Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: The relationship is beneficial to both parties
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question comes from a passage discussing mission statements and the idea of winwin relationships. The author emphasises that his purpose is to help people understand such relationships and to use them to improve lives. To answer correctly, you need to understand what "winwin" means in personal and professional interactions, especially in contrast with winlose or loselose situations.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The passage uses the term "winwin relationships" in a positive, constructive sense.- It suggests that such relationships can improve the lives of all persons involved.- The options describe different interpretations: everyone wins, no challenges, mutual benefit, or merely friendly competition.- The key idea is cooperation that benefits all sides.
Concept / Approach:
In self development and leadership literature, the term "winwin" is widely used to describe situations, agreements, or relationships in which all parties gain something of value. It contrasts with "winlose" (where one side benefits at the expense of the other) and "loselose" (where both suffer). A winwin relationship is therefore not defined by the absence of challenge or by friendly competition alone, but by fairness and mutual benefit. The passage aligns with this standard meaning when it talks about using winwin relationships to improve the lives of everyone involved.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the typical definition of a winwin situation: both sides benefit from the outcome.Step 2: Link this to the passage, which says that winwin relationships are used to improve the lives of all persons with whom the narrator comes into contact.Step 3: Examine option "Every one must win always": this is too absolute and unrealistic; winwin is not about perfection but about balance and fairness.Step 4: Consider option "There are no challenges": this is incorrect, because winwin relationships can still involve difficulties and negotiations.Step 5: Check option "The relationship is beneficial to both parties": this accurately matches the common definition of winwin.Step 6: Evaluate option "The competition is friendly": friendly competition may or may not be winwin; it does not guarantee mutual benefit.Step 7: Select "The relationship is beneficial to both parties" as the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by thinking of examples: in a winwin business agreement, both companies gain value; in a winwin negotiation, both sides feel that their key interests have been respected. These examples show that the central idea is mutual benefit. The passage supports this by linking winwin relationships to improving the lives of "all persons" involved, not just one side. No other option clearly reflects this cooperative and mutually beneficial nature.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option "Every one must win always": Unrealistic and not implied by the passage; winwin is about fairness, not about winning every possible situation.Option "There are no challenges": Misleading, because even in winwin relationships people may face difficulties that they resolve together.Option "The competition is friendly": Addresses tone but not the core feature of mutual benefit; friendly competition can still have winners and losers.
Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates confuse "winwin" with the idea that life becomes easy or challenge free, which is not accurate. Others associate it only with friendly feelings, ignoring the practical aspect of each side gaining real value. To avoid these errors, always connect "winwin" with mutual benefit and shared success. In exams, any option that clearly states that both sides benefit is usually the correct interpretation of "winwin".
Final Answer:
A "winwin" relationship, in the context of the passage, is one in which the relationship is beneficial to both parties and improves the lives of everyone involved.
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