Adult Development and Life's Work
Core Curricula

One of the most exciting advances in psychology in the past three decades has been a rediscovery of “normal adulthood” as a fascinating area of study. This work illuminates how men and women continue to change and grow as they move through the eras of their lives: young adulthood (20-40) with its initial choices about family and career; midlife (40-60) full of critical reassessments and the gradual rise to authority and control; and late adulthood (60-80), the new frontier for many adults, an unexplored territory of opportunity and reflection.

The seminar introduces new perspectives on development throughout adulthood, with special emphasis on how the challenges at each stage of life may affect career patterns and relationships in the family business. The program or seminar usually includes:

	An overview of adult development, using the model developed by Daniel Levinson of Yale in his “Seasons of Life” books;
	A “life-charting” exercise for all participants;
	Discussion of special issues confronted by participants in family businesses at each stage of the life cycle;
	Exploration of how family dynamics may change as family members reach different developmental stages; and,
	In some circumstances, breakout groups bring together people of different ages to discuss issues raised by each’s developmental stage.