Is age discrimination just a state of mind?

Overcoming generational stereotypes can significantly help law firms deliver on business outcomes, according to a lawyer and mediator in article reported in lawyersweekly.com.au.

Businesses are increasingly focused on gender diversity but the conversation around generational diversity is still in the "too hard" basket for most law firms, said Catherine Davidson, who runs her own mediation business.

“If you understand the relativities between people’s brain capacity at various ages then you have an ability to build teams and tweak teams so that you have the right mix of strength at, for example, a decision-making table,” said Davidson.

Ann Reeves, who previously worked in HR at King & Wood Mallesons and DibbsBarker, said law firms have traditionally not done well at understanding and acting on inter-generational tensions.

Males up to the age of 35 are greater risk takers than at any other period in their lives so, at the boardroom table, they need to be balanced with “the more grey-haired, positive older people” who are less motivated by the moment and able to better emotionally regulate, said Davidson.

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