Follow William Ury’s lead in the art of conflict resolution - ​John Sturrock

Recently I spent several hours in Edinburgh in the company of my good friend William Ury. As many readers will know, Ury is co-author of arguably the most influential book ever written on negotiation, Getting to Yes, and author of other important texts including Getting Past No, The Power of a Positive No and Getting to Yes with Yourself.

In a career spanning over 40 years, Ury has been involved in efforts to resolve some of the world’s most intractable problems, ranging from the Cold War in the 1980s to apartheid in South Africa, ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the drugs war in Colombia, the nuclear threat from North Korea – and many others. He was in Edinburgh while taking a sabbatical following publication of his latest book, Possible. In the book, he explores his approach to conflict resolution over the years, with fascinating stories of people he has worked with and the techniques which have made a difference and, in many cases, transformed conflict into something hopeful.

As we walked in the Meadows (“Who fights while they walk?” he writes), Ury outlined his vision for a better world, even now when in so many places we seem to be regressing from the optimism which characterised the early days of Getting to Yes. Drawing on history, he described those relatively small tipping points or moments in time which changed everything. Looking ahead to an imagined positive future, he asked: how can we work back and create such moments now? What are the interventions now that could prevent catastrophe later and steer us on a better path? As we walked, I realised that there are probably few people on the planet better placed (and better connected) to inspire these interventions than William Ury.

​John Sturrock KC is founder and senior mediator at Core

In Possible, he lays out a prospectus for us all to follow. Those familiar with his work will recognise the concepts of going to the balcony to see the bigger picture and of building a golden bridge for your enemy or negotiating counterpart to cross as you search for a mutually acceptable solution. “Breakthrough negotiation” Ury writes “is the art of letting the other person have your way.”

Armed with powerful examples, Ury emphasises the importance of the Third Side, the role which civic society can play in helping to unlock impasse and move difficult negotiations towards a conclusion. This requires us to look outside the narrow confines of those immediately involved and find others in the wider community who are affected by, and can influence, the decision. Perhaps we in Scotland might think about this when we face industrial action affecting transport and rubbish collection, for example. A collective effort, deploying Ury’s concept of “swarming”, may inspire the creativity which, he writes, “is the key to making the impossible possible”.

Six years ago, when William Ury was last in Edinburgh, he addressed a conference of international mediators in the chamber of the Scottish Parliament and made a lasting impression on the audience, as he had on his first visit in 2009 when we hosted an all-day workshop. We are privileged that such a world-leader in the field of conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation is a friend of Scotland. It falls to us to honour that friendship by following his example in how we approach the apparently intractable challenges we inevitably face in this country – and beyond. As Ury asks at the very end of his new book: “If not you, who? If not now, when?”

John Sturrock KC is founder and senior mediator at Core.