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5/25/2018 07-Stephen Covey-7 Habits of Highly Effective People-Summary

Stephen Covey: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen Covey: 7 Habits Model

We immediately become more effective when we decide to change ourselvesrather than asking things to change for us.

Stephen Covey reviewed 200 years of success literature and crystallied what

he learned into seven habits that took the world by storm when he published

them in !"#". $wenty years later $he Seven %abits of %ighly &ffective 'eople

continues to be an influential business book delivering powerful lessons in

personal change. $he seven habits are not a (uick and easy formula for success.

)ut together they form a powerful model for personal change and leading

change.

* have to start by recommending Covey+s $he Seven %abits of %ighly &ffective

'eople. ,ead it- or reread it if your copy is sitting on your shelf *+m providing

an overview of the seven habits on this page. /ou need to read the book

because there+s a wealth of information in this book that you are not likely to

find on any web pages. ctually * first listened to Stephen Covey talking about

the seven habits on a set of C1+s before * read the book and the connection

between the two really worked for me.

Stephen ,. Covey emphasies a return to principles or values in order to

achieve change in our lives. $he seven habits are not simply a veneersurface3

that you apply for success. $he seven habits are a step by step model that

empower you make decisions and act so that you are always moving towards a

known destination rather than reacting to whatever is happening at the time.

$he reason * favor this model is that it has strong links to concepts of

&motional *ntelligence and emphasies the importance of self awareness before

successful engagement with others.

$he seven habits model uses the idea of +habits+ that we need to learn to do

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automatically. 5ost of us have habits we are not even aware of and probably

couldn+t say how we learned them in the first place Stephen Covey suggests

that this model is a process of learning different habits that are aligned with

the seven habits he presents in his book. 6earning a new habit is not easy. *t

takes time and practice. 7or most of us this is a big ask )ut if you+re willing tomake the time and put in the practice then Stephen Covey is the best place to

start.

So what are the seven habits8

/es- there are seven habits that Stephen Covey presents in $he Seven %abits

of %ighly &ffective 'eople. 5ore recently Covey published $he #th %abit- not

because he forgot one the first time round- but because he felt the #th habit

was necessary to meet the changing world.

$he seven habits are not intended to be individual formulas that we can 9ust

apply and be :better:. Stephen Covey says that like the normal laws of growth

the seven habits build on each other to create personal and interpersonal

effectiveness. $he first seven habits can be divided into two groups of three 4

the first group focuses on :private victory: and the second on :public victory:.

Stephen Covey says :'rivate ;ictory precedes 'ublic ;ictory: which really

means that we have to master ourselves before we can en9oy success outside

of ourselves and with others. %abit number < is about doing the right things to

maintain these habits and continue developing.

Habit 1: Be Proactive

)eing proactive is more than 9ust taking action. *n this first habit Stephen Covey

tells us we are responsible for our reactions to people or events. We are

,esponse4able and have ,esponse4ability because we have the ability to

consciously choose how we respond to any situation. Stephen Covey makes the

point that humans can think things through and don+t need to be caught up in

simple stimulus44=response patterns like 'avlov+s dogs. $o be proactive is to

choose your response rather than relying on instinctive reactions.

So- what+s your ,esponse4ability like8 Stephen Covey introduces the story of

;iktor 7rankl to emphasie the point that we have the freedom to choose our

response to whatever happens to us. 7rankl was a psychiatrist and is well

known for his theory of 6ogotherapy and publishing :5an+s Search for 5eaning:.

While enduring >ai concentration camps 7rankl realised that we can always

choose our response- no matter what happens to us. :5an+s Search for

5eaning: is essential reading- by the way- and should be high on your list. *t+s an

easy powerful read.

'eople who do not consider their reactions are reactive and often blame others

or things outside of themselves for what happens. $hey don+t take anyresponsibility. $hey+d say * failed the paper because the e?aminer doesn+t like

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me. 'roactive people take responsibility for their response- often looking for

what they can learn from what happened. $hey might say * failed the

paper...maybe * didn+t spend enough time learning- or didn+t plan my time. What

can * do differently ne?t time8

$o help you develop proactivity Stephen Covey introduces the concept of the

Circle of Concern and Circle of *nfluence. %e says proactive people focus their

time and energy in the Circle of *nfluence where they work on things they can

do something about. $his is a powerful metaphor and * use it often in

organiations involved with change. *t+s a tool that helps people identify what+s

important and what they can do to positively influence their future rather than

feeling like a pawn on a chessboard.

Habit 2: Begin With he End !n Mind

When * read $he Seven %abits of %ighly &ffective 'eople * was struck by the

wonderful metaphors that Stephen Covey uses to help us understand the points

he makes. 7or e?ample- he talks about how easy it is to get caught up in the

busy4ness of life- working hard to climb the ladder of success- only to discover

that all this time the ladder has been leaning against the wrong wall. * find this a

very simple and powerful image.

