What if, instead of litigation, parties could engage in processes that create an opportunity for dialogue, mutual understanding leading to creative solutions? Such processes can be learned, and over the last couple of years, I've had the opportunity to contribute to the classes offered by Professor Danya Rumore, Director of 
the Wallace Stegner Center’s ​Environmental Dispute Resolution (EDR) Program at the University of Utah. These classes focus on key skills for collaborative problem-solving listed at right.

A student in our applied improvisation workshop found that such a session "will open the door for you to communicate effectively, be creative, work productively in a group setting." Read her account here.
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I've facilitated a few improv workshops for classes in the Environmental Dispute Resolution program at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. The program recently hosted a conference on fostering productive dialogue. In reading an account of the conference, I noticed repeated themes around communicating and listening. Speakers mentioned a number of soft skills that support effective communication, including authenticity, clarity, vulnerability, empathy and curiosity.  These are all qualities that are developed in the practice of improv. Although it is fun to bring out interesting characters in a comedic improv performance, the core of the practice helps actors to access and express their whole, authentic selves.