Generating win-win relationships with everyone who matters is important for your and your organization’s success. But is it always possible or reasonable to try for win-win?
Yes, of course it is. Here’s why.
- You can have win-win even when it appears impossible. You will surely encounter situations where you can not get to a win-win solution right way. Instead of falling back to a “I win-you lose” or “I lose-you win” solution, simply choose not to play. Choosing not to play is a great way to open everyone’s thinking to better possibilities.
- Win-win works even if you’re sure the other side won’t go for it. By stating your commitment to you winning and them winning, you unilaterally change the game from adversarial to collaborative. The potential of choosing not to play is your power tool, your ace-in-the-hole.
- Win-win is worth the investment. A win-win approach often generates better solutions than either side had thought of before.
- Your commitment is to the relationship. Even when some situations are contentious or complex, people will see and respond well to your overall commitment to mutual success. In short, their trust in you grows with your continued commitment to win-win.
Who matters to your success? How much trust is there in your relationship? How much trust would there be if your redoubled your commitment to win-win with them?
To your continued success,
Mike