The Habits: - SriBizInfo



Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People

By Stephan Covey

The Habits:

• Habit 1: Be Proactive: Principles of Personal Vision

• Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind: Principles of Personal Leadership

• Habit 3: Put First Things First: Principles of Personal Management

• Habit 4: Think Win/Win: Principles of Interpersonal Leadership

• Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: Principles of Empathetic Communication

• Habit 6: Synergize: Principles of Creative Communication

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw: Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal

Criticism

Critics of Covey's methods contend that the author offers a "quick-fix" that dissipates when measured against the reality of day-to-day life. When confronted with situations that contain elements that are outside the realm of their personal influence, those imbued with Covey's summary of accountability can become frustrated at the "habits'" failure to place situations within that personal "circle of influence". In short, Covey is sometimes said to preach impractical, idealistic methods. Some of the examples in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People are clearly aimed at/designed for/relevant to a corporate executive than (for example) a single mother working two low-wage jobs, which limits the broad applicability of the book and system.

Advocates of Covey's methods point out that the author consistently opposes "quick-fix" solutions to life or business problems and insists that changes in paradigm or mindset to align with natural principles are the true source of solutions. Covey points out, for example, that the paradigm that produces short term results in business inevitably leads to an inability to produce results for the long term. He calls this "killing the golden goose." The most effective mindset for the business person is to balance short and long term productive capacities.

A Principled Approach

Throughout the book Covey points to principles as the focus. The book presents the principles as an approach rather than a set of behaviors. The book imparts the principles in four sections.

• Paradigms and Principles. Here, Covey introduces the basic foundation for the creation of the habits.

• Private Victory. Here, Covey introduces the first three habits intended to take a person from dependence to independence, or one's ability to be self-reliant.

• Public Victory. Here, Covey introduces habits four through six which are intended to lead to interdependence, the ability to align one's needs and desires with those of other people and create effective relationships.

Renewal. Here, Covey introduces the final habit which directs the reader to begin a process of self-improvement. Such as Ally Gazdacko

The Seven Habits

A chapter is dedicated to each of the habits, which are represented by the following imperatives:

• Be Proactive. Here, Covey emphasizes the original sense of the term "proactive" as coined by Victor Frankl. Being "proactive" means taking responsibility for everything in life, rather than blaming other people and circumstances for obstacles or problems. Initiative, and taking action will then follow.

• Begin with the End in Mind. This chapter is about setting long-term goals based on "true-north principles". Covey recommends to formulate a "personal mission statement" to document one's perception of one's own purpose in life. He sees visualization as an important tool to develop this. He also deals with organizational mission statements, which he claims to be more effective if developed and supported by all members of an organization, rather than being prescribed.

• Put First Things First. Here, Covey describes a framework for prioritizing work that is aimed at long-term goals, at the expense of tasks that appear to be urgent, but are in fact less important. Delegation is presented as an important part of time management. Successful delegation, according to Covey, focuses on results and benchmarks that are to be agreed in advance, rather than on prescribing detailed work plans.

• Think Win/Win describes an attitude whereby mutually beneficial solutions are sought, that satisfy the needs of oneself as well as others, or, in the case of a conflict, both parties involved.

• Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. Covey warns that giving out advice before having empathetically understood a person and their situation will likely result in that advice being rejected. Thoroughly listening to another person's concerns instead of reading out your own autobiography is purported to increase the chance of establishing a working communication.

• Synergize describes a way of working in teams. Apply effective problem solving. Apply collaborative decision making. Value differences. Build on divergent strengths. Leverage creative collaboration. Embrace and leverage innovation. It is put forth that, when this is pursued as a habit, the result of the teamwork will exceed the sum of what each of the members could have achieved on their own. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.?

Sharpen the saw focuses on balanced self-renewal. Regaining what Covey calls "productive capacity" by engaging in carefully selected recreational activities

Criticism

Critics claim Covey over-intellectualizes management philosophy.

