(WASHINGTON D.C. – April 9, 2024) “We often are conditioned with the idea that, ‘in order to win some, we have to lose some’, but maybe there are times when the paradigm changes and we look for the win-win.” – K. Jackson.
These are the wise words from Professor Kirabo Jackson, Special Advisor to the President on Economics.
He and I had a brief conversation today about the President’s Plan for relief to those burdened with Student Loans — many of whom first incurred these loans when they were barely 18/19 years old.
Think about that. These oftentimes are individuals who are barely old enough to be considered viable adults (ever heard of the term ‘college kids’); barely old enough to drive in some states; and often just barely old enough to vote. Medically speaking, most physiological models don’t view the brain as fully developed (and thus not yet capable of processing the scope of most adult decisions).
Yet, societally, we have all seemed to cosign the idea that it’s okay to task them with the decision to burden themselves with a potential lifelong relationship with debt. For many that weight has been unbearable.
And Dr. K. Jackson says that the President’s Plan is here to alleviate that loan, while providing the American Economy with a win-win, across almost all sectors.
For many of us, it becomes increasingly more possible to find the win-win, when we look at life through the lens of Emotional Intelligence. — In this regard, we are not simply taking into account our own perspective; we are proactively seeking to place ourselves in the others’ shoes (in this case, the borrower). From that vantage point, we ask the question, “is it possible for us to find success in a way that benefits me — and also the collective us.
And there’s a good chance we can find the win-win when we approach with the mindset of “YES, AND.”
The power of the “Yes, And” is unbeatable and unmatched.
It immediately sets your listener at ease, as the first thing they hear is the Affirming quality.
And it empowers us as the speaker to build a bridge — a common theme in our nation these days — while also simultaneously positioning us within the right to add conditional caveats to our agreement.
Under these conditions, there is a third party that suddenly also wins alongside us.
This third party can vary in type with each condition; sometimes it may be constituents, other times it may be clients, sometimes it may even be our critics. In either case and in either regard, there is a third winner that is birthed from the effective, fruitful conjoining of the two.
This, my friends, is called a win-win-win; and it is the basis for the best working relationships.
This win can only be found when we utilize the tool of the “Yes, And”, thereby effectively looking for ways to sit in multiple roles across the table simultaneously.
And this tool is only wielded by the power skill known as Emotional Intelligence.
Thank you, Dr. C. Kirabo Jackson, for taking the time to share your wisdom and knowledge with us today, reminding us that sometimes we may have the win-win(-win!) right in front of us, all along.
My name is Rodney C. Burris. I am the White House Correspondent for BMORENews, a media outlet in Baltimore where our slogan is, “the news before the news.” This column will look at the events impacting our nation and filter them through the lens of Emotional Intelligence. Our goal will be to inform, to make aware, to facilitate understanding, and then to increase the overall understanding of ourselves as we take a deep dive into the topics affecting our Emotionally Intelligent Nation.
