Generational Differences in Negotiation

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by Nancy Hudgins From the blog of Nancy Hudgins

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One aspect of diversity which is sometimes overlooked is age. Phyllis Beck Kritek, in her provocative presentation at the ADRNC annual conference earlier this year, got all of us thinking about age. She included the table above in her handouts. While it focuses on age differences in how people approach their jobs, it is an insightful and useful tool to remind us that age affects how we look at the world. This is especially a good reminder for me, as my default thinking is that (of course) everyone else thinks just the way I do.

In preparing for your next negotiation, remember to think about the other side’s age and concomitant worldview. It may challenge you to prepare your arguments in a more enlightened way.

Here’s more about Phyllis Kritek’s book, Negotiating at an Uneven Table, and Lancaster’s and Stillman’s When Generations Collide.

Biography

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Nancy Hudgins, a San Francisco mediator and lawyer, began specializing in civil litigation in the 1970's. She has represented both plaintiffs and defendants, chiefly in personal injury, medical malpractice, elder abuse and product liability lawsuits, but also in a wide variety of complex litigation, including civil rights, fraud and class actions. She has settled and mediated thousands of cases. In addition to civil litigation mediation, she also co-mediates divorces with John Duda, a marriage and family therapist.

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Website: www.hudginslaw.com

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