As a virtual and in-person change management speaker, I am often asked if the pandemic of 2020 “changed anything” or will the world go back to business as usual? It is a complex change management question. My opinion is that nothing will ever be the same. V-Shaped Recoveries & Other Myths In my virtual talks on change management to many groups, I find it fascinating the number of people...
As an online negotiation skills speaker and in-person change management speaker, I am interested in the popular phrase the “new normal”, or sometimes “the new now.” The problem is that “the new now” is a moving target and as a change management speaker, I know all too well that executives often have trouble keeping up with the change. A Millennial in Trouble Recently, I was made aware of a...
Accounting Leadership in 2021: Looking Dismal, and Time to Fix It As a leadership skills speaker for accountants, I have learned that while accountants, in general, have a high level of technical expertise, their leadership skills continue to lag. This fact may not be all that bothersome to those of you who are almost never “public facing,” but for the rest of the profession poor leadership skills for accountants...
In my specialty as a virtual negotiation skills speaker, I have had the opportunity to teach negotiation skills training on an international basis. In fact, just last week I delivered a virtual keynote on negotiation skills to an international organization where 14 nations were represented. The amazing questions I received about negotiation skills from the virtual audience were equally excellent and insightful no matter where in the world the...
As an experienced virtual keynote speaker, I often have to explain the difference between a keynote speech and a motivational or inspirational speech. These days there are all kinds of people who claim to be virtual motivational speakers, and they range from former athletes to disgraced accountants to “B-list” actors. They may be funny or serious, finger pointing or podium thumping, but they are frequently like cotton candy. They...
As a negotiation listening skills speaker, I am often asked why so many negotiations don’t show positive results. My response is that participants often talk right past the important points. Listening Skills are The Hidden Element In my talks as a negotiation skills speaker, I often ask those who are participating virtually or in-person if anyone ever taught them how to listen? I’m usually met with blank stares. It’s a...
As a virtual negotiation skills speaker, when presenting to groups I stress that many virtual negotiations are often “over” before you even have the chance to talk. In the “olden days” of about eight months ago, when we negotiated in-person, we had many visual cues, voice inflections and other intangibles to judge what the other side was thinking. Now, we have big and little squares on our computer screens....
It’s Not About the PPE, It’s About the People As a virtual safety speaker and in-person safety speaker, I stress that safety is never about wall posters or personal protective equipment, it’s about the people. In fact, safety is a negotiation. People, Not Posters When I speak on safety, either virtually or face-to-face, I like to lead audiences through an exercise. I have them create a picture in their...
No One Builds from a Locked-Down Place I am a Virtual Construction Safety Speaker and in my virtual speaking on construction safety, I emphasize that no one builds from a locked down place. As the world still struggles in lockdown or semi-lockdown, construction has not stopped, but it is changing. Is your company ready? Cleaner & Safer Construction industry writer Jenn Goodman, in an article for Construction Dive (April...
What Makes a Good Virtual Safety Speaker?
I Can’t Be on The Job with You, But I Want My Words to Keep You Safe
What makes a good virtual safety speaker? It’s a question I’m frequently asked, and a subject I think about all of the time. It’s a kind of puzzle when you think about it. Safety at the Workplace is...
Mike Hourigan, your Virtual Safety Motivational Speaker
In a Virtual World, Nothing is as Real as Safety
My roots as a virtual safety motivational speaker go all the way back to when I was working in factories and loading trucks. Though right now a lot of people are working virtually, to the men and women on the factory floors, in warehouses, construction, over-the-road, in...
The Need for Virtual Negotiation Skills Speakers hasn’t changed, but the Times sure have!
My focus as a virtual negotiation speaker for accountants is not to teach you to “win.” In these difficult times called the new normal, my focus is to help your firm understand its negotiation aims without discouraging your present or future associations.
“Winning” a one-time negotiation may be fine if...
Change Management Speaker
Surviving Rapid Change When Your Pharma Organizations Goes Through Unexpected Changes
In my work as an international pharmaceutical change management speaker, I frequently get questions about surviving rapid organizational change.
“How do I survive all the changes going on around me? I’m worried. I’m overwhelmed.”
Pharma Change Management Speaker
Pharma Change Management is a Daily Negotiation
There are few industries that go through as many rapid...
In my virtual podcasts and live video conferencing on negotiating pharma industry change, I’m mindful of an irony. On one hand, the industry offers a wide range of innovative pain management solutions, with more coming every day. But on the other hand, there are few – if any – pain management techniques to help pharma sales reps manage the rapid changes around them. I am not being flippant. Change...
As a pharma industry change management speaker who specializes in negotiation, I know the importance of navigating the changes that are confronting all of us at this time. It is a confusing and challenging period. On one hand, there is an unprecedented, heightened awareness of the pharmaceutical industry during the COVID-19 pandemic we’ve not experienced in our lifetimes. Each day, literally, the world is searching for news of vaccines...
As a change management speaker, both in my virtual and in-person talks, I tell my audiences that navigating change is all about negotiation. It is your life skills that let you frame the negotiation. Let me give you an unfortunate, but worthwhile example. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a Disease. How We Face it is a Negotiation. We are currently locked in a battle against an unseen foe: the...
As an online negotiation skills speaker, I often speak to consultants, contractors and co-workers on negotiating skills techniques. In the old-school world, more often than not an entire team would travel to a major client and negotiate a contract. It was pretty impressive (and usually an impressive waste of time and money). In today’s world, there is a new set of online negotiating skills problems. It may be a...
In my specialty, as a professional services negotiation skills speaker for consultants, attorneys and accountants, I characteristically get questions from audience members as to the most important skills they need to get the job. While we like to use more sophisticated words, such as “getting the engagement,” but, let’s face it: either we get the business, or we go home! As a negotiation skills speaker for accountants when honing for...
As a negotiation skills speaker for accountants and the accounting industry, I routinely get questions from meeting attendees who are accountants as to the top negotiating skills they need to “get the engagement.” The accountants are surprised when I explain that it’s not about delivering a lengthy rationale in regard to price per hour or technical skills. There are more essential negotiation skills that are all too often ignored....
Inspirational Negotiation Skills & Techniques Speaker It is always an honor for me as a motivational negotiation skills and negotiation skills training speaker to offer helpful hints on effective methods to improve negotiation bargaining positions. In my keynote addresses, I frequently talk about the many negotiation skills that can be effectively used to ensure that the potentially equitable deal is not diminished by wasting away opportunities and leaving us...