How To Create Win-Win Situations

Business can be complicated. Ditto for marketing. Relationships, same. Whenever others are involved, you're going to encounter challenges and compromises. Welcome to being human. There are two ways to approach those situations. You can look to come out ahead (mostly a zero-sum game), or you can try to create a win/win situation. That's more akin to an infinite game.

Creating win-win situations is easier than you think. But, unfortunately, they don't often happen because people are not intentional about making them happen. That's too bad because life and business become infinitely more straightforward and more sustainable when creating win-win situations.

Here is how you create win-win situations.

1. Your first question should always be asking yourself what others might want out of the situation. Of course, you might already know because they told you.
2. Once you have established a hypothesis about what winning might look like for the other party, ask yourself how you can create this situation while still meeting your goals. Find that sweet spot.
3. Now pitch your suggested solution. Again, lead with the other person's perspective and needs. Just by doing this, you'll likely trigger the law of reciprocity - with the other person wanting to make sure you also get something out of this.
4. Rinse and repeat. This won't always work, but it often does. Over time, you'll also get better at it as understanding people's needs is an incredible superpower - a muscle you develop with practice.

The more you do it, the better it gets. And the better you'll get at it.