Other critics point out the profound difference in the world since The Seven Habits was first published in 1989 and dispute the relevance of the habits in today’s technological society. However, Covey persists that the habits remain as fundamental as ever, since he believes the concepts to be timeless truths.

|[pic][pic][pic]Ads by Google |

|The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989, is a self-help book written by Stephen R. Covey. It has |

|sold over 15 million copies in thirty-eight languages since first publication, which was marked by the release of a 15th |

|anniversary edition in 2004. The book lists seven principles that, if established as habits, are supposed to help a person |

|achieve true interdependent "effectiveness". Covey argues this is achieved by aligning oneself to what he calls "true north"; |

|principles of a character ethic that, unlike values, he believes to be universal and timeless. |

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|The book was enormously popular, and catapulted Covey into lucrative public-speaking appearances and workshops. He has also |

|written a number of sequels and spinoffs, such as Power of the Seven Habits; Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families; and |

|Beyond the Seven Habits. A sequel to The Seven Habits is published in 2004, ISBN 0-684-84665-9. Also, Sean Covey (Stephen's son)|

|has written a version for teens: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. This version simplifies the 7 Habits for younger |

|readers to better understand them. Sean Covey has also recently published a book called "The 6 most important decisions you will|

|ever make, A guide for teens" that highlights pinpoint times in the life of a teen and gives quality advice on how to deal with |

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|A course based on The Seven Habits is offered at the United States Department of Homeland Security's Federal Law Enforcement |

|Training Center. [1] |

|A Principled Approach |

|Throughout the book Covey points to principles as the focus. The book presents the principles as an approach rather than a set |

|of behaviors. The book imparts the principles in four sections. |

|Paradigms and Principles. Here, Covey introduces the basic foundation for the creation of the habits. |

|Private Victory. Here, Covey introduces the first three habits intended to take a person from dependence to independence, or |

|one's ability to be self-reliant. |

|Public Victory. Here, Covey introduces habits four through six which are intended to lead to interdependence, the ability to |

|align one's needs and desires with those of other people and create effective relationships. |

|Renewal. Here, Covey introduces the final habit which directs the reader to begin a process of self-improvement. Such as Ally |

|Gazdacko. |

|The Seven Habits |

|A chapter is dedicated to each of the habits, which are represented by the following imperatives: |

|Be Proactive. Here, Covey emphasizes the original sense of the term "proactive" as coined by Victor Frankl. Being "proactive" |

|means taking responsibility for everything in life, rather than blaming other people and circumstances for obstacles or |

|problems. Initiative, and taking action will then follow. |

|Begin with the End in Mind. This chapter is about setting long-term goals based on "true-north principles". Covey recommends to |

|formulate a "personal mission statement" to document one's perception of one's own purpose in life. He sees visualization as an |

|important tool to develop this. He also deals with organizational mission statements, which he claims to be more effective if |

|developed and supported by all members of an organization, rather than being prescribed. |

|Put First Things First. Here, Covey describes a framework for prioritizing work that is aimed at long-term goals, at the expense|

|of tasks that appear to be urgent, but are in fact less important. Delegation is presented as an important part of time |

|management. Successful delegation, according to Covey, focuses on results and benchmarks that are to be agreed in advance, |

|rather than on prescribing detailed work plans. |

|Think Win/Win describes an attitude whereby mutually beneficial solutions are sought, that satisfy the needs of oneself as well |

|as others, or, in the case of a conflict, both parties involved. |

|Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. Covey warns that giving out advice before having empathetically understood a |

|person and their situation will likely result in that advice being rejected. Thoroughly listening to another person's concerns |

|instead of reading out your own autobiography is purported to increase the chance of establishing a working communication. |

|Synergize describes a way of working in teams. Apply effective problem solving. Apply collaborative decision making. Value |

|differences. Build on divergent strengths. Leverage creative collaboration. Embrace and leverage innovation. It is put forth |

|that, when this is pursued as a habit, the result of the teamwork will exceed the sum of what each of the members could have |

