What I Took From Habit 4: Think Win/Win
Bailey Sergott (835)
In 2017 I started my first year at Lansing Community College. Going into my freshman year, I thought I was set on going into the psychology program. From there I changed my mind four more times, for a total of five! It is incredibly difficult to choose what you want to do for the rest of your life, especially at such a young age. Many people end up with a career that they do not enjoy, but that would not be me. The pressure of getting a college degree in four years is a pretty high expectation but, I was adamant about finding something that I liked. During my third year at school, I transferred to Ferris State University and was introduced to the Public Relations program. I immediately was a fan of my first class I ever took because I enjoyed learning about it. Now, I am in my second semester of public relations and I could not be happier. I began working much harder, doing great in my classes, and I am finally doing something I am good at. A win-win is when two things are mutually benefited, finding a career you are passionate about is a win-win. I am working towards something that I enjoy and the program is getting 100% of my effort.
Win/Win
Most people have heard of a “win-win situation.” As obvious as it sounds, it is not. A win-win situation takes a lot of work and understanding of exactly what it takes. This is important because having a win-win mindset can help improve not only your professional life but your personal one too! A win/win can be very helpful in all relationships whether it be your spouse or how you go about raising children. In Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Covey says “And if I focus on my own win and don’t even consider your point of view, there's no basis for any kind of productive relationship. In the long run, if it isn’t a win for both of us, we both lose.” This was a very interesting and new way of looking at situations. Win/win is a mindset that searches for mutual benefit in all human interactions. It means that if the decision between two people or two businesses does not benefit each side equally, then the deal should not be made. This is much different than the paradigm of win/lose. Win/lose is going into a situation thinking that you want to win, no matter if the opposing side loses. A win/lose paradigm is not always a bad thing, in sports, one team has to lose.
What It Takes
A win/win situation sounds easy, but the foundation of win/win is character, and there are three character traits critical to the win/win paradigm. The first trait is integrity, or the value we place ourselves at. This is important to experience a win, you must know what a win means to you, and your innermost values. Once you recognize your values, then you can begin executing them on a daily basis, developing self-awareness. The second character trait is maturity. Maturity is where courage and consideration meet. It is important to express your views and feelings, while being considerate of the feelings of those around you. The last trait is abundance mentality. Have you ever met someone who wanted to bring others successors down? People who get jealous of others success, feel that others success takes away from theirs, or it puts others in front of them. Abundance mentality is realizing that there is enough success out there for everyone.
Courage
Courage is a very important trait in the business world and having the win/win paradigm takes a lot of courage. The win/win approach is both tough and nice. It is walking into a meeting knowing no matter how bad you want to make a deal, if it does not mutually benefit both parties, you should walk away. Courage takes confidence and consideration. It is about being tough but also considerate, so you can empathetically listen and also courageously stand your ground.
Final Thoughts...
There are many different paradigms but the important one to stay focused on is win/win. A paradigm as complex as win/win will never be perfect, it takes a lot of practice and hard work. Knowing what constitutes a win, is just the beginning of the process. The only way to achieve a win/win is to seek only win/win solutions. One way to do this is to separate yourself from the problem and focus on interests and not on positions. Sometimes it is easier to see the problem from the other point of view. Then, before the solution is finalized, determine what the results would be and new options to achieve those results. Win/win mentality is very beneficial but it takes a lot of practice and dedication.
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