How to Use a Win-Win Strategy to Get What You Want
5 Ideas to Help You and Others Achieve Goals Collaboratively
Using a win-win strategy is a powerful way to get the outcomes you and others want, without unneeded conflict.
This is important if you are in a leadership role and want to better influence others.
When you consider how you can reach a win-win solution in every interaction, you will help yourself and those you lead, achieve their outcomes a lot easier.
What is a Win-Win Strategy?
A win-win strategy ensures everyone involved in a situation receives a benefit or an advantage. Every person feels they’ve had a win.
A simple example is an employer and an employee negotiating flexible working hours. From the employer’s perspective, they don’t have to replace the employee and know what they expect will get done. From the employee’s perspective, they are happier and have more flexibility with how or when they work.
When used correctly, a win-win strategy ensures there are no losers.
Why Use a Win-Win Strategy?
The benefits of using a win-win strategy include:
- Better collaboration and support.
- Conflicts are resolved quickly.
- Everyone gets an outcome they want.
- Improved negotiation and problem-solving skills.
- Save time and money.
In the book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey called it the habit of mutual benefit.
A win-win strategy will help you achieve what you want faster, without affecting what others want.
How to Use a Win-Win Strategy to Get What You Want
Here are five ideas that will help you apply a win-win strategy to get what you want and also assist others in getting what they want.
- Get clear on the outcome you and everyone wants. This involves conducting research and being prepared before a negotiation. You can ask those involved what they want. Your objective is to look for common ground.
- If there are differences or disagreements, acknowledge them. When there are disagreements, instead of dismissing them, recognise they are there. To get to an outcome where everyone experiences a win, they need to feel heard and valued first.
- Focus on the long-term gain rather than a short-term benefit. A mistake is to focus on a quick win you want at the expense of what others want or the big picture. A win-win strategy is also about setting up for future negotiations, not just the current one. When you have a long-term focus, you will have a different perspective and make better decisions.
- Use problem-solving skills to address objections or disagreements. Sometimes, finding common ground will not be easy. Therefore, using your problem-solving skills is a way to find a happy medium. The aim when problem-solving is to reach the outcome everyone wants.
- Aim to reach a consensus before ending the conversation or negotiation. You won’t reach a win-win outcome if you don’t focus on adding value to those involved. This can sometimes include conceding things not as important to achieve the outcome you want. Your objective is to ensure everyone gets a win.
Risks of Not Using a Win-Win Strategy
When others don’t believe they’ve had a win in a negotiation situation, the risks include:
- They may hold a grudge, which can affect future discussions.
- More conflict, which means more time will be wasted getting to desired outcomes.
- Higher levels of disengagement.
- Delay in achieving goals.
- Reduced motivation.
Final Thoughts
The best relationships are those where everyone involved are heard, respected and valued. When you use a win-win strategy, you will develop stronger relationships, which can also lead to more success for those involved.
If you focus on helping others get what they want, you will also get what you want, which means everyone wins.
Action Step: During your next discussion or negotiation, focus on ensuring everyone involved experiences a win. Use the ideas suggested here to get to mutually beneficial outcomes.
Question: What are other ways to use a win-win strategy to get what you want?
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