*t+s this metaphor that Stephen Covey uses to describe habit 2- )egin With $he

&nd *n 5ind. *t+s a simple idea really and is about making an effort to start with

a clear understanding of your destination and where you are going. 5aking sureyour ladder is up against the right wall before you start climbing.

$his is essentially about planning so that we know where we are going all the

time instead of being busy with day to day activities that actually take us

nowhere. $aking the time to see the bigger picture- to plan where we are

heading- leads to personal effectiveness.

)egin with the end in mind is based on the principle that all things are

created twice. $here@s a mental or first creation- and a physical or second

creation to all things. Stephen Covey makes the point that everything is

created twice- first in the mind and then in reality.

*f you+re building a house you plan every detail with architects drawings- builders

and landscapers according to what you want to create. Anly then does the

physical work begin. :/ou work with ideas. /ou work with your mind until you

get a clear image of what you want to build:. )efore you go on a holiday

you+ve usually planned the trip very carefully before you set foot out of your

front door. *f you+re giving a business presentation you write it out on paper or

electronically before you give it.

$he (uestion of course is why don+t we do this when it comes to our ownlives8 6ife throws so many things at us that keep us so busy that often we

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have never thought about where we are heading and if what we are doing is

taking us closer to- or further from our destination. Stephen Covey provides

many effective ways to begin this level of planning in your personal life together

with lots of e?amples. %e also provides very useful suggestions for applying the

ideas he has presented at the end of each +habit+ chapter.

Habit ": P#t $irst hings $irst

$his is the last of the habits that deals with self awareness and :'rivate

;ictory:. *f %abit 2 is the first- or mental creation- then %abit B is the second

creation- the physical creation. s we+ve 9ust seen it+s easy to spend a lot of

our time doing stuff that 9ust is not that important to meeting your intentions

set up in %abit 2. Stephen Covey recommends that you do first things first.

*dentify what is important to do in order to keep you heading towards your

destination- and then do them.

Ak- so how do you know what+s important and what is not8 *t+s about managing

our time and what we do in that time. >ow- * have always struggled with

traditional time management ideas. * resist being told that * must manage my time

better- or worse- being told how to manage my time. Stephen Covey has a 4

(uadrant time management model that actually got me interested in thinking

about how * manage my time.

Covey spends a lot of time working with this model and emphasising that we

need to aim to spend our time in Duadrant **. $his is where you deal with things

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that are important to your values and goals- but that are not urgent. :*f we

don+t practice %abit 2- if we don+t have a clear idea of what is important- of

the results we desire in our lives- we are easily diverted into responding to the

urgent:. $he urgent things are often those things that keep us away from

focusing on what is important.

s with the other habits Stephen Covey provides lots of practical thoughts and

e?amples to help you develop and practice %abit B including a useful template

for a weekly worksheet Eprinted in $he Seven %abits of %ighly &ffective 'eopleF

to help you focus your week on what is important to you.

Habit %: hin& Win'Win

%abit is the first of the %abits dealing with what Covey calls interdependence

4 working effectively with other people. *n describing each habit Stephen Coveyshares powerful insights and :$hink WinGWin: is no e?ception.

Stephen Covey makes the point that the habit of effective interpersonal

leadership is $hink WinGWin. $his is the habit of always looking for a solution that

benefits you >1 the other person or group. What+s fascinating is that the

solution is usually une?pected. :WinGWin is a belief in the $hird lternative. *t+s

not your way or my wayH it+s a better way- a higher way:.

5ost of us will say :yeah- yeah- we know this already. WinGWin+s the way to

go...: *t+s almost as if it+s the socially acceptable attitude. )ut in reality peopleare likely to act in their own best interest and when we look we find a

+WinG6ose+- +6oseGWin+- or 9ust a plain +Win+ scenario playing out. fter all- many

of us are brought up to believe that winning is everything. * 9ust have to watch

the dad+s on the side of their kids sports field to see this So in reality this is

a habit to be learned and practiced.

Habit (: See& $irst to )nderstand* hen to Be )nderstood

Stephen Covey believes this principle is the key to effective interpersonal

communication. Seek first to understand- then to be understood. $his habit is

about communicating with others. *t+s about developing the habit of listening

carefully and really understanding the other person )&7A,& giving your thoughts.

$his is not easy to learn to do. *n my practice *+ve often heard people saying

that no4one understands what they+re really feeling. *f you+re a parent you

might hear that from your teenage son or daughter E* doF. $his is because it+s

usually so much easier- and often really inviting- to give your opinion or to give

advice to someone in need. Couples in counseling are often spending more time

trying to get their partner to understand their position than listening and

understanding their partner+s position.

* really en9oy the e?amples that Stephen Covey shares to demonstrate this

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habit- especially the conversations between a father and his teenage son.

6istening to these on the C1 version of $he Seven %abits of %ighly &ffective

'eople really captures the humor that becomes apparent when we realie the

ways we often :listen: and respond- even when we have good intentions.

