All Sides Win
Design world systems that are indiscriminately beneficial for all affected parties.
in creating a Preferred State, it’s important that the needs of everyone be considered and improved.
So much of our world is designed around deciding who wins and who loses, we’ve barely noticed that there are other ways to live.
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Many of our conflicts arise from the assumption that someone is going to have to lose. Naturally, we don’t want it to be us, so we fight or scheme and find a way to come out on top. This is so ingrained that most of the time we don’t even wonder about the loser. We just focus on making sure we win. The title of this pattern is intended to remind us. I considered calling it “No One Loses” which I think might be a stronger reminder, but describing such a positive outcome with such negative words seems counterintuitive. Regardless, feel free to think of this as “no one loses.”
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By “sides” we mean all aspects of the system we’re trying to affect. It certainly includes any people involved, but it could involve the environment, animal habitat, the atmosphere, connected human organizations, or whatever is involved.
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This is important to consider when working for systemic change. Many times in human history, progress has left people behind and they have suffered as a result. Moving energy away from coal was not an “all sides win” scenario because ways to help people in the coal industry successfully navigate the transition were not made. People were (and continue to be) left behind.
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On a personal level, we can look at our relationships. Are all sides winning? Or are many of our relationships asymmetrical?
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When trying to find a win/win scenario, step back and look at the situation from as wide a perspective as possible. Often, when there is a conflict, the problem is being caused by both parties having too narrow a focus. There is likely a third option that satisfies the concerns of both parties and is closer to the truth; that third solution is the win/win solution. The solution in which everyone wins is sometimes a very difficult solution to find, but it is the only solution that will be spontaneously adopted by everyone involved.
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Finding a solution to a problem that satisfies everyone involved is an act of great creativity and imagination, and it requires Uncertain Knowing. One thing that can prevent people from finding these types of solutions themselves is that they’ve closed themselves off to new ways of doing things. It’s a byproduct of rigid thinking: “Why are we even discussing this, I know about this stuff and there’s no other way to do it.”
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Persistence and patience are important. You must keep the conversation going and not close it down to further insights; otherwise, the opportunity to find something truly unique and beneficial to all will be lost.
Therefore:
Design world systems so they are indiscriminately beneficial for everyone and every thing involved. Keep the question and dialogue open until a solution is found.
To find a win/win scenario, look for a Higher Order Idea that encompasses everyone’s needs; maintain your Uncertain Knowing so you can see the non-obvious solutions; and learn more about what everyone needs through Dialogue