Win Win

Life is rarely a ZeroSumGame. In every interaction with others, try to ensure that both you and the other party come out winners. One of the first steps is to find out what the other wants.

See: SeekFirstToUnderstand


WinWinSituation, if you ThinkWinWin

This is often about perception of the negotiation. If two people come across two $50 notes lying on the ground and start arguing over who should take it. Either of the following mentalities will exist:

Or, consider turning the entire $100 to the police so that the proper owner is able to claim a lost property. -- where the loser finds, and the finders do what is right. Three people win: a WinWinWin Situation.


Sixty years old MarshallPlan - still largely a peaceful Europe

There is probably a lot of "dressing up" done to it, since it is a US originated plan and the above is a us site. However, all considered, that plan is probably the most brilliantly conceived and executed example of WinWin. US won, Europe won, former second World War Two enemies won. And indirectly, Asia and India won because of trade with the growing prosperous FirstWorld?.

Contrast this with the harsh terms of the Versailles treaty dictated at the end of the first World War.


For a counterpoint to the effectiveness of WinWin, see StartWithNo.


See also TheBestOfBothWorlds.


Part of the NegotiatingPatternLanguage. See also WinWinOrNoDeal


EditText of this page (last edited December 13, 2014) or FindPage with title or text search