Win / Win and the Abundance mentality
In his excellent book ‘7 habits of highly effective people’ Stephen R Covey talks about the importance of achieving a win/win outcome to an agreement or solution in order that both parties feel good about the decision and are therefore fully committed to the action plan.
In the book he talks about the abundance mentality, essentially the idea that there is more than enough to go around and therefore plenty for everyone. People who possess an abundance mentality are happy to work in cooperation with each other, each working towards a common goal, ‘we can all achieve more together’.
However most people exhibit the opposite of this is the scarcity mentality where one believes that there’s only so much to go around so ‘if you get some there will be less for me’.
This creates a natural instinct towards a lose / win outcome as each party focusses on their own success and how they can ‘win’. Whilst someone with a scarcity mentality may verbally express happiness for others success, the reality is that inwardly they are having a real hard time feeling genuinely happy for the other person, instead feeling that they have actually taken something way from them.
So next time you are in negotiations, whether in your personal or your business life, think about achieving a win / win outcome and how you can best support each other, share ideas and work together to achieve your common goal.
Also as a leader, have a think about the culture you have in your business. Are people encouraged to work together for the good of the common goal or does your current system of reward and recognition encourage more of a scarcity mindset approach as people are driven by the need to protect their slice of the pie?
If you would like some guidance on creating win / win solutions and winning teams, then book a 10-15 minute call with me by clicking on this link http://bit.ly/cjintrocall