|achieved on their own. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.? |

|Sharpen the saw focuses on balanced self-renewal. Regaining what Covey calls "productive capacity" by engaging in carefully |

|selected recreational activities. |

|Criticism |

|Critics claim Covey over-intellectualizes management philosophy. |

| |

|Other critics point out the profound difference in the world since The Seven Habits was first published in 1989 and dispute the |

|relevance of the habits in today’s technological society. However, Covey persists that the habits remain as fundamental as ever,|

|since he believes the concepts to be timeless truths. |

|Analogous Books |

|Principle Centered Leadership, published in 1992 (ISBN 0-671-79280-6). |

|First Things First, co-authored with Roger and Rebecca Merrill, published in 1994 (ISBN 0-684-80203-1). |

|Living the Seven Habits, published in 2000 (ISBN 0-684-85716-2). |

|, published in 2004 (ISBN 0-684-84665-9). |

|External links |

|Complete article detailing each of the habits |

|Information on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Personal Coaching |

Habit 1 - Be Proactive

Be Proactive     Begin With The End in Mind     Put First Things First     Think Win-Win     Seek First To Understand     Synergize     Sharpen The Saw     The 8th Habit

The first of the 7 Habits is - Be Proactive. It is perhaps a great compliment to Stephen Covey that today, the substance of this first habit is deeply embedded into the management psyche. We are told, in business, that we should be proactive; and broadly what is meant by that is to focus our efforts and attention on the long-term and to think in terms of the long-term consequences of our actions.

Covey contrasts being proactive or having a proactive mentality with being reactive. Reactive people, he says, are those who are resigned to the truth that whatever they do in the present can have no effect on their circumstances. And interestingly, for reactive people, it really is a truth, for whatever we believe in our heart affects our thoughts, words and actions. If we really believe that we can do nothing about our unreasonable boss or the daily events in our lives, then we simply do not make the effort.

Proactive people, on the other hand, simply will not accept that there is nothing that can be done about the unreasonable boss or the events of daily life - they will point out that there are always choices. It is by the decisions we make, our responses to people, events and circumstances that proactive people can and do affect the future. We may have no control over what life throws at us but we always have a choice about how we are to respond.

Now this notion that having a particular attitude of mind (which is really where this habit begins) can make such a huge and positive difference to almost everything we experience in life is foreign to those who have already internalised the opposite habit as a part of their personalities. For some people, the glass is always half-empty and the feeling of melancholy is a pleasant reminder that something is indeed missing. For such people, this habit represents a bitter pill to swallow - but, says Covey, it is also completely liberating.

When we are finally prepared to accept full responsibility for the effects that are manifest in our lives; when we have the strength of character to admit it when we make mistakes (even big ones); when we are completely free to exercise the options available to us in every situation; then it can be said that we have finally internalised this habit. The other six of the habits require that we first work on our basic character by becoming proactive and thereby transforming ourselves into men and women of integrity.

 

Habit 2 - Begin with the End in Mind

Be Proactive     Begin With The End in Mind     Put First Things First     Think Win-Win     Seek First To Understand     Synergize     Sharpen The Saw     The 8th Habit

The second of the habits is - Begin with the End in Mind. Many people in the west identify with the frustration of success. Being successful at their chosen career and committed to its progress they come to realise that it does not, in the final analysis, bring any sense of real satisfaction. The reason for this ultimate dissatisfaction is that they did not begin with the end in mind. For many people, it is not just that they did not begin with the end in mind; it goes a bit deeper - they did not ever get around to defining the end itself and so they simply could not begin with the end in mind. So what does all this mean? The end represents the purpose of your life. Until you can say what that purpose is, with assurance, then you just cannot direct your life in the manner that would bring you the greatest satisfaction.

There are no short-cuts here. To engage in this habit, you need to have a dream, define your own vision and get into the practice of setting goals which will allow you to make measurable progress toward the dream. If you practice a faith, then you will want to consider how this affects your purpose in life; if you do not, you will still need to get involved in deep self-examination to find out exactly what it is that will bring you fulfilment. To help you with this, you may wish to obtain my E-Book The Deepest Desire of Your Heart; available from this site. The book contains some excellent self-reflection exercises you can use to focus your mind on what is most important to you in life.

