Art of Negotiation Career Session at SOT 2012 Annual Meeting A Success!
By Larissa Williams and Ebany Martinez-Finley, SOT PDA
The "Art of Negotiation: A Fundamental Skill for Scientists" Education-Career Development session was held on Tuesday, March 13 at the SOT 2012 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California. The session was chaired by Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA) board members Larissa Williams and Ebany Martinez-Finley. There was "Standing Room Only" for the event with attendance estimated at over 250 meeting participants! The session was sponsored by the PDA and endorsed by the Career Resource and Development (CRAD) Committee and the Hispanic Organization for Toxicologists and Women in Toxicology Special Interest Groups (SIGs).
The audience spanned a wide variety of ages and backgrounds, from undergraduate and graduate students, and postdocs to department chairs and project managers. Ellen Kandell of Alternative Resolutions, LLC introduced audience members to the various aspects of interest-based negotiation, the idiosyncrasies of negotiation, and walked through a negotiation-planning guide.
After the formal lecture, four panelists Jeff Wong (California US EPA), John Budroe (California US EPA), Jerry LeBlanc (North Carolina State University), and Ron Gerson (Gerson Pharma Solutions) shared their experiences in negotiation across various sectors of toxicology including pharma, academia, and government. During the remaining 45 minutes, it was open microphone time for questions from the audience. Questions ranged from advice for specific situations to general questions concerning how to identify what is negotiable.
Survey results indicate that the career session was a huge success, providing the varied toxicology community that attended with information and assistance they can use in their work.