Thoughts and Insights by Michael Gregory

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.

Success in business and appreciation

Have you ever volunteered at an activity, and come away with a positive feeling for what you have done? You feel good about yourself and for having made a positive difference in someone else’s life. Have you noticed that the leadership was extremely appreciative and gave you many kudos at the beginning, during the activity, and at the end? Learn from this and treat your employees as volunteers. Provide authentic appreciation at work on a timely and regular basis for something specific. This will enhance collaboration, engagement, and a sense of belonging. Side benefits are better productivity, more revenue, and more profit. These are not the goals, but these are the tangible benefits by taking these proactive, positive, engaging, appreciating actions when genuinely and authentically applied.

Apply generational and appropriate types of appreciation for enhanced collaboration

As a successful management mantra the following has been found to be very useful. Catch your employees doing something right at least once a week and thank them for it Thank them for something specific. Get your employees the resources they need from their perspective and don’t micromanage. Give your employees a chance to shine in leadership and achievement. This commentary is going to focus on how to show appreciation from the first of the three points from above.

Suggestions to live by for collaboration

Recently I was struck by comments made by a friend of mine with four points he made about how he had taught his children to get along with others. I was so impressed with these four suggestions that as I consider how to collaborate with others, I wanted to share them with you. You can think how you may apply these suggestions to promote understanding and collaboration at work and at home.  Perhaps you may want to share these with others. Let me know what you think. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions.

These are the top ten skills for 2025

What do you think? What are the top ten skills for 2025?

The best way to thank someone and promote authentic appreciation

What do you think? To promote listening, empathy, collaboration, and your own leadership what are the keys to providing an appropriate thank you with authentic appreciation? Sharing a study from neuroscientists you may be surprised at their findings. Knowing the results of the study, what can you do to promote even better collaboration. Read on.

Ethics and Negotiations - Eight principles to be a better bargainer

Having blogged previously on how to apply ethics in negotiations that commentary will not be repeated here. Rather, having presented Ethical Leadership – Principles and Practices to the Illinois CPAs this past week, upon reflection I wanted to share with you eight principles of negotiation to boost you bargaining skills in various business situations. These eight principles are not in a priority. They are character, reciprocity, publicity, trusted friend, people, advising others, legacy, and planet and greater good. Each of these is elaborated on below.

Do your homework, be patient, build relationships, listen actively, and success will follow

All to often when you are in a negotiation, conflict, or mediation with someone else you would li

Addressing conflict with returning to the office policies

Not all conflicts are bad.

Explaining four “E” words associated with Collaboration

It is said a picture is worth a thousand words. Look at the photo above. It speaks volumes. To develop leaders, promote collaboration, overcome conflict, address disputes, and promote healing for the betterment of your organization. Words matter. This article looks at four words that begin with the letter “E” that have to do with The Collaboration Effect. These are equality, equity, empathy, and educate. A closer look at each indicates why each is important for collaboration. Let us begin with equality.