What is the principle of "win-win" (win-win) and how to use it

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Many people are not even aware of the existence of the "win-win" principle. It helps to achieve mutual benefit, and therefore can be useful in various areas of life. But applying it is not so easy. What this principle is and how to use it can be found in this publication.

The meaning of the principle

To understand this principle, we should first refer to its translation. Win from English can be interpreted as "win", "win", "receive", "achieve", "conquer". Therefore, the double win-win design means win-win or mutual benefit.

Modern businessmen are increasingly coming to the conclusion that the suppression of competitors is not always effective, smooth, as well as the use of partners for their own purposes. There are times when the other side must also win. This way you can improve the interaction, and then reap the benefits of successful cooperation.

It all started in the 1950s when John Nash, an American mathematician, published his revolutionary work. In them, he talked about games with a non-zero system, in which all participants either fail or fail.win. Further, another American, Stephen Covey, continued to develop the topic of mutually beneficial cooperation. He published a book on performance in 1989, in which he talked about the win-win strategy. The translation of the book into Russian appeared much later, but its content has not lost its relevance to this day.

Win-win is a strategy based on cooperation, effective interdependence. In the negotiation process, the interests of all parties are taken into account, and a solution is found in which everyone wins. Thanks to this technique, even potential competitors can become partners. The principle can be applied not only in business, but also in relationships with colleagues, loved ones, friends and children.

Why is compromise worse than cooperation?

When interests clash, compromise is not the best strategy. It involves mutual concessions and the search for an alternative solution. Of course, you can sacrifice something, but often there are feelings of dissatisfaction and disappointment.

Better not to focus on concession, but try to be flexible, creative and find benefits for both parties. That is, you need to apply the principle of "win-win". In business, this is especially true, because it is much more effective to strive for long-term relationships. If you only give and do not take anything in return, then you can become bankrupt. Therefore, charity and compromise are not always appropriate.

Necessary qualities to implement the principle

Successfula person with certain qualities and skills can practice the philosophy of "win-win". These include the following:

• Internal consistency, wholeness of personality.
• Maturity. It's a balance between sensitivity and courage. A mature person not only knows how to defend his point of view. He is understanding with others and respects the interests of others.
• Sufficiency mentality. According to this paradigm, there is enough for everyone in the world. A person who views life from this point of view sincerely desires to share recognition, benefits and their profits.
• Active listening. The opponent must feel that he is not just being listened to, but heard and understood. Only in this case can trust be achieved.

In addition, it is necessary to understand that the modern world is a world of interdependence. For example, if you choose a business strategy to suppress a competitor, you can only make enemies. And this, in turn, sets the stage for further defeat of the company.

Steps in implementing the principle

To act in the spirit of "win-win" means to think carefully about the situation. To do this, you need to go through several stages:

1. It is necessary to decide whether it is generally possible to use the “win-win” principle in a particular situation. For example, this strategy will not work if the opponent is aggressive and is not going to give up his positions. In this case, the situation is likely to turn in the direction of "win-lose".
2. The second step will be to clarify the possibility of winning the opponent. To do this is not so easy. Often people only talk abouttheir positions, but they forget about the overall result. It is important to calculate the double win in order to offer a third solution that suits both parties.
3. At the last stage, you need to decide which way to go. To do this, you should show your partner what exactly reduces his winnings, and what increases him.

Mistakes in the application of the principle

Many people make one common mistake when they first learn to use the win-win business strategy. People begin to make concessions, trying to achieve a compromise solution. But in this case, the opposite result is obtained. Concessions lead to a win-lose outcome. And a compromise is generally a loss of benefits for both parties.

The principle of "win-win" is the most effective, because it is designed for the long term. But it is quite energy-intensive, because you need to negotiate for a long time, show mutual respect, understanding and follow your speech.

Preparing for negotiations

Today, situations are quite rare when you meet a person for the first and last time. This is especially true in the business area. The lion's share of the profit is brought by regular customers. Therefore, each meeting should be perceived as the first in an endless chain of relationships. In order for the situation to turn in the direction of "win-win", it is necessary to prepare for the negotiations. To do this, before the meeting, you should ask yourself a number of questions.

• What are the desired outcomes of the negotiations?
• What might an opponent want?
• Is there alternative solution if no agreement can be reached?
• Will the partner have other options?
• What is acceptable and what is not in the opponent's alternative proposals?
• What threatens failure, how will it affect you in the future?
• From when can negotiations become unprofitable for you?
• In what cases will the meeting become uninteresting to the partner? What will he most likely accept and what will he refuse?

These and other questions should be asked before each meeting. This will make the negotiations more successful, because there will already be some kind of plan in mind.

How to have a dialogue

First of all, the win-win principle implies mutual respect. It is easier to manifest if you follow the following negotiation pattern:

1. Welcome moment.
2. Voicing the conditions and range of problems.
3. Expressing your point of view on the issues raised.
4. Listening to the opponent's opinion.
5. Search for mutual benefits.
6. Coming to a common decision.

In the process of negotiation, it is important to always think about the overall success, and not just about your own. Only in this case can a successful result be achieved. If the dialogue does not go well or leads to someone's failure, then it is worth showing maximum diplomacy and focusing on meeting common interests.

If one of the parties does not think about the interests of the other side, then the probability of success of the Win-Win negotiating strategy tends to zero. Selfishness is normal, but it should not be a priority.

Howcreate the right atmosphere for negotiations?

In order to successfully apply the win-win principle, the opponent must feel comfortable during the conversation. This can be achieved using the following methods:

• Regularly remind your opponent of common interests.
• Show understanding and respect at all times.
• Use confidential forms of communication.
• Use the active listening technique.
• Joke, but don't abuse it.
• Tell about case studies.

Subtleties of applying the principle in business

If you need to sell something, you should look for those who are profitable to buy this product. And you need to find those who themselves feel the need for it. Imposing your product is extremely inefficient. You can consider an example. The company is engaged in the sale of plastic windows. She must look for clients in areas where there are many houses with old wooden frames. It will be completely pointless to waste your time if you try to sell your product to those who already have modern windows.

The principle of "win-win" in sales means that each side always wins. And it must be equal. Otherwise, a potential buyer may go to a competitor that offers the best value. Therefore, it is worth periodically studying the market for similar goods or services, and based on the information received, think over your more advanced strategy.

Family also influences business success. That's whythe principle of double win should be used in relations with relatives (parents, children, spouse). The support of loved ones gives hope and helps to develop your own business.

How to turn a win-lose situation into a win-win?

This question is easiest to consider with an example. The first party is the owner of the toy store. The more he sells, the higher his profit will be. The second side is the buyer in the person of the boy. They gave him money. With them, he wants to buy a robot that he has long dreamed of.

The boy gets the toy, the owner gets the profit, and everyone is happy. But the store may not have the right robot, then both sides will be the losers. This is where the win-win approach can help. The situation can be developed in several ways. For example, the store may interest the boy in another toy, or suggest that he order the right robot and come for him in a few days. If after purchase it turns out that the product is broken, the seller can replace it or return the money.

Sometimes the store loses and the customer wins. For example, someone mistakenly put a price tag on a robot with a greatly underestimated value. The store will be left without profit, and the boy will even have money left to buy another toy. In this case, the seller may ask the parents of the child to pay extra. But it is better to return the lost money at the expense of another product, if you overprice it a little.

The example shows that there are several ways to solve the problem. And in the end happyall will be. This can be learned by applying the “win-win” principle in life. The main thing is to strive to satisfy not only your interests, but also the needs of the client.