Archive : Thoughts and Insights by Michael Gregory

Communication

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.

Triangle with Time, Money, Quality
July 23rd, 2018

Want Collaboration? Spend Quality Time with Others

Personal attention is one of the keys for collaboration.  What does personal attention mean?  We tend to focus on quality time with friends and family, but how can this play out at work or in a negotiation?

Two blue images of people icons with a larger one to the left and a partially embedded smaller one on the right.
June 25th, 2018

This is How to Shift Your Thinking for Better Collaboration

In general, when someone comes with a question the typical response is to respond with an answer or what we believe to be a solution. This sets up a supply process for answers, but is this what is really needed? If we want collaboration, because that increases team work, reduces resources, reduces toil, reduces stress and increases productivity and therefore profit, there are three things to consider.

Two geese with one acting in an aggressive posture
April 9th, 2018

Why Is Collaboration So Hard?

From the time we started school we were taught to work hard, study hard, do our best and we will get ahead. Then when the best technician becomes a manager all of that has to be turned on its head. Why?

Five fits with participants from various backgrounds coming together with a fist bump as a team
April 2nd, 2018

Why is Collaboration Important in the Workplace?

We are all oriented to either minimizing pain or maximizing reward. This is what plays out related to conflict resolution versus collaboration. This article addresses the benefits of collaboration in the workplace and how you can create a more collaborative environment. Pioneering companies get it.

Clear water with fish just below the surface
March 19th, 2018

What Types and How Much Information Should You Reveal in a Negotiation?

In a negotiation a common question is what types of information can be revealed and if so how much of that information should be revealed in a negotiation? Many factors enter into this question. This article explores three of the most common elements.

How to Manage Satisfaction with Your Counterpart in a Negotiation
February 26th, 2018

How to Manage Satisfaction with Your Counterpart in a Negotiation

In a negotiation one of the keys to a successful negotiation is managing your counterpart’s expectations.  We would all like to have a win – win negotiation, but part of that is managing your counterpart’s expectations.   In the end what were their expectations of the outcome?  What happens when they shared their results with others?  How was the overall experience with you and the negotiation?  This article will discuss each of these items. Perceptions matter, not just the results.

Visualize Holes in Your Negotiations
February 5th, 2018

Visualize Holes in Your Negotiations

Do you know the saying “Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance”? The same holds true for negotiations. Some plan to come to a meeting and hear what the other side has to say reacting to the offer of the other side. What happens if you run through “what if” scenarios? Do you know your holes in your approach?

 Want to know how to turn a crises with another party into a collaboration
January 22nd, 2018

Want to know how to turn a crises with another party into a collaboration?

This article addresses how to turn a crises into a collaboration. We can learn from hostage negotiators and their success rate is phenomenal. So what can you do to help yourself when you feel like you are in a crises with someone else?

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