Win-Win Communication: Establishing an Equal Rapport

Teamwork & CooperationCommunication & FeedbackAll employees≈ 20 min

Key skill: Assertiveness

Summary

Adopt an equal footing to communicate without dominating or submitting: recognise the four life positions and cultivate the OK/OK position, which defuses conflict, even with a closed-off counterpart.

Target audience

Anyone wanting to promote a positive model of communication and collaboration

Learning objectives

Establish an equal relationship for win-win communication
Identify and understand the 4 possible "life positions" in a relationship
Move from the position of inferiority "I'm not OK / the other is OK" to "OK/OK"
Move from the position of superiority "I'm OK / the other isn't OK" to "OK/OK"

Module outline

StorytellingThe story of a senior team member who discovers the importance of mutual respect in professional relationships
ArticlesThe antidote to a toxic relationship: the equal relationship · How to manage an unbalanced relationship · What to do when nothing works
Expert videoAn overview of the life positions concept (OK/not-OK) from Transactional Analysis for calm self-assertion
AnchoringA quiz and true/false exercise to explore the topic further and cement what you've learned
Memo cardDownloadable memo card: the key takeaways from the expert video
CommitmentConcrete examples to help you define your own commitment

Models & methods

Transactional Analysis life positions (four OK/not-OK quadrants); equal footing; distinction between respect and submission.

Research-based

The concept of life positions (OK/not-OK), developed by Eric Berne as part of Transactional Analysis.