Thoughts and Insights by Michael Gregory

This is how to get your productivity back on track

Here it is Memorial Day weekend. For most of us that gives us an extra day off. For many of us we are working from home and trying to balance life. This may include kids with school work, buying groceries, doing laundry, maintaining relationships, etc. etc. etc. With everything going on in our lives the question is are you a wonder woman or a super man? The answer is no. We are only human. We can only do so much. There are only so many hours in the day. We are never 100% productive. We all need down time. The question is how do we balance everything and remain sane? Understanding The Collaboration Effect®, associated with connecting relationships, actively listening and educating judiciously let’s explore what to do looking at ourselves instead of others.

Here are three things great collaborators avoid

Have you ever worked for a great leader or manager? What did you like about the person? Have you ever worked for a poor leader or manager? What was it that he or she did that really gave you heartburn? Were they a micromanager? In your face? A poor listener? You can learn from great leaders and managers what to do and from poor managers and leaders what not to do. In practice what are the three biggest things to avoid as a great collaborator with others? These are: don’t be so critical, don’t worry so much about the future, and don’t make unrealistic expectations on yourself or others. Let’s take a look at each.

What do you do when times get tough? – according to neuroscience

We all know the phrase when the going gets tough the tough get going. We appreciate the idiom. But what about our psyche and the impact of all the negative news on a daily basis. What if your revenues are down? What if you are furloughed not knowing when you will be called back or worse yet, what if you are laid off and don’t have job to come back to? What if you lost a relative or close friend due to COVID-19 or for any other reason? Talk about stress. We know from neuroscience there are 12 resilience practices to help you that are broken down into five categories. These five categories are being offered to help you regardless of your situation. These come from the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley. I am offering these to you here with some additional insights to help you going forward.

What should you be doing with your business now during this pandemic and what’s next?

There are many articles out there on what to do in a crisis, during a pandemic, working from home etc., but thinking strategically and tactically, what should you be doing now and planning for in the future with your business? This article addresses these questions and offers you a personal example for your consideration. As a speaker, consultant, and author, I personally feel it, but as an entrepreneur and opportunist, with a strong resolve and resilience I am finding ways to reimagine myself and I want to help you to find ways and reimagine yourself in your business too.  This blog is little longer than normal, but I believe all of the information provided here will really help you in your business too.

We need each other and to be connected: lessons from neuroscience

During this time of sheltering in place, it is still important to stay connected with others.

How do you strengthen ties with teams working from home?

With many people transitioning from the office to home or from infrequently in the office to permanently in the home, what are some ways to ensure collaborating, connecting, and networking with each other? Here are some ideas to help you. These are simply some initial ideas. You will need to tailor these to your own circumstances. Hopefully these thoughts may encourage you to develop your own ideas too. If you have other ideas too, I would welcome you to share those with me.

Collaboration, Negotiations, Goals and Ethics as a Manager

Managers try to set goals for their employees that are developed with the best of intentions, but the real world is fraught with many examples where these have turned disastrous. This article focuses on how to work with employees to mutually set goals, consider negative ramifications and take actions that include ethical considerations to really achieve the desired results. When this is unclear, this can lead to unexpected and negative results.

Three Big Ideas for Conflict Management

Conflict is not all bad. Conflict is very good when focused on a well-defined problem. Conflict in this sense is necessary to bring out the best ideas. The key is to be tough on the problem and gentle on the people. There are three key elements to keep in mind when you begin to feel the tension rising, and you begin or the other party begins to take it personally. This article focuses on what you can do to help yourself and others should you feel or they begin to feel it personally. These are calm the fire, listen to understand and work collaboratively on the right problem.

This is how to encourage constructive conflict while collaborating

Constructive dissent if managed well can be very beneficial in finding a resolution to a conflict. The key is to encourage constructive dissent leading towards a collaborative process. Too much dissent is not healthy. It can become negative. Not enough dissent and good ideas will never rise to the surface. This article looks at how to promote the right amount of constructive dissent to have team members promote effective collaboration.

What can we learn from famous quotes about collaboration?

Some very famous and well-known people have been quoted about teamwork and collaboration. We know what collaboration is. It is simply the action of working with someone else to produce or create something. It is that easy. However, it is more than cooperation. Cooperation is simply working together. Collaboration something more. It requires participants to work together for a common goal. So, what can we do to further enhance collaboration with others and others with us? Looking at some famous quotes here are some lessons that we can we learn from and apply at work, at home and in life.