Charles Handy thought for the day on the value of the Chinese Contract in business as well as life, and how one should learn to love one's enemies. Handy begins the thought discussing how deals that took place in Dublin, London, and Geneva may mark a path to peace and progress through compromise. Handy then reflects on his own history and how his interactions in Chinese business deals revealed the legitimacy of the Chinese Contract, wherein, for a business deal to work, both parties had to benefit equally, meaning that both had to give way on certain negotiation points. He notes that he carried this same view over to his approach in his own relationships, in which he entered into his second marriage to the same wife based on the principle of the Chinese Contract. According to Handy, practicing the principles of the Chinese Contract, which include turning competitors into partners and finding a shared ambition for all partners, is the key to successful relations.
Handy, Charles B Smith, Adam, 1723-1790 Ireland General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (1947 October 30) Negotiation
Source
Charles Handy thought for the day on the value of the Chinese Contract in business as well as life, and how one should learn to love one's enemies, December 16, 1993; Charles Handy Papers; Box 18, Folder 9; 1 page
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