Thoughts and Insights by Michael Gregory

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Communication

Doctor sitting with a patient and explaining the situation
November 30th, 2020

Lead with compassion - listen with empathy

The Collaboration Effect ® is all about connecting relationships, listening actively, and educating judiciously in order to build bridges to negotiate closure. Recently having listened to a presentation by a prominent neuroscientist in the field, following up with him, and conducting additional research, I learned something truly exciting related to compassion and empathy that I want to share with you. We need to lead with compassion and listen with empathy.
Red white and blue republican elephant and democratic donkey on stage in front of an American flag with an electric shock between the two
October 30th, 2020

Partisanship, the Election and Conflict Resolution at Work

On the day after the election in 2016 I wrote a blog regarding “How to Help Those Feeling Anxiety Today”. Here we are nearly four years later and the situation is similar and possibly worse. That blog still has merit today. However, being four years older and a little wiser (I hope) I want to offer some insights this year just before the election to help you and others over the near future. It is expected that at least about half of the people at work will be unhappy and have anxiety once the election results are known. Going into election day, with all of the hype, over $1 billion spent on TV adds and other media, and the continuous bombardment on the news, we all could use a break.
June 1st, 2020

Here is what you can learn from a COVID-19 doctor applied to BV negotiations with the IRS and other parties

Recently an emergency room doctor, Dr. Lorna M. Breen, working continuous 12 hour shifts in NYC committed suicide. This was very sad and points out the tremendous cost this is having on our medical and first responders. The Greater Good Science Center at the U of California at Berkeley responded with a neuroscience article on How Can Doctors Stop Burnout in a Pandemic? In the commentary that follows I take that article and apply the lessons learned here to communication in a hard negotiation. We can all learn from this tragedy. In the end taking time to build connections, listen actively, and educate judiciously are needed in business valuation too.
Four hands fist pumping success
December 23rd, 2019

This is how to apply collaborative leadership to negotiations

Collaborative leadership is all about giving employees a voice, a chance and autonomy in decision making.  But how does this work in negotiations? Employees want clear expectations and they want to know what is expected of them. This takes explicit delegation.  This article looks at explicit delegation related to negotiations and presents three elements that could derail the process.  Taking these into account can make a real positive difference in a negotiation.  If you have employees working for you and they have to negotiate with others, this is directly on point. If you have to negotiate on behalf of your employer with others this is directly on point for you too.
An entry to a circular maze
December 2nd, 2019

This is how to avoid conflicts in a family business around succession planning

It can seem like a maze when addressing conflicts in a family business. Running a business is hard and complex. Running a family business increases the potential for conflicts even more. Finally, when considering the next step around succession planning the stress level can really go up. That’s why many avoid the situation. With so many businesses in this situation this article focuses on common issues to consider when transferring a business to children. 
Two hands with two puzzle pieces pushing them together
June 24th, 2019

The importance of building a connection in a negotiation

After defining the problem correctly, the next most important aspect in a negotiation to ensure t
Thank you on a steel garage door security panel in a partially opened state with lamps hanging from the ceiling
January 21st, 2019

The Power of Thank You in a Negotiation

Being polite and paying attention to social norms is always important, but especially in a negoti
A group of younger people standing next to each other
January 14th, 2019

How can older generations partner with new entrants to the work force?

Looking at younger millennials entering the work force this is what older millennials, generations X’rs and baby boomers can do to enhance communication, understanding and effectiveness. Why?  To train and retain top quality talent and have better relationships and  negotiations.  As a person that focuses on conflict resolution and collaboration I want to share some insights with you that addresses this question.
A ring of 11 different colored human replicas in a circle with all of their feet pointing to the center hub
December 17th, 2018

Collaboration is key to a great agreement

This is common sense, but not everyone has the same amount of common sense.  At the end of this article the Program on Negotiation at the Harvard Law School provides additional commentary on this topic.  What is a great agreement?  Is that one when you win as much as you can?  It can be argued that instead, a great agreement is when both parties mutually create a much better agreement than either would have crafted by themselves.  Think about having a larger pie may be the better outcome for you and the other party than simply having a larger piece or even the entire smaller pie. This concept has been proven time and time again to be the best approach to a truly great agreement.
Male on a lookout in nature exploring the vast treed wilderness
December 10th, 2018

This is how to negotiate and motivate millennials

This article focuses on some basic elements that have proven successful and are forcing businesses to change how they hire, train and retain top talent. Millennials are driven to succeed when they are treated with respect, with an employer that is focused on its workers, with management is transparent and most importantly when there is a collaborative environment. It’s not that complex, but it takes effort to make these things happen. It doesn’t just happen.

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