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About Phyllis Pollack

Phyllis G. Pollack, Esq. the principal of PGP Mediation, has been a mediator in Los Angeles, California since 2000. She has conducted over 2,000 mediations. As an attorney with more than 40 years experience, she utilizes her diverse background to resolve business, commercial, international trade, real estate, employment and lemon law disputes at both the state and federal trial and state appellate court levels. Read more of Phyllis' accomplishments here: https://www.pgpmediation.com/phyllis-g-pollack-biography/

I Am Sorry!

Apologies are hard. Many folks have a really hard time saying, “I am sorry.”  Instead, they sort of apologize  by saying something like “I am sorry it happened to you”  or “I am sorry you feel that way”  or just “Sorry.”  What most folks do not realize is that these [Read More]

By |March 15th, 2024|News articles|

The Emotional ChatGPT

Recently, the Harvard Program on Negotiation posted a blog about “Emotional Intelligence as a Negotiating Skill” (By Katie Shonk- February 12, 2024). It noted that  experts predicted that  those scoring high on emotional intelligence would have better negotiated outcomes and discusses a 2015 study by researchers Kihwan Kim of Buena [Read More]

By |March 8th, 2024|Research|

The Hummingbird

The other day, I opened one of the French doors in our house to let the dog outside where he proceeded to sun himself. Unbeknownst to me, a hummingbird took the open door as an invitation to come inside.  I did not realize it until an hour or  so later [Read More]

By |February 23rd, 2024|Conflict resolution|

The Sound of Silence!

The Sound of Silence is a song written by  and released in 1964  by Simon and Garfunkel. It was used  in the movie, The Graduate. Its lyrics include the phrases: “People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening.” It is the last phrase I want to dwell on: People hearing [Read More]

By |February 16th, 2024|Negotiation Strategy|

Avoidance

Anyone studying conflict resolution quickly learns that there are  five styles to resolving conflicts: avoidance, competition, collaborating, accommodating and compromising  (styles) Avoidance “… is knowing that there is a conflict but choosing not to deal with it.” (Id.) If we do not acknowledge or talk about the conflict, maybe it [Read More]

By |February 9th, 2024|Conflict resolution|

Consistency

In his book, Influence- Science and Practice, Robert B. Cialdini (4th ed. Allyn and Bacon, Boston 2001) discusses six psychological  principles that impact  us every day. One of them is  Commitment and Consistency:   “ It is, quite, simply our desire to be and to appear consistent with what we [Read More]

By |February 2nd, 2024|Mediation|

Substantive Fairness

Suppose you are mediating a divorce in which the wife agrees to accept 25% of the community assets in settlement even though a court would award her 50%. She wants the matter concluded as quickly as possible in the worst way and so will accept anything to be done with [Read More]

By |January 26th, 2024|Mediation|
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