My company and a competitor were awarded government contracts to develop solutions for an R&D problem. During Phase I, we each demonstrated the value of our technical approaches which were very different. We offered an overarching architecture, while our competitor designed a set of innovative tools. We thought we'd win the Phase II contract (10 times larger than Phase I), because architecture was more important than tools. The Phase II contract was delayed for months as our companies fought like scarcity dragons to determine who would win. Eventually, we realized the client liked both approaches, and couldn’t decide which to pick. Win-win thinking tamed the dragons that blocked us from reaching our goal. We teamed with our competitor and submitted a joint proposal. The contract was awarded in two weeks. We received the prime and gave our former competitor a substantial subcontract to develop the tools. Both of our companies went on to generate several million dollars of additional business from our joint victory. By changing to a win-win strategy, we found a way we both could win. Working together with an attitude of abundance, we added to each other rather than subtracted from each other in competition. It was win-win-win-win: the client won, we won, our competitor won, and you won as a taxpayer.

I learned that synergy means 1 + 1 is a whole lot more than 2. By combining your best with my best, together we will produce several times more than we could individually. The synergy of win-win relationships is stimulating and empowering. It is just plain fun! Win-win thinking produces such respect, teamwork and creativity, that together we see abundant opportunities neither of us could imagine alone.