Thoughts and Insights by Michael Gregory

What questions should you ask when preparing for a valuation discussion with the IRS?

This article addresses how to prepare and what questions to ask when involved in a facilitation, negotiation or mediation with another party. The focus here is on a business valuation issue with the IRS.  Preparation is key. Conducting a mock interaction ahead of time can be extremely valuable. 

Here are practical ideas on leading your team through change

Here are some best practices that I wanted to share with you. These are provided so that you can use them to help manage change where you work. This is an overview. You have to realize that you have to address emotions. That is yours and your team’s.

Tailor made negotiations with employees

Every workplace has its own culture. Some involve greater or lessor degrees of negotiation between employer and employees. Employees tend to want to negotiate personal solutions. Examples are adjustments to schedule, travel, training, developmental assignments, and other similar areas.  These are individually or group based. In all instances these are issues important from the employee’s perspective.   How should these be handled?

This is how to develop trust in a negotiation

How much should you trust the other party in a negotiation. If you trust to much chances are you may be burned. If you don’t trust enough chances are you may lose out on a great opportunity. The old adage trust, but verify makes sense. It is necessary to verify how much trust may be appropriate.

This is how to apply ethics in negotiations

Two sources with five and seven ethical principles for negotiations in business were explored to give you three simple ethics principles for negotiations. This article introduces information on each of the articles and provides you with a link to each for further analysis for the interested reader. Taking a lesson from neuroscience that we tend to remember up to three things well these principles are shortened to three for business ethics in negotiations. 

Does Conflict Resolution Really Work at Work?

Whenever two people are involved with anything, it is only natural to expect that at some point there may be different perspectives that could lead to conflict. This is only natural. We often think if I could make all of the decisions, the world would be a better place. Then we reflect and realize I don’t have all the answers. We need others and we need their ideas. This article focuses on different types of conflict resolution at work.

Move out of your comfort zone to move into the learning zone with a new job

Thomas Edison stated, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”.  Most of us don’t have that kind of patience. On the other hand, what risks are you willing to take? Do you trust yourself to accept change or failure and move on?  Do you see change or failure as a learning tool to help you expand your horizons, or something that holds you back?  Let’s address these items to help you move out of your comfort zone and move into the learning zone. This article will focus on learning to find a better employer and/or boss going forward unless you are there already.  One of my mantras to my employees was to begin to prepare for your next job now. That’s because it probably does not even exist yet today, but it will within the next five years.

How to Avoid Conflict in Family Business Succession Planning

According to the Harvard Law Program on Negotiation there are three kinds of conflict in business and how to avoid them.  These are: Intercultural Conflict: Be Careful Not to Stereotype Conflict with Friends and Family: Discuss Difficult Issues Up Front Workplace Conflict: Test Your Assumptions and Choose a Role This article will focus on exiting family businesses addressing both the family and the workplace conflict issues. Keep in mind the exit planning may involve selling to the next generation, to another buyer, going public, an Employees Stock Option Plan, or something else. To keep it simple the scenario that follows assumes a transition to a next generation family member.  Keep in mind there are a host of other issues too. For example, are the existing owners going to remain working, be advisors, be on a real board of directors, be on an advisory board, have employment contracts, covenants not to compete and a host of other issues. These issues go beyond the scope of this commentary.

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

Here are six tips to make you an extremely successful negotiator

Here are six tips to make you an extremely successful negotiator. Essentially you need to manage your own emotions, develop trust, focus on interests, apply appreciation, make your message positive, and work towards positive closure. This article focuses on how to carry out each of these elements to make you an extremely successful negotiator. If you take these to heart and not only read the material by make a point to carry out these steps in a negotiation, you well be more successful.