Page 137 - Stephen R. Covey - The 7 Habits of Highly Eff People.pdf

worked to set up a Win-Win Agreement, knowing that whether or not they could agree,
there would be no emotional strings.

The Win-Win or No Deal approach is most realistic at the beginning of a business
relationship or enterprise. In a continuing business relationship, no deal may not be a
viable option, which can create serious problems, especially for family businesses or
businesses that are begun initially on the basis of friendship.

In an effort to preserve the relationship, people sometimes go on for years making one
compromise after another, thinking win-lose or lose-win even while talking win-win.
This creates serious problems for the people and for the business, particularly if the
competition operates on win-win and synergy.

Without no deal, many such businesses simply deteriorate and either fail or have to be
turned over to professional managers. Experience shows that it is often better in setting
up a family business or a business between friends to acknowledge the possibility of no
deal downstream and to establish some kind of buy/sell agreement so that the business
can prosper without permanently damaging the relationship.

Of course there are some relationships where no deal is not viable. I wouldn't abandon
my child or my spouse and go for no deal (it would be better, if necessary, to go for
compromise -- a low form of win-win). But in many cases, it is possible to go into
negotiation with a full Win-Win or No Deal attitude. And the freedom in the attitude is
incredible.

Five Dimensions of Win-Win

Think Win-Win is the habit of interpersonal leadership. It involves the exercise of each of
the unique human endowments -- self-awareness, imagination, conscience, and
independent will -- in our relationships with others. It involves mutual learning, mutual
influence, mutual benefits.

It takes great courage as well as consideration to create these mutual benefits, particularly
if we're interacting with others who are deeply scripted in win-los.

That is why this habit involves principles of interpersonal leadership. Effective
interpersonal leadership requires the vision, the proactive initiative, and the security,
guidance, wisdom, and power that come from principle-centered personal leadership.

The principle of win-win is fundamental to success in all our interactions, and it embraces
five interdependent dimensions of life. It begins with character and moves toward
relationships, out of which flow agreements. It is nurtured in an environment where
structure and systems are based on win-win. And it involves process; we cannot achieve
win-win ends with win-lose or lose-win means.

The following diagram shows how these five dimensions relate to each other.

Now let's consider each of the five dimensions in turn.

Character

Character is the foundation of win-win, and everything else builds on that foundation.
There are three character traits essential to the win-win paradigm.

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