Find the pressure points.
Who really decides, and who depends on whom? We look for the points where a deadlock can be released.
Executive sparring for owners, CEOs and boards
An outside view when things go round in circles.
When a conflict or a negotiation is stuck, I tell you plainly where the blockage is. Then we discreetly prepare the next step so things can move again.
15 minutes, free · Microsoft Bookings
Chris Richard Plaschy Swiss Federal Diploma in Fiduciary Services · 9+ years at MSD
- 15 minutesFree initial call
- 60–90 minutesPer working session
- 1–3 sessionsIn a typical case
- CHF 200per hour
When sparring helps
When nothing moves.
Most of my experience is with deadlocks between owners, management or key people. Before you agree or escalate, we look at what each option means for you.
- 01
A co-owner is blocking you.
You want to move forward without conceding too soon or wrecking the working relationship. Before the next conversation, we work out which paths are open to you.
- 02
The negotiation is stuck.
Positions repeat and pressure builds. I show you where the interests are and how much room you have before you return to the table.
- 03
Succession or a new direction has stalled.
The people involved pull in different directions. Before you commit, we go through what you need and what you can give up.
How we work
Prepared for every conversation.
The aim is that you know what you want to achieve, which paths you have, how you open the conversation and where your limit lies.
Clarify position and interests.
What do you want to achieve, and what lies behind the other side’s demand? We compare concessions and alternatives, including a deliberate decision to walk away.
Conversation architecture.
We plan your opening, questions, arguments and boundaries, and which information to use when.
De-escalate under pressure.
Prepare responses to threats, deadlines and personal attacks, and know in advance when to set a boundary and when a pause will do.
Your decision. Well prepared.
An example of preparation
A co-owner gives you an ultimatum.
A fictional situation illustrating the sparring approach.
Your co-owner wants your agreement to an investment tomorrow. Funding and responsibilities are still unclear. Before replying, we compare three paths.
- Objective
- Assess the investment before accepting unclear commitments.
- Three paths and their consequences
- Opening
- “What specifically happens if we decide after clarifying the funding?”
- Boundary
- “I will decide once funding and responsibilities are clear. Let’s agree who will examine those points, and by when.”
Chris Richard Plaschy
You lead. I think it through with you.
Some questions are hard to discuss openly inside your organisation. I am not a diplomat and I do not play power games.
Experience in difficult situations
I have experience with shareholder conflicts, unclear roles between owners and stalled negotiations at organisational interfaces, from fiduciary and advisory work, my professional roles and my own projects. Some deadlocks could be broken. Where they could not, the aim became an orderly separation or a new direction, and that needs preparation too.
Before that, I spent more than nine years at MSD, responsible for inventory compliance. There I convinced a team to restart an automation project and led the follow-up project.
9+
years at MSD
Swiss Federal Diploma in Fiduciary Services · My original commercial foundation.
Further training: Dale Carnegie course (2009, 12 × 3.5 hours), including public speaking, active listening, negotiating on the merits and handling pressure.
“… able to get people and processes moving in the right direction.”
I am not a mediator and do not work between the parties. I analyse the facts, interests and processes from your perspective. When needed, I organise the relevant information for you to discuss with your lawyer.
- No internal role. I work only with you.
- Directly with me, on WhatsApp if you prefer.
- I guarantee discretion. Your counterpart never hears about me.
Approaches I draw on
Among other tools, I work with Glasl’s model of conflict escalation and with Nonviolent Communication.
In person in Zug. Remotely across Switzerland and internationally. German and English.
Professional background on LinkedInScope and fees
CHF 200 per hour
Billed for time spent. No VAT charged. We agree the scope together before work begins.
- 15 minutesFree initial call
- 60–90 minutesPer working session
- 1–3 sessionsIn a typical case
Aim of the first paid session
- Clarity on your position and interests
- 2–3 concrete options for the next conversation
- A clear next step
Acute preparation of the situation, options and strategy usually takes 1–2 hours. Ad-hoc sparring on WhatsApp and ongoing support under a mandate are also available.
The first step
What is at stake for you?
Looking for confirmation? Then I am the wrong person. If you want an honest assessment, let’s talk.
Book an initial call
15 minutes, free · Microsoft Bookings
Or write directly: crp@treuhand-beratungen.ch
Common questions
What do we discuss first?
What is stuck, and what have you already tried? A short outline is enough to see whether working together makes sense.
Who leads the negotiation?
You lead your own conversations. I prepare you for them and help you make sense of the outcome afterwards.
How is this different from my lawyer or a mediator?
Your lawyer clarifies the legal position and represents you. A mediator goes between the parties as a neutral. I work only with you and prepare you for the conversation. If a lawyer is involved, I help you give them the relevant facts. I do not give legal advice.
What does it cost?
The 15-minute initial call is free. After that, CHF 200 per hour for time spent, no VAT charged. A typical case takes 1–3 sessions of 60–90 minutes.