Possible

Outline

Possible (2024) shows how to handle conflict constructively in a divided world, from family disagreements to workplace tensions and international crises. William Ury draws on decades of experience as a negotiator to describe three victories: going to the balcony to gain perspective, building a golden bridge for the other side, and engaging the third side, the surrounding community. The book offers practical hope that difficult conflicts can be transformed.

• Conflict can be handled constructively, whether it appears in a family, at work, or between nations.
• William Ury builds his approach on decades of experience as a negotiator.
• The first victory is going to the balcony, which means stepping back to gain perspective.
• The second victory is building a golden bridge that lets the other side move toward agreement.
• The third victory is engaging the third side, the surrounding community, in resolving the conflict.

William Ury is an American negotiation expert and co-founder of the Harvard Negotiation Project. He has advised governments, companies, and communities and served as a mediator in conflicts around the world. He is co-author of Getting to Yes and author of Getting Past No, The Power of a Positive No, and Possible.