Until you have defined your vision - the big dream to which you will be working - you will be unable to move on to habit 3 which provides a basic framework for you to re-align your efforts so that you will ultimately achieve your heart's desire.

 

Habit 3 - First Things First

Be Proactive     Begin With The End in Mind     Put First Things First     Think Win-Win     Seek First To Understand     Synergize     Sharpen The Saw     The 8th Habit

The third habit is - First Thing First. Following the amazing popularity of his work on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey published a second book that deals with the 7 Habits; and the title of that book is also First Things First. Both the book and this habit deal with subject of managing your time effectively.

Consider the simple 2 x 2 matrix shown below. It plots the concepts of urgency and importance against each other; and represents where you are spending your time. To really understand and apply this habit, you need to have first done habit 2 - that is, you should already have defined what is important to you. Without first doing this, habit 3 has no power because you simply cannot separate what is important from what is not important.

This representation shows four categories of demand which may be made on your time. Quadrant 1 consists of activities which are both urgent and important - in other words, things to which you absolutely must attend. Why must you do these things? Because they are important - meaning that they contribute to your mission; and they are urgent - meaning that they have some sort of deadline associated with them.

Choices about where to invest your time really are made in the other categories; and most people - driven by the concept of urgency - get drawn into Quadrant 3; doing things that consume their time but do not contribute to their goals. Highly Effective People (yes they all fit together you see) understand that the high leverage activities are all Quadrant 2 - important but not urgent. Planning, preparation, prevention, relationship-building, reading, improving your professional knowledge and exercise are all examples of Quadrant 2 activity - not an exhaustive list, by any means.

We all intuitively know that Quadrant 2 activities are the key to getting results; but you need to have internalised the first two habits before you can benefit from the high leverage this habit brings. In other words, you first need to have developed the strength of character (proactivity) which allows you to be able to say no to demands on your time that fall into Quadrants 2 and 3; and you also need to have defined what importance means for you - otherwise the Quadrants do not exist.

Put habits 1,2 and 3 together and you have the ultimate success formula. Stated simply - get your mind right; define what is important; then organise your life to maximise your Quadrant 2 efforts. By spending appropriate time on Quadrant 2 activities, you will gain control over the circumstances of your life; Quadrant 1 will actually get smaller because you will have anticipated and prepared for much Quadrant 1 activity. Concentrating on Quadrant 2 is absolutely fundamental to achieving success. You might like to take a look at the 4tm Spreadsheet, available from this site, which can help you to make this key adjustment in the use of your time.

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Habit 4 - Think Win Win

Be Proactive     Begin With The End in Mind     Put First Things First     Think Win-Win     Seek First To Understand     Synergize     Sharpen The Saw     The 8th Habit

The next of the 7 Habits is - Think Win-Win. This habit is again an attitude of mind. It concerns fostering an attitude that is committed to always finding solutions that will truly benefit both sides of a dispute. Solutions do not, of course, exist in themselves; they must be created. And, even if we cannot see the solution to a particular problem, it does not mean that no such solution exists. The win-win idea is not based upon compromise - that is where most disputes naturally end. But compromise is the result of not properly perceiving the possible synergy of the situation.

The more you practice this habit, the more committed you will become as you find solutions which truly do benefit both parties, where originally it looked as if no such agreement might be reached. Covey has amended the wording of this habit slightly in recent years to read: Think Win-Win or No Deal. This attitude works well because it liberates the individuals concerned from the effort of trying to persuade the opposite party to shift ground or compromise. The effort is instead spend on trying to understand, which is where habit 5 comes in - you see, they are also sequential.

