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Winning Coalition

Reading this interview got me curious about the book referenced here. The idea of a small winning coalition seems to apply to a lot of other areas and not just to politicians doing what they can to stay in power. A is a new hire and she is assigned on a large, complex project with many loud opinions and no clear decision makers. She learns quickly that she must learn to navigate carefully to survive and thrive. To do that she needs to understand what her winning coalition is. Not everyone can or needs to be pleased. But there are those without whose support she will soon be out on the street. A gets promoted because she astutely identifies this group and makes sure they are happy with her.  

B is dating C who has a vibrant social life and also comes from a large family. B thinks he has a future with C but to make things work long term he needs to figure out the winning coalition to have the support system he will need to raise a family with one such as C. His relationship and marriage will sink or swim based on his ability to identify the key players and make sure they see him as an ally. In both examples, the size of the coalition must be small enough to manage yet comprehensive enough for it to yield the expected value. Not so different that what goes in politics. 

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