is advisable, the Executive Committee or Wisdom Circle will help the parties to the conflict to choose an appropriate facilitator. All parties to the conflict should make every effort to agree to the choice of facilitator and method of facilitation (i.e., council, conversation, mediation, etc.) before proceeding. If the parties cannot come to agreement, the Wisdom Circle will appoint a facilitator.  

(ii) We understand that situations arise when a quick solution is not forthcoming. We commit to practicing with these situations by continuing to hold a space for introspection, deep listening, speaking our truth, and working towards action(s) that will serve all parties. Effort should be made by all parties to move forward to a satisfactory dissolution of the problem.  

2. The Procedure For Addressing Situations In Which Conflicts Are Not Being Addressed.  

A.     Any Sangha member may bring to the attention of the ZLMC Board of Directors any issues or conflicts ongoing in the community not being attended to by those involved. Ongoing unaddressed issues or conflicts can seriously undermine the harmony of the Sangha.  

B.    Examples of such conflicts include ongoing acting out emotionally or psychologically unstable behaviors, addictions, the spreading of gossip or rumors, triangulating, and behaving in ways that are not in alignment with Zen Center practices or policies.  

C.     The ZLMC Board of Directors or adhoc Wisdom Circle will determine an appropriate response after a thorough investigation of the situation and give periodic updates to the Board. 

3. The Procedure for Addressing Situations Involving Egregious or Criminal Offenses.  

A.    Examples of egregious offenses include malicious gossip, written, verbal or electronic abuse, bullying, and sexual harassment. Examples of criminal actions include theft, physical violence, sexual violence such as rape, threats of violence, stalking, and embezzlement. Crimes will be reported to the appropriate legal authorities.  

B.    Anyone who is aware of such conduct should contact a member of the ZLMC Board of Directors and they will determine an appropriate response depending on the situation.  

4. The Procedure for ZLMC Sangha Member Conflict with A Member of Another Sangha.  

Where a problem occurs between a ZLMC Sangha member and a member of another Sangha, the problem-solving process will defer to the policies and practices in place with the Sangha of the person that the complaint is about. The ZLMC Abbot and Teachers Circle will be informed about the situation. The situation shall be discussed with the ZLMC Sangha only where there is a bona fide need to know.  

This Grievance Policy has been adopted by the Abbot, Board of Directors, on March 17, 2024.  

Appendix A: Guidelines for Speaking with Others  

Speaking with a Person with Whom One is in Conflict  

The majority of the work in any conflict conversation is work you do on yourself. No matter how well the conversation begins, you’ll need to stay in charge of yourself, your purpose, and your emotional energy. The suggested reflections may prove very valuable whether or not the conversation takes place.  

Reflect on the following:  

1. What’s the purpose of the conversation?  

2. What do you hope to accomplish?  

3. What would be a satisfactory outcome?  

4. What buttons of yours are being pushed?  

5. Is a personal history being triggered?  

6. What are your needs and fears?  

7. How have you contributed to the problem?  

8. What solutions would you offer?  

9. Are you avoiding this conversation? Why?  

10. If so, do you need support in taking this step?  

Guidelines for Dialogue  

1. Consider moving from framing the other as an adversary to that of a partner in this process.  

2. Resolve that the experience together will be met with openness and compassion.  

3. Listen from the heart.  

4. Ask questions; be curious. Cultivate a willingness to go beyond what is “known” and encounter with genuine interest what arises in the here and now. Invite the wonder of not knowing.  

5. Suspend judgment. Notice reactions and judgments to others and ourselves, and attempt to let them go.  

6. Avoid gossip and also protect the confidentiality of the exchange.  

7. Don’t assume that she/he can see things from your point of view.  

8. Notice any feelings of defensiveness that arise. Acknowledge these feelings in the exchange.  

9. Speak from experience. Be yourself; share the confusion and clarity; look to your experience rather than your opinion. Avoid leaning on the words of experts and authorities.  

10. Come from a place of not knowing. Risk showing up as you are in the moment leaving behind habit mind, and also habitual story lines, about yourself and others.  

11. Pay close attention and trust the strength and wisdom of the process. This is cultivating the spaciousness Buddha Mind.  

12. Refrain from the urge to “fix” or give advice. See and reflect the perfection of each person’s situation and condition just as it is.  

13. We are all interconnected. Everything that arises is some aspect of the truth.  

14. Acknowledgement does not imply agreement. It shows that you are listening to what the other person is saying.  

Suggestions for How to Begin  

If you have an issue to raise, approach the person when you are in a responsive (not a reactive) state and when you sense that he/she might be receptive to the conversation. At this point set a time to talk.  

Examples of how you might open dialogue:  

“I have something I’d like to discuss with you that I think will help us work/live together more effectively.”  

“I’m uncomfortable with something that just happened. Do you have time to talk now?”             or “Can we talk about it soon?” If they say “Sure, let me get back to you.” be sure to           follow up with them.  

“I need your help with something. Can we talk about it (soon)?” If they say, “Sure, let      me get back to you,” follow up with them.  

“I think we have different perceptions about _____________. I’d like to hear your            thinking on this.”  

Write a possible opening for your conversation here:  

Possible Outcomes  

1. If a satisfactory resolution for both parties is reached, good work!  

2. If agreement cannot be reached refer to Grievance Procedure (The Steps Towards      Resolution, Step Two).