Often, I hear people talking about making decisions or creating solutions that are ‘win-win’. In my experience, this is often tied to the idea of buy-in, as well. And although the idea of finding a way for both sides to ‘win’ sounds pretty good on the surface, I’m not really sure that’s as good as it seems. Because, in the end, even if both sides are ‘winning’, there are still two sides. And, like someone ‘buying out’, even after they’ve previously ‘bought in’, when there are still two sides, there’s always the possibility of separation. I believe that there’s something beyond ‘win-win’, in the way we think about things and the way we act. Beyond ‘win-win’ occurs when we all band together to use the unique strengths each of us has in service to a common goal. Beyond ‘win-win’ occurs when we look outside of ourselves, to the needs of our customers, our family, our friends, and our communities and come together in pursuit of something greater than we could ever accomplish ourselves. Beyond ‘win-win’ there’s peace. Beyond ‘win-win’ there’s harmony. That’s what I’m working towards creating. And I hope you are too.