 

Habit 5 - Seek First to Understand

then be Understood

Be Proactive     Begin With The End in Mind     Put First Things First     Think Win-Win     Seek First To Understand     Synergize     Sharpen The Saw     The 8th Habit

The fifth habit is - Seek First to Understand. What most people do, naturally, when involved in some type of discussion, meeting or dialogue is exactly the reverse - they seek first to be understood. And, as Stephen Covey says, when both parties are trying to be understood, neither party is really listening; he calls such an interaction, 'the dialogue of the deaf'. This habit is an important key to inter-personal relationships and it seems to be almost magical in its ability to transform the course of discussions. Why? Because by making the investment of time and effort required to understand the other party, the dynamics of the interchange are subtly affected.

This habit is not just about letting the other person speak first; it concerns actually making the effort to understand what is being said. It is about understanding that our natural habit of mind is to misunderstand. When we are engaged in conversation, error is always present. NLP tells us that we simply make our own meaning based on our own experiences and understanding of life; and frequently we make the wrong meaning. You might like to take a look at the answers given by school-children on history exams which illustrates this principle - we are no different!

If however, we are prepared to invest the time and effort to really understand the other person's position; and to get into the habit of spending the first part of the discussion doing so; then, when it is felt by the other person that you do indeed understand, the dynamic changes. People become more open, more teachable, more interested in what you may have to say and with the mutual understanding that flows from this habit, you are ready to practice habit 6; which concerns finding creative solutions.

 

Habit 6 - Synergize

Be Proactive     Begin With The End in Mind     Put First Things First     Think Win-Win     Seek First To Understand     Synergize     Sharpen The Saw     The 8th Habit

The sixth of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is - Synergize. This habit involves you putting your head together with the other party or parties in order to creatively brainstorm a synergistic solution to a problem i.e. to find a solution which contains win-win benefits. It can only be done successfully if you have first practiced habits 4 and 5. The well-known definition of synergy is as follows:

Synergy - When the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Finding a synergistic solution means finding a solution which is better than either party might first propose. Such a solution can only be found if both parties truly understand the other parties position - the fruit of habits 4 and 5. There have been many books written on successful brainstorming techniques; my own favourite techniques are those proposed by Edward DeBono - professor of thinking and perhaps most famous for Lateral Thinking.

Putting habit 4, 5 and 6 together, you have a perfect model for human interaction. Put simply: first be mentally committed to the idea that a solution that will benefit all parties may be constructed; next invest the necessary time and effort to really understand the other party and do that first; finally creatively brainstorm a synergistic solution - a natural product of mutual understanding and respect.

 

Habit 7 - Sharpen the Saw

Be Proactive     Begin With The End in Mind     Put First Things First     Think Win-Win     Seek First To Understand     Synergize     Sharpen The Saw     The 8th Habit

The last habit of the 7 Habits is - Sharpen the Saw. In this habit, you are the saw; and to Sharpen the Saw is to become better, keener and more effective. Highly Effective People always take time to Sharpen the Saw. What is meant by Sharpening the Saw is to regularly engage in the exercise of the three dimensions which make up the human condition: body, mind and spirit. Covey also adds a fourth dimension - the inter-personal.

Spiritual Exercise

Let us begin by considering Spiritual Exercise - this is the area which is perhaps the most misunderstood. I believe that, in the west, we have become spiritually blind. The progress of our science, education and technology has lead us to construct a view of the world and the universe that excludes the agency of God. Freud famously said that it was man that made God 'in the image of his father'. It is, of course, a very clever statement and not one I wish to here challenge - whether this statement or the reverse is true is for you to decide. However, as the west has, by and large, abandoned faith in the creator God, so it has simultaneously abandoned the idea that life has any meaning or purpose; and it is purpose and direction in life that this habit refers to as Spiritual Exercise. Of course, if you are a religious person, then there will be a tie-up here with your personal faith; however,

if you are not religious, don't also abandon the idea that life holds a special purpose for you.

