Only a Loser Touts a “Win-Win”

So there you are, sitting in a conference room where, and against the odds, the meeting is going pretty well. Every one of your colleagues is making sense, for once; the team is getting a lot done. You think to yourself, “Wow, this is too good to be true.”

Suddenly, you realize, you were right.

That’s because the boss sits upright and perky, gently taps left hand and right hand fingertips together in the “here is the church” mode of pontification, and announces, “Well, what I really love about all these ideas is that we have created a WIN-WIN situation.”

That triggers a siren in your head, screaming, “Oh boy: someone’s going to get totally screwed. I just haven’t figured out who and how yet.”

The “WIN-WIN” chestnut comes from the same losing communication family tree as “honestly” and “to be perfectly candid.” It chills every conversation and drops a veil of suspicion that can’t be lifted easily.

There is no reason to tout “WIN-WIN” situation, just like there is no reason to proclaim:

• you think it’s important to be truthful,
• you always are kind to animals,
• that you will be faithful to your spouse when you go on a business trip.

Remember this: every time you say something that should be unsaid, you ARE NOT blasting a cool breeze of good karma. You’re just creating a stench.

Next time, we’ll discuss my disdain for “WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE.”

(Special thanks to Pam Hendrickson, COO of the Riverside Company for conspiring with me on this post.)