Covey

Win/Win or No Deal

No deal basically means that if two parties can’t find a solution that would benefit them both, they would agree to disagree agreeably. No expectation, have been produced, no performance contracts established. No hiring has been completed, since it’s clear that their values do not match up and are far from corresponding together. Both parties have different values for the item at hand. It’s better to realize this now, rather then later when both parties will have been disappointed. This approach is most realistic at the beginning of a business relationship or enterprise. This way you will not feel the need to have to manipulate the other individual(s), and generally speaking it potentially could help both parties in the future if one decides to do business with the other. If this paradigm is in both parties’ minds at the start, both can really try to dig deeper to look at the underlying positions. Anything less than win/win in an interdependent reality is a poor second best that will have impact in the long term relationship.

In a continuing relationship, it may no longer be an option. In the business world established businesses may need to enforce a certain contract– it doesn’t mean the contract or services can not be re-worked out to provide a win-win for both parties however. This concept may not be a viable option to all tributaries’ as it has the potential to create serious headaches of which were formed on the basis of friendship. People sometimes go on for years with making compromise after compromise. Both parties need to realize that a business can simply not go on and survive in the economy by potentially cutting deals or breaking contracts all the time, a business must maximize revenue to sustain profitability and grow.

Win/win or No Deal provides tremendous advantages in a family relationship such as emotional freedom. For instance, if family members can not decide on a restaurant to eat at, rather than having some in high spirits and some not, they can simply just do something else instead, thus no deal. On the other hand no deal may not always be viable in a family/relationship setting. An example would be that if you can not decide on a baby name, not naming the child is not going to work; you need to compromise in that situation. That situation comes at the extreme, but it’s a very simple way of explaining this paradigm.

The most appropriate model depends on the situation. When relationships are paramount, Win/Win is the only viable alternative. In a competitive situation where building a relationship isn't important, Win/Lose may be appropriate.

Five Dimensions of Win/Win

There are five dimensions of the Win/Win model: Character, Relationships, Agreements, Supportive Systems and Processes. When you think win/win, it involves distinctive human endowments such as self-awareness, imagination, conscience, and interdependent will in our relationships with others. It takes a great deal of bravery and thoughtfulness to create these shared benefits. The principle of win/win is essential to success in all exchanges, and it embraces five mutually dependent dimensions of life. Mr. Covey states that “it begins with character and moves toward relationships, out of which flow agreements. It is nurtured in an environment where structure and systems are based on win/win. And it involves process; we cannot achieve win/win ends with win/lose or lose/win means.”

Character

Character is the groundwork of Win/Win. There must be integrity in order to establish trust in the relationship and to define a win in terms of personal values. The first three habits help develop and maintain integrity. Integrity is the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.

“Maturity is the balance between courage and consideration” says Mr. Covey.

A key trait is the abundance mentality that there is plenty for everybody (vs. the Scarcity Mentality). Many psychological tests that are used for the hiring process all revolve around evaluating this type of maturity.

The third character trait essential to win/win is the abundance mentality. This is based on the fact there is enough out there for everyone. The abundance