Professor Donal Crilly studies the ways in which business decisions are influenced by the concepts of time employed by managers, entrepreneurs, investors, and other stakeholders interested in achieving important outcomes.

In this conversation, he describes how an emphasis in negotiations on a shared vision of the future–in which good outcomes arise and devastatingly bad outcomes are averted–can reshape how stakeholders work together. Once we agree on a vision for the future, then we can get much better outcomes in our negotiations over the hard work we need to take today to get there. As Donal explained, this approach changed the Northern Ireland Peace Process, for example. And it can change the ways that executives invest for climate sustainability and other important social goals.