Thoughts and Insights by Michael Gregory

This is how to balance roles as an expert and as a consultant

You’re an expert witness. You investigated the facts, you developed your expert analysis, and now you have an expert report and opinion ready for court. This for example is what a business valuer provides their client. There it is. Case closed right? The next steps are depositions, critique the other side’s report and testify at trial. That is what many experts think and do. They do not advocate for the client, but they do advocate for their position. Is that enough? Is there a better way? Let’s explore this. May there be a better way for the expert to maintain integrity and offer more timely closure to the ultimate client saving time, money, energy, toil, mental health, and physical health?

How to Use Nonviolent Communication in Conflicts and Disputes

Having attended a two-hour training session with Anthony Streiff on the topic of Applied Nonviolence in an Unequal World sponsored by Conflict Resolution Minnesota I wanted to share some of my take aways that may help you too.

This is how emotional triggers affect you in a negotiation

Your attitude in a negotiation is key. Your attitude determines how you may react to triggers during a negotiation. Do you think this will be successful or not? Likely your attitude will assist you in reaching that conclusion. If you don’t think it will be successful, it won’t. If you do think it will be successful the chances are it will. What can you do to ensure you have the right attitude and to make sure that if the other party hits your hot button that you won’t sabotage or that they won’t sabotage the negotiation?

Apply the art of de-escalation to a conflict

Have you ever been in a conflict with someone about something and wanted to either prevent the situation from escalating, tone down the rhetoric, or wanted to de-escalate a tense situation? There are ways to address each of these types of situations. Ideas are presented here. From the book Peaceful Resolutions Chapter two focuses on The Art of De-escalation. Elements of that chapter are being offered here to help with each of these three situations.

Are women more ethical than men in negotiations?

Recently the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation provided an article on this subject entitl

This is how to interact with an IRS Estate and Gift Tax Attorney on a valuation issue

It was my pleasure to be interviewed by Melissa Gragg, the Managing Partner at Bridge Valuation Partners, LLC, via her pod cast on this topic. For those not interested in listening to a nearly 90 minute podcast with lots of details, here is a much shorter seven minute version sound bites on LinkedIn. However, for those looking for a quick read on some of the key points this may help. We discussed over a dozen questions and additional follow up questions, but here are some of the key points.

Begin an Audit with the IRS with Collaboration

When you think of collaboration quite likely the IRS does not come to mind. Rather when you hear the term IRS you are not thinking of working together. Instead the thought of an IRS audit likely brings forth thoughts of anxiety, I don’t have time for this, why me and now what? With that in mind I thought explaining some basic tips after receiving an audit letter from the IRS may help. Especially as these tips relate to The Collaboration Effect. After all the IRS are people too.

IRS, Business Valuers, Adjustments and Preventative Approaches

On July 1, 2020 it was my pleasure to be interviewed by Melissa Gragg, CVA, MAFF, CDFA and Managing Partner at Bridge Valuation Partners, LLC. This 84 minute podcast is packed many ideas of how to avoid and what to do if audited by the IRS on an estate or gift tax return. For business valuers this commentary focuses on the most common adjustments by IRS Business Valuers and what you might want to consider to both avoid an audit and what to do if audited. What does this have to do with The Collaboration Effect® you may ask. Read on. Clearly not everything in that podcast can be presented here, but some of the key highlights can be. The purpose of this commentary is to focus on one of the questions from that podcast. That is: What are the most common adjustments by IRS Business Valuers.

IRS, The Collaboration Effect® and Estate and Gift Tax Audits- What do they have in common?

On July 14, 2020 it was my pleasure to be interviewed by Melissa Gragg, CVA, MAFF, CDFA and Manag

This is how to remain ethical with hard bargainers

With the advent of artificial intelligence ethics is taking on additional importance. The Harvard Program on Negotiation identifies five principles for consideration. Linda Fisher in her book, 7 lenses, Learning Principles and Practices of Ethical Leadership offers seven lenses of ethical responsibility. A question is how can these principles and ethical responsibilities be applied to negotiations? When working with principled negotiators the ethical principles and ethical responsibilities seem to be very practical. What about when needing to address hard bargainers that don’t seem to have principles and ethical responsibilities?