The 7 habits of highly effective people
Stephen Covey ha published a book called seven habits of highly effective people where he looks into why successful people are successful in both business and in personal life. According to Covey, our personal beliefs affect our interactions with others, which in turn affect how others interact with us. Improving interactions thus starts with a through understanding of our own motives. To become successful, one should examine how effectively one acts and interacts. According to Covey, one first has to break loose from being dependent on others. Becoming independent requires that a person is proactive, begins with the end in mind, and put first things first. When independent the level if interdependence is reached by also think win/win, understand first, before trying to be understood, and finally by synergies:
Be Proactive: From now on take responsibility for your behaviors. You do not blame circumstances, conditions, or your conditioning for your behavior. You actively choose your response to any situation and any person. You must be prepared to respond in a way that makes you feel proud. If that requires extra hard work or makes you feel uncomfortable, so be it.
Begin with the end in mind: When, and whatever you undertake, you must visualize the result or future that you want to achieve. You must have a clear vision of where you want to go, or you will not go there at all. You must know exactly what you want to accomplish. Or you choose not to accomplish it at all. You live life and make decisions according to your deeply held beliefs, principles or fundamental truths.
Put first things first: By taking full control and remaining disciplined, you can focus on the most important, but not necessarily the most urgent activities. Covey’s list of such important activities include building relationships, writing a personal mission statement, making long-range plan, doing your workout, and preparing for that presentation next week. Do all those things now that otherwise would be squeezed in at the last minute, delayed or even dismissed. They will help you eliminate those urgent activities that recently topped your over-loaded to-do list, but really were not as important. Now that you have reached the point of being independent, and you are using your time to pursue your most important goals in life effectively, you must increase your effectiveness with others around you.
Think win-win: You must believe in “abundance”; there is plenty for everyone. One person’s success does not necessarily require someone else’s failure. You seek solutions to problems that allow all parties involved
Understand first, before trying to be understood: By this means you can make people around you feel like winners. You might actually learn something from them in the process, now that you have finally decided o shut up and listen. In fact, you must listen with the firm intention of understanding the other person fully and deeply on an intellectual, analytical and emotional level. Diagnose before you prescribe, says Covey.
Synergize: Finally, you need to open your mind to fresh, creative ideas. You become an agent for innovation, a trailblazer and a pathfinder. You are convinced that the whole is greater then the sum of its parts. You value differences between people and try to build upon those differences.
Be Proactive: From now on take responsibility for your behaviors. You do not blame circumstances, conditions, or your conditioning for your behavior. You actively choose your response to any situation and any person. You must be prepared to respond in a way that makes you feel proud. If that requires extra hard work or makes you feel uncomfortable, so be it.
Begin with the end in mind: When, and whatever you undertake, you must visualize the result or future that you want to achieve. You must have a clear vision of where you want to go, or you will not go there at all. You must know exactly what you want to accomplish. Or you choose not to accomplish it at all. You live life and make decisions according to your deeply held beliefs, principles or fundamental truths.
Put first things first: By taking full control and remaining disciplined, you can focus on the most important, but not necessarily the most urgent activities. Covey’s list of such important activities include building relationships, writing a personal mission statement, making long-range plan, doing your workout, and preparing for that presentation next week. Do all those things now that otherwise would be squeezed in at the last minute, delayed or even dismissed. They will help you eliminate those urgent activities that recently topped your over-loaded to-do list, but really were not as important. Now that you have reached the point of being independent, and you are using your time to pursue your most important goals in life effectively, you must increase your effectiveness with others around you.
Think win-win: You must believe in “abundance”; there is plenty for everyone. One person’s success does not necessarily require someone else’s failure. You seek solutions to problems that allow all parties involved
Understand first, before trying to be understood: By this means you can make people around you feel like winners. You might actually learn something from them in the process, now that you have finally decided o shut up and listen. In fact, you must listen with the firm intention of understanding the other person fully and deeply on an intellectual, analytical and emotional level. Diagnose before you prescribe, says Covey.
Synergize: Finally, you need to open your mind to fresh, creative ideas. You become an agent for innovation, a trailblazer and a pathfinder. You are convinced that the whole is greater then the sum of its parts. You value differences between people and try to build upon those differences.
Source:
Stephen R. Covey, The 7 habits of highly effective people, 1990, New York (link to latest edition)
Marcel van Assen, Gerben van den Berg, Paul Pietersma, Key Management Models 2nd Edition, 2009, Harlow (link to latest edition)
Stephen R. Covey, The 7 habits of highly effective people, 1990, New York (link to latest edition)
Marcel van Assen, Gerben van den Berg, Paul Pietersma, Key Management Models 2nd Edition, 2009, Harlow (link to latest edition)