So start practicing this right now. %ave fun with it *n your ne?t conversation

with someone put your natural and automatic responses aside and focus on

genuinely understanding them. sk (uestions that invite more such as :$ell me

more...: or :What happened ne?t...8:. Spend time with your children- your

partner- your colleague- or even your boss- working to genuinely understand

them before you respond. /ou+ll find that when you +seek first to understand+

your response might be different to what you e?pect- and that you start finding

the creative solutions and third alternatives described in habit .

Habit +: Synergi,e

1ictionary definitionJ synKerKgy sin4er49ee3

!. $he interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined

effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.

2. Cooperative interaction among groups- especially among the ac(uired

subsidiaries or merged parts of a corporation- that creates an enhanced

combined effect.

$he word synergy comes from the Lreek synergos meaning working together.

Stephen Covey says- Synergy is everywhere in nature. *f you plant two plants

close together- the roots commingle and improve the (uality of the soil so that

both plants will grow better than if they were separated. *f you put two pieces

of wood together- they will hold much more than the total weight held by each

separately. $he whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Ane plus one e(uals

three or more.

*n %abit M Stephen Covey directs our attention to the power of effective

relationships. s a result of the relationship that e?ists between people or

groups the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. We can achieve so

much more when we engage in effective relationships with others than if we

acted alone.

Stephen Covey notes that synergy is difficult for many of us as independence is

promoted as a strong value in the world today. 5any people have been trained

or have learned that other people can+t be trusted. chieving synergy re(uires

high trust and high cooperation and can lead to better solutions than anyone

thought of alone. /ou can get a sense of the way in which habits - I- and M

work together to discover the creative solutions and third alternatives. ndsynergy is possible when we have the support of all five previous habits.

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*f you are concerned about synergy because you know you don+t trust people

easily it+s ok 4 go back to habit ! and )e 'roactive about your response to

situations or other people. /ou don+t have to get it all right first time. $his is

part of a life 9ourney of learning and developing. /ou will get there if you arewilling to spend the time and effort developing new habits.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Sa-

%abit < is about looking after yourself. /ou are the greatest asset you have

and we have to learn to take time to look after ourselves. Stephen Covey

suggests we pay attention to four areas in our livesJ

'hysicalJ &?ercise- >utrition- Stress 5anagement

SpiritualJ ;alue Clarification and Committment- Study and 5editation5entalJ ,eading- ;isualiing- 'lanning- Writing

SocialG&motionalJ Service- &mpathy- Synergy- *ntrinsic Security.

When * work with someone who has e?perienced e?treme stress to the point of

+breakdown+ we often find that their lives have been narrowly focused on work

and home. $hey go to work Eoften working overtimeF and go home simply to eat

and sleep so they can go to work again *s this you8 $he most important thing

you can start doing now is looking after yourself by focusing on the four areas

above.

Stephen Covey tells the story of meeting someone who has been sawing down a

tree for more than I hours. When you suggest that they take a break and

sharpen their saw so the 9ob might go faster they tell you they don+t have time

to sharpen the saw because they+re too busy sawing

*t+s so easy to get caught up in the demands of life- or even developing the

%abits- that we forget ourselves. We can+t do that. We have to be proactive

and do this for ourselves. >o4one else is going to do it for you. :We are the

instruments of our own performance- and to be effective- we need to recognie

the importance of taking time regularly to sharpen the saw in all four ways:.

ll four dimensions of renewal are thoroughly investigated and Stephen Covey

ends this chapter with a discussion about the importance of renewal in our lives-

and thinking of this as an upward spiral of growth- change- and continuous

improvement.

Stephen Covey provides a useful diagram in $he Seven %abits of %ighly

&ffective 'eople illustrating how the seven habits fit together. /ou can see the

progression from 'rivate ;ictory to 'ublic ;ictory with %abit < circling all of

them as Sharpening the Saw is essential for the health of all seven habits.

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$he Seven %abits of %ighly &ffective 'eople is a powerful book containingeffective principles for personal change and for leading change in organisations.

Ather authors and commentators have noted that the e(uivalent of an entire

library of success literature is found in this one volume and that there are many

more than seven good reasons to read this book. * highly recommend this book

and the practice of the principles contained in it. /ou really should get a copy

Stephen Covey published $he #th %abit in 200 to answer the challenges

presented by a world that has significantly changed since !"#" when $he Seven

%abits of %ighly &ffective 'eople was published. :$he #th %abit...is not about

adding one more habit to the < 4 one that somehow got forgotten. *t+s about

seeing and harnessing the power of a third dimension to the < %abits that meetsthe central challenge of the new Nnowledge Worker ge. $his #th %abit is to

7ind /our ;oice and *nspire Athers to 7ind $heirs:.

*ntrigued8 5ore about this on another page. *n the meantime get some Stephen

Covey on your bookshelf or in your C1 collection. /ou will not be sorry.

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