Introduction
Dr Stephen Covey is as a highly influential management guru, whose book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, become a useful and sequential framework for understanding personal development. Some have argued that The Seven Habits may prove easy to understand but not easy to apply. The author tries to put across life changing ideas on being more effective in all areas of life including family, professional, emotional, and spiritual, thereby creating satisfaction and happiness from all life endeavors. The importance of the book has increased than ever before, as the business world has shifted to humanistic concepts. The values proposed by Covey are full of humanity and integrity, and contrast strongly the process-based ideologies that formed the basis of traditional management thinking.
Key points of the author
The author starts the book by reminding readers of the importance of paradigm shift as a fundamental requirement for the change desired by an individual. Covey introduces two constructs in relation to this shift– the character ethic and personality ethic. The personality ethic refers to the way people project themselves to others, which include our energy levels, attitude among others. The character ethic reflects what we actually are, based on values such as honesty, integrity, trustworthiness among others. In the modern world, people associate success with a great personality, but the author maintains character ethic contributes to the overall happiness and success of an individual. He argues that people need to have a shift from personality ethic to character ethic, which he maintains can only emanate from within an individual through various habits.
Habit 1 – Be Proactive
This refers to an individual's ability to control the external environment, rather than let it control you as is often the case. Reactive people allow circumstances, emotions, conditions, and environment to control them. Conversely, proactive people are driven by values in making choices, self-determination, and the power to decide response to conditions, stimulus, circumstances, and conditions. Even though, proactive people are also driven by external stimuli, their response to stimuli, whether conscious or unconscious, is based on values.
Habit 2 – Begin with the end in mind
Covey refers to this as principles of personal leadership. Mental visualization is extremely valuable. Covey puts it the process is dual, the first being mental conceptualization and visualization, and the second being physical (Covey, 1990). People need to act as their own creator by planning, visualizing what they plan to do, and setting out to accomplish, and go out and create it. Identifying your principles and personal statement will help will enhance the ability manage distractions and become more productive and successful.
Habit 3 - Put First Things First
Covey calls this habit of personal management. People can create the ending they desire with the power of independent will. This is partially achieved by effective time management, starting with matters of substantial importance. This implies people should accomplish tasks based on urgency after dealing with the important issues. Dealing with deadline-driven projects, crises, and processing problems first, then life will be much easier. This entails planning and executing processes in accordance to the aims established in habit two.
Habit 4 - Think Win/Win
Covey calls this habit of personal relationship and it is necessary because an individual’s achievements largely depend on the level of co-operation with other people. Win-win means that solutions or agreements are mutually satisfying and mutually beneficial. A win-win solution or agreement results into both parties feeling good about the decision and commitment to the decision taken. Covey says that a win-win views life as cooperation rather than a competitive arena. A win-win is based on the assumption that there is plenty for everyone and that success follows a co-operative approach more natural that the confrontation of win-lose (Covey, 1990).
Habit 5 - Seek First to Understand and Then to Be Understood
Covey presents a compelling communication habit that is extremely powerful. Good listeners take their time in understanding a concept, which helps to communicate their plans, opinions, and goals to others. This starts with strong listening and communication skills, followed by analysis of the solution and then communicating your ideas to others. Typically, most people do not listen to understand but to reply. Covey put it that you should “diagnose before you prescribe” (Covey, 1990). Good listening and understanding is crucial for maintaining a positive relationship in all aspects of life.
Habit 6 – Synergize
According to Covey, synergistic communication involves “opening your mind and heart to new possibilities, new alternatives, and new options” (76). Covey calls this creative co-operation – the principle leveraging individual differences create an output is greater than the sum of all parts. Through mutual understanding and trust, individuals or groups can find a better solution than it would have been through individual solution.
Habit 7 – Sharpen the Saw
Covey calls this habit of self-renewal, and it encompasses all the six habits, encouraging and enabling them to happen and flourish. Sometimes people concentrate on the other six habits that they forget to renew and re-energize themselves to sharpen themselves for the task ahead. Covey maintains that is essential to improve our life in four dimensions: the spiritual, mental, physical, and social/emotional.
Physical dimension involves taking care of the physical body through healthy eating, exercising on a regular basis, and getting enough rest. Neglecting physical health can result into health problem that may prove difficult to deal with in the long-term. Spiritual dimension relates to Habit 2, and it helps to uplift and inspire you to face the realities of life. Mental dimension entails continued education in order to expand and hone the mind. Renewing our social and emotional dimensions involves regular interactions with other people and some exercises.
Overall impression on Covey’s book
Covey’s book is a highly influential work, rich in new experiences but also difficult to understand. The book applies straightforward but powerful seven habits to life circumstances and lifechanging decisions they undergo to help them become the most effective people. The book uses amusing and relatable systematic guide to teach teens to focus on their futures by building friendships, improving their self-image, achieving their goals, resisting peer pressure, learning how to associate with their parents. The author has also included quotes, diagrams, cartoons, credible ideas, and relatable and credible stories about people around the world. In doing so, the author brings the teens into the book and helps them feel as part of the book in every aspect. Covey’s book makes one feel as if they have a little coach inside the book explaining every step you are going through while reading the book. This book has an overall impact on every teenager who comes across it with the direction offered and meaningful messages found inside the book.
Covey’s book is immensely influential and has the potential to help teens learn many habits and quotes that can change an individual’s life when put into practice. The author’s purpose for writing the book is to teach the seven habits and make out of it an effective teen, and I firmly believe it will achieve that. The book is also highly entertaining and amusing. I started reading the book with the intention of learning from it; I also found it extremely enjoyable. The book is truly enjoyable, as I had to take break to laugh and relate the quotes and stories in the book.
Application of the ideas in personal and professional life
Reading the book made me look at my productivity more differently than I did before. It made me change my perception on hoe I manage my time, but most importantly, my energy. I realized that I was spending most of my time on worrying about things that are not relevant. I was ignoring things like networking with friends and family because I thought that I needed to spend more time studying and earning more cash on part-time jobs. I knew that establishing connections were necessary, but failed to put into practice.
I also learned the importance of choosing to have a win-win situation and seek to understand before taking any action. This will help me develop a healthy relationship with my family, friends, and work mates. I also realized the importance of constant sharpening as it helps in achieving life goals and objectives more effectively. Covey’s book helped learn that advice is not acceptable as you let it be, but it only helps when you connect to it and tailor it to my situation.
Reference:
Covey, R. S. (1990). Seven habits of highly effective people: powerful lessons in personal change. New York: Free Press.
