Expanding on a theme explored in Negotiation Journal’s last special issue on critical moments, this paper looks at key principles of improvisation and how they may apply to critical moments in negotiation. Improvisational acting encourages us to explore the “what ifs” and to focus on the power of saying “yes” rather than “no”—and “yes, and” rather than “yes, but”—as we listen to and interact with one another. The misconceptions of the meaning of “yes, and” in business and negotiation are also discussed.
