The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The author has now moved into defining interpersonal skills and introduces the fourth habit of effective people, which is to think Win/Win. By Win/Win, he means an outcome that will leave each person with some desired result. He says, “Win/Win is not a technique; it’s a total philosophy of human interaction. In fact, it is one of six paradigms of interaction. The alternative paradigms are Win/Lose, Lose/Win, Lose/Lose, Win, and Win/Win or No Deal” (237).

He goes on to define each of the other scenarios and explains why even the person who seems to win the negotiation really ends up losing. Covey sees only two viable options in any interaction, either Win/Win or No Deal. He explains No Deal as similar to an escape clause: “When you have No Deal as an option in your mind, you feel liberated because you have no need to manipulate people, to push your own agenda, to drive for what you want. You can be open” (244).

No Deal represents a way to bow out gracefully for all parties involved, but Covey still believes that Win/Win should be the outcome for which to strive. The author then discusses the Win/Win concept by examining its five dimensions at a detailed level: