In one of Vitasek’s most recent articles, “The art of getting to ‘we’ in negotiations,” she discusses the importance of moving from the old-school “what’s in it for me” (WIIFME) approach to the partnership mode of “what’s-in-it-for we” (WIIFWE). WIIFWE changes the focus of a partnership from a deal to a relationship.
Once the relationship becomes the focus of the partnership, “some real work and resources are needed to forge a lasting, collaborative, shared-value partnership that enables both parties to prosper.” Forging a WIIFWE partnership, means both parties must move away from a cycle of concessions and tradeoffs, and instead, establish a collaborative and cooperative partnership: a partnership that brings value to both organizations.
In the linked article, Vitasek lays out both the foundational principals and key process steps to make this transition. This is the true value of her work: she takes a commonly discussed, but difficult to achieve, concept – the “win-win relationship” – and provides a roadmap for getting there, thereby closing the often unbridgeable gap between idea and execution.