Reflections on Cooperation
In Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, I am struck by how much of his framework is dealing with "win-win" negotiation and the synergy of cooperation. He stresses the need for empathetic listening, really trying to understand the other. All of this seems quite necessary for building a more collaborative world.
Covey feels this is an enormously powerful tool for productivity – within families, nations, etc. In fact, one commentator about the new Palestine-Israel peace accord mentioned that the document/agreement is unique in that each side is really working hard to meet the needs of the other.
The trick, of course, is to convince individualistic (and highly competitive) Americans that they can win by being truly open to the needs of others. Salespersons would get more sales, wives and husbands would benefit as individuals, nations would be saved costly mistakes (as in Viet Nam when we wanted to force our way on a people who were so totally different from us, and people as bright as McNamara did not truly "listen" to this difference).
This is all demonstrated in the Palestine-Israel agreement. A wind change in Israel (demonstrated by the last election) has led to an awareness that it is in Israel's best interest to try to deal with Palestinian needs (some autonomy, some of their land back, not having Israeli troops in their midst, etc.) By really listening to these needs (which are understandable in any people), Israel is taking the smarter stand, freeing itself from the burden of policing and realizing that Palestinians and Israelis can be economic partners in a future where each one recognizes the needs, the integrity, of the other.