Let me start with a little re cap. The 7 Habits, written by Stephen Covey provide the core of a principle centred life. it will guide us through three parts, each as challenging and rewarding as the other. The first part is all about Paradigms and Principles which can potentially change the entire way you think.
Parts two and three concern themselves with the concepts of Personal and Public Victories.
The Public victories come in the form of the first 3 chapters entitled.
- be Proactive
- begin With The End In Mind
- put first things First
The following chapters will arm us for the challenges with Public victories.
- Think Win/Win
- Seek first To Understand, then to be Understood
- Synergize
- Sharpen the Saw
Having looked at the first 3 chapters in earlier posts, today is all about an a way of thinking that can totally change the way we communicate.
Think Win/Win
Our ability and desire to conquer this habit is a critical key to living The 7 Habits.
The journey up to this point has been about moving from a state of dependence into independence which will ultimately lead to interdependence.
It matters very little what your title is because the moment you move from independence into the realm of interdependence you have assumed the role of a leader.
As a leader you are now in a position to influence people. The golden key to effective leadership lies in your ability to think win/win.
There are 6 ways or paradigms that are prevalent in human interaction.
Win/win
This is the frame of mind that seeks mutual benefits. The result is satisfying to both parties and proves that there doesn’t always have to be a winner and a loser.
Win/lose
A way of thinking that has been drummed into many people since the very early years. Comparisons have been a part of life but does it have to be that way?
Lose/win
Getting sand kicked in one face is nothing new here. They are the seekers of popularity not wishing to express their own feelings in fear of rocking the boat.
Lose/lose
Determined, stubborn people who are ego driven individuals will often prefer that both sides lose if what they are wanting doesn’t look like eventuating.
Win
The most common of approaches whereby the only thing that matters is getting what they want. this is the win mentality that worries little about the looser.
Win/win or no deal
If there is no solution to be found with both parties gaining a mutual benefit, the call is for a no deal. It’s possibly the second best result you could hope for.
Personal characteristics and the way we are guided by our values will determine which of the categories consume our negotiations.
Whilst win/win thinking holds the key, it’s not always the way to go with so don’t panic.
There are a lot of realistic scenarios discussed where alternative interactions may yield the best results.
However, the principle of win/win is a fundamental necessity in our interactions.
The chapter flows through five critical areas of life that we need to be aware of when looking to follow the win/win abundance mentality.
- Character
- Relationships
- Agreements
- Systems
- Process
Win/win is really only achievable when your personal levels of integrity, maturity and abundance mentality have established enough trust for mutual benefits to become a reality.
Whether they are of a personal nature or business, think about all the negotiations we enter into every day.There are plenty
How many of those situations could actually result in win/win if you wanted them too?
