Mike Hourigan your Negotiation Skills Speaker

At no time in recent memory as a negotiation skills speaker, has the economy been more fragile than it is now. I make that statement based on my 30-years’ experience as a negotiation skills speaker, negotiation skills consultant and book author. If the hybrid workplace wasn’t confusing enough, we have inflation (with the looming possibility of recession), supply-chain issues, shortages of everything from computer chips to wheat, and most...

Stress and Safety Speaker

Speaking to groups across the country as a stress and safety speaker, I realize that among the many effects of the COVID pandemic, was the amount of stress ratcheted up on workers in construction, manufacturing and transportation. The problem with stress is that it diverts awareness. That fact may not mean much in an accounting office or insurance agency, but to a person driving a forklift in a busy...

Mike Hourigan is your Negotiation Skills Speaker

As a negotiation skills speaker and negotiation skills consultant, a frequent question that comes up in the Q&A sessions on negotiation is if the act of negotiation is just to reach agreement on contracts or the dialog between a sales organization and client. The question was far more meaningful than we might imagine especially in the present day where it is difficult to hire and retain exceptional people. The...

Negotiation Skills Motivational Keynote Speaker

As a negotiation skills keynote speaker, I often have audience members ask questions such as, “How do I resolve conflicts?” or “How do I cool down an emotional meeting?” In speaking to executives about sales and negotiation skills for more than 20 years, I stress the same negotiation skills used between manufacturer and supplier, are applicable to delivering bad news to a client or employees. The need to reach...

Mike Hourigan, Best Negotiation Skills Speaker

My specialty, as a negotiation skills speaker and negotiation skills consultant often involve asking groups the following question: “Do you think you’re the good guy or the bad guy?” The usual answer from audience members in my negotiation skills speeches is, “I try to be the good guy. I guess it depends.” Bad guys are not necessarily bad Many executives, business and tradespeople believe that negotiation needs to be...

Mike Hourigan, best Negotiation Skills Keynote Speaker 

As a negotiation skills keynote speaker and negotiation skills consultant, the question most frequently asked of me in breakout sessions is: why are negotiation skills in business important in 2022? Negotiation skills are not only important in our day-to-day interactions, but in helping sales, marketing and management teams to set policy, maintain a sense of direction and, I would argue, to establish a clear and consistent corporate vision. Truly,...

Safety Day Motivational Speaker

What about the Day after Safety Day? My greatest honor as a safety day motivational speaker, is when I hear that my safety day keynote speaking advice was remembered long after the event. In fact, I like to learn that my motivational safety day talk saved an injury or two weeks and months later. Don’t get me wrong, me a Safety Speaker like BBQ and free T-shirts as much...

Mike Hourigan, Hybrid Workplace Keynote Speaker Part 4

(Part 4 of a 5 Part Series) ​When I as a hybrid workplace keynote speaker speak with organizations about the “new hybrid workplace,” there is more confusion over the topic than ever before. Often, I ask groups in my hybrid workplace talks what hybrid working means to them? I am met with several answers and a lot of shoulder shrugging. So, in this, the fourth part of a five-part...

Mike Hourigan, Hybrid Workplace Keynote Speaker

“Dear Boss: My Greatest Joy is Sitting in Traffic 4 Hours a Day.” (Part 3 of a 5 Part Series) As a keynote speaker and motivational Hybrid Workplace Speaker, I understand that these are tough and uncertain times. As an executive leader, you want to keep good people, but there is a great deal of confusion as to how to do that. In my talks on hybrid workplaces, I...

Mike Hourigan, Hybrid Workplace Keynote Speaker

Remote Workers Like Working Remote; Sometimes, Maybe (Part 2 of a 5 Part Series) As a keynote speaker and in my keynote and seminar talks as a keynote speaker for hybrid workplaces, I am often asked if remote work is here to stay. The quick answer is: “Bet on it.” At least half of remote workers polled have flat-out stated they will leave any organization that does not allow...