To exercise spiritually, I recommend that you consider engaging in some form of meditation. Meditation involves regularly sitting in a relaxed position and thinking about nothing for a period of about 10 or 15 minutes. Why this practice should bring about any material benefits is an interesting question. You might consider that you relax your mind quite enough when you sleep, but it turns out that we don't really relax our minds when we sleep. The brain is active during sleep - during REM sleep, the brain appears to be processing information. Though it is not yet known exactly what it is doing, the brain is certainly not passive and so the mind is not relaxed during sleep. Meditation is the practice of disciplining the mind, It is difficult to do at first, but if you stick with it, positive health benefits will follow.

Making use of Jack Black's House on the Right Bank is an excellent tool for combining what is really guided meditation with the practice of regularly reviewing your mission, your roles and your goals; and that is what Stephen Covey means when he talks about spiritual exercise - the regular, review and preview of the things that are most important to you in life. These are the first things that you must define in habit 2 - Begin with the End in Mind.

Physical Exercise

Regular aerobic, physical exercise is essential for health, energy and a feeling of well-being. Naturally, you should always consult your doctor or physician before you embark upon any course of physical exercise; and it should be obvious that such professional advice as may be given, should always be taken into account.

To practice this part of Habit 7 requires that you commit to at least three sessions of at least twenty minutes per week. If you are not already engaged in this sort of exercise, you will find that after a period of about six weeks, you will feel much better, much healthier and indeed your body will become more efficient at processing oxygen - which is the key to energy.

Mental Exercise

Ask yourself these questions. What am I doing to sharpen my mind? Am I engaged in a programme of education or learning of some kind? What am I doing to improve my professional knowledge?

How you should go about this part of the habit is, of course, for you to decide, but you should ensure that you are reading regularly. What should you read? Naturally you want to put in the good stuff - so it's not a case of reading for its own sake; it is reading carefully selected material which allows you to broaden and deepen your understanding.

You will naturally be paying particular attention to the important areas you defined in habit 2, but you should also consider reading all the great works of literature and also ancient wisdom literature which includes books like The Psalms and Proverbs..

Interpersonal

This part is not really a discipline, as are the other three parts, it is really a commitment; and for me, I make the commitment during the spiritual part of the habit, that is, during a meditation. It is simply to commit to approaching inter-personal relationships by making use of habits 4, 5 and 6.

Even if people approach me making use of language, actions, or behaviour which I personally believe to be inappropriate, my commitment is to not react, but to use my proactive capacity to engage in the exercise of habits 4, 5 and 6 which I believe will lead to the best possible outcome in such circumstances

The seven principles he presents in the 7 Habits are not original thoughts - he does not claim to have originated the ideas but simply to have found a framework and a language for articulating the time-less principles embedded into the seven habits. The 7 habits are to be found, he says, in all the major world religions. He believes the principles themselves to be 'self-evident', that is, 'you cannot really argue against them'. His view is that all highly effective people, and enduringly effective organizations, have utilised the 7 habits, to a greater or lesser extent, to sustain their success.

Covey says that the 7 habits are 'common knowledge' but, he adds, are not necessarily 'common practice'. In fact, it could be argued that the habits actually run counter to basic human nature. By our nature, we are reactive creatures and we are inclined to act mainly out of self-interest. But we are also as human beings capable of much higher thoughts and actions and by working hard to internalize the 7 habits we are able to develop a proactive attitude. By so doing, we can take charge of our own destinies and we are capable of exerting influence on other people for the collective good.

Quotations

by Stephen Covey

[pic][pic]Actually I did not invent the seven habits, they are universal principles and most of what I wrote about is just common sense. I am embarrassed when people talk about the Covey Habits, and dislike the idea of being some sort of guru.

Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.

Every human has four endowments- self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change.

I am personally convinced that one person can be a change catalyst, a "transformer" in any situation, any organization. Such an individual is yeast that can leaven an entire loaf. It requires vision, initiative, patience, respect, persistence, courage, and faith to be a transforming leader.

In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do.

Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.

Most people struggle with life balance simply because they haven't paid the price to decide what is really important to them.

Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character.

The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.

There are three constants in life... change, choice and principles.

We are not animals. We are not a product of what has happened to us in our past. We have the power of choice.

We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.

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