Think win-win

In the book called “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective people,” Steven Covey explains that character is what helps us achieve sustainable success. At most, this is what the author argues. Some people tend to believe that a great personality is enough to take us where we want to be. I suppose this is partially true, but one’s personality can only go so far and not without cultivating the deeper side of you – your character. Covey teaches us that what we are says so much more than what we do. While there are seven habits, I want to focus on what Steven Covey describes as “think win-win.”

Our circumstances in life whether they be personal or work-related often take us to situations where we need to find what we are used to calling a “win-win solution.” When conflict arises, applying the “win-win solution” to things is meant to appease parties involved into reaching a compromise. It feels competitive rather than cooperative when we use this solution without the proper frame of mind. So what exactly is the “proper frame of mind” when thinking win-win?

The author tells us that thinking win-win is both a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in the way we interact with one another. This means that agreements or solutions are mutually satisfying and beneficial for all. It takes courage to seek mutual benefit instead of a tug of war with losers on one end and winners on the other.Thinking win-win is more than just a quick fix to things and goes beyond your personality, no matter how nice one can be. The win-win process enables us to see other points of view, identify key issues, determine acceptable results and work towards new options in achieving those results.

It takes integrity, maturity and an abundance mindset to think win-win for everyone, instead of getting the lion share. Sometimes it is human nature to want to “get what we want” and, according to Thomas Hobbes, humans are willing to hurt each other if we think it would help us – hence the birth of the social contract. Nevertheless, and thanks to Steven Covey, we can do better… as humans, and in any arena, if only we learn to practice empathy.

Thinking win-win leads to teamwork and if relationships are important to us, it surely improves it. Striking a balance between courage and consideration effectively generates a win-win solution and character serves as the backbone in thinking win-win.