Hybrid Workplace Keynote Speaker

Hybrid Workplaces Have Been Knocking on Your Door for Years, Let them in, already! (Part 1 of a 5 Part Series) As a keynote speaker on hybrid workplaces, I am thrilled to see that organizations are finally awakening to the possibilities of what hybrid workplaces can bring. Before we kick-off this 5-part series on hybrid work, let me just say as a motivational speaker on hybrid workplaces that hybrid...

Mike Hourigan, your Change Keynote Motivational Speaker

Change for the Sake of Change is a Bad Look As a change management speaker who speaks to groups across America about negotiating and responding to workplace transformation, I am well-aware of the tumultuous times owing to inflation, mergers, acquisitions and business failures. Change in the Workplace  is everywhere, but is it always a good thing? The Boomerang In my last post, I talked about the so-called “Great Walkout”...

Mike Hourigan best Change Keynote Motivational Speaker

The Workplace Balance Has Changed, Is Your Organization Prepared? It has argued that COVID-19 “changed everything.” As a national change management speaker, my counter argument is that COVID changed nothing but accelerated everything. In my keynote talks on change management, I point out that as the Omicron variant began to subside, the workplace would be re-balanced and employees would become not more powerful, but more heard and prone to...

Mike Hourigan, Keynote Speaker on Negotiation Skills

As a Negotiation Skills Keynote Speaker, one of my interests is listening to other negotiation skills keynote speakers from diverse fields, talking about their industries. We should never feel we are too old to learn. With that in mind, not all that long ago, I was captivated by hearing Formula I racecar legend Mario Andretti talk about the business of racing. In a question-and-answer period, Andretti talked about how...

Mike Hourigan, Negotiation Skills Keynote Speaker

​As a negotiation skills keynote speaker who teaches skills such as “don’t qualify your price,” I remember the old quote about those who negotiate the price of a product or service before the negotiation. “Qualifying price” is a negotiation skills mistake that far too many inexperienced negotiators make, and it has harmed thousands of businesses. Many Names, Same Result In teaching negotiation skills, as a keynote speaker I am...

Mike Hourigan, Effective Negotiation and Leadership Speaker

When Did We Stop Listening? Well, when did we stop listening? It’s a question many experienced negotiation speakers are starting to ask. As a negotiation and leadership keynote speaker, I stress the importance of listening rather than talking. In fact, prior to many negotiations or conversations, we believe we know what the other person is thinking. Rather than actively listening in the negotiation or indeed, in any business conversation...

Mike Hourigan, Manufacturing Safety Motivational Speaker

If Workplace Safety is a Negotiation, Why Aren’t We Talking More? As a manufacturing safety speaker, I stress that manufacturing safety is an ongoing negotiation. As a safety keynote speaker, I am passionately committed to doing everything I can to talk more on the importance of safety, encourage more safety conversations and to teach workers and supervisors to spotlight safety negotiation as their highest priority. “Letters from CEOs” As...

Mike Hourigan, Safety Motivational Speaker

A Safety Silo is not a Disney Ride One of the highest purposes of my life is to be a motivational safety speaker. Speaking on safety is personal to me, because of the early years of my career. Long before I went into sales and became a keynote speaker, I worked in factories and steel mills. I saw far too many injuries that could have been avoided. “If you...

Mike Hourigan, best Safety Keynote Speaker

Is Your Circle of Safety too Small? As a workplace safety keynote speaker, I often share with my audiences that I did not “come up” in industry in the typical manner. I like to speak on safety because I worked in steel mills, construction and manufacturing. In fact, not long ago, I was introduced to a manufacturing group by the CEO who called me “the working guy’s best friend.”...

Mike Hourigan, best Workplace Safety Keynote Speaker

Recently, as I was presenting workplace safety to an organization in my capacity as a Workplace Safety Speaker, a comment was submitted to me by the COO that I wanted to share with you. “Mike, I really want you to hammer these guys in your Safety in the Workplace talk. Last year, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, a few of our guys decided to have an unauthorized party in the...