Everybody Wins

Everybody Wins

People in powerful positions often get a bad image because they make changes that benefit only a few. They give the job to their cousin. They give the playoff tickets to their children. They keep the spoils of their power to themselves.

Imagine how much better it would be if power engendered an “everybody wins” rule. Years ago, I was asked to start a new department in a big corporation. The leaders gave me 9 staff members. One of those people, let’s call her Evelyn, thought that SHE should have had my job. In the first two weeks I could see that her disappointment was going to undermine the feeling that the group had about working with me. I quietly went to other departments with Evelyn’s resume to see if I could find her a better job, with higher compensation. I found one and I asked the hiring manager to reach out to Evelyn without ever telling her that I asked him to. Evelyn went for the interview and came back to tell me that she got a better job!! She let me know that she was LEAVING and that I would not have her expertise because she still believed she should have had my job. I congratulated her and over the years I watched from afar how she did extremely well in the role she moved to. She never knew my involvement. The rest of the team bonded with me because the tension Evelyn had created was gone and our department began to flourish. Everybody wins.

I was in a position of power. I could have let her go for creating roadblocks for progress. I could have made it unpleasant for her so she’d quit. Instead I used my influence to make everybody feel that they had gained something.

So when you begin to plan a strategy, make sure everybody wins.