The seven habits of highly effective people
Based on Covey S (1989) The seven habits of highly effective
people: Simon and Shuster
Covey suggest that highly effective people have seven main habits which they
develop in maturing from a stage of childlike dependency to individual independence
and then, for the few, to an appreciation of the need for participatory interdependence.
You can rate your own level of effectiveness by considering where you would
place yourself on the