NEGOTIATING YOUR WAY THROUGH LIFE

We all need negotiation skills

What do Presidents, housekeepers, attorneys, kids, CEOs and second hand car dealers have in common? They all negotiate in order to get what they want.

Negotiating your way through life. It all starts when you are born. A baby’s negotiating power comes from his mouth; when used by adults it is described as the cry baby tactic. Before adulthood you negotiate with your parents about pocket-money, getting toys or a scooter. It is then that you realize that size and power do matter. You develop skills and tactics. You will need those skills (and tactics) …
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07
Feb 2006
CATEGORY

Legal

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WHAT CAN YOU TEACH A LAWYER?

Lawyers must learn to communicate with mere mortals

Communication skills are particularly important for lawyers. On the one hand lawyers have to accurately debate legal issues with like-skilled/trained people and on the other hand they have to explain all this to people without any legal education, many of which are vulnerable. That is not as easy as it sounds: legalese vs plain language.

I know that many people are dissatisfied and frustrated by lawyers’ communication efforts. I asked one of my Ecademy contacts what she could teach a lawyer / attorney. Her response:

“I have worked with …
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16
Dec 2005
CATEGORY

Legal

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DO YOU WANT YOUR ATTORNEY TO SAY ‘I DON’T KNOW’?

A lesson to learn from William Swanson

Today I received ‘Swanson’s (Un)Written Rules of Management‘. William Swanson is Raytheon’s Chairman and CEO. In the preface of this little book, he explains that listening has always been very important to him; it should be important to lawyers / attorneys, too!

In this book, Swanson gives 25 straightforward directives. Only one rule will be mentioned here, which is Rule number 1: Learn to say ‘I don’t know.‘; if used when appropriate, it will be used often.

If people meet with their lawyer / attorney, many of them will notice that he (or …
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23
Nov 2005
CATEGORY

Legal

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