Thoughts and Insights by Michael Gregory

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Neuroscience Insights

Man with hand on chin looking up with a questioning look and a series of question marks around him
November 29th, 2021

Combat negative thoughts for better collaboration and overcoming conflict

Research varies on how many thoughts we have each day considering how many are original and how many are repeats. However, about 95% are negative thoughts. Wow! What can you do to combat this and what is one question you can ask to help overcome this perspective? Knowing this information can have a major impact on addressing conflict and on promoting collaboration.
October 22nd, 2021

How do you make uncomfortable situations comfortable?

We all must deal with people and stressful situations at work, home, and life.
An image of man and a woman on opposite sides of a table and in place of heads they have megaphones yelling at each other
May 10th, 2021

This is how you persuade the unpersuadable

“Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than the one they sprang up” Oliver Wendell Holmes This quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes is directly on point to the subject of this commentary. Do you have to work with arrogant, egotistical, narcissistic, controlling, or disagreeable people? Then read on.  Collaboration is key. Address conflict. The ideas presented here are based on neuroscience and psychology with direct actionable alternatives you can apply at work and in life.
four fist bumps over a table with coffee, smart phones and papers. The four fist bumps represent men, women, and people of color
April 17th, 2021

Take advantage of The Collaboration Effect

I would like to explain the three elements of The Collaboration Effect to address both conflicts and collaboration. Is conflict blocking your results? Would you like to be more productive, more profitable, and have more pleasure? Then you will want to take advantage of The Collaboration Effect by connecting relationships, listening actively, and educating judiciously to build bridges and negotiate closure. The Collaboration Effect enhances relationships, resources, and results. In other words, by taking advantage of The Collaboration Effect you will be better as a person, your firm will perform better, you will be able to interact better with difficult people, and you will have better results with others with improved collaboration.
Smiling team members smiling and two shaking hands with a successful negotiation
December 5th, 2020

Attitude, smiling, and happiness in negotiations

Have you ever thought of how helpful it is to simply smile in a negotiation? Do you know how powerful this can be? This commentary focuses on the implications of your own attitude in a negotiation, explores the impact of smiling, and ends with how to simply make your life happier with potential positive impacts in your own negotiations. The applications are at work and in life. Personally, I have found these helpful and that is why I wanted to share this with you too.  
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.
A two man bobsled taking off out of the starting gate
September 28th, 2020

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?
Alberta Canada reflection of sky and mountains on lake
September 22nd, 2020

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.
Smiling happy woman looking at connections of photos of smiling tied together with linksl
July 20th, 2020

Here are three keys to happiness at work

We are in stressful times with COVID-19, George Floyd, and work. For those of working, we feel for those that aren’t. For those working with kids in school there are many unknowns for this fall with virtual classes, being at school and hybrids. Those are plans, and once something happens parents will have to adjust to changes. With everything going on in our lives at home, in life and at work, what can we do to find more happiness at work? That is the focus of this article.
blue fist thumbs up me and red fist thumbs down them
July 6th, 2020

Here is what to do when you're right and they are wrong

Some situations are clear. Sometimes there is no doubt someone else is in the wrong. They may not even realize they are in the wrong, but they are. When that happens what should you do?  This article addresses a personal situation and then points out how the same approach can be played out at work.  For example, you’re in line for a check out and someone cuts in front of an elderly person to move ahead in line at the grocery story. What do you do?  Some are more assertive and speak up. Others would be intimidated by this and say nothing. What might you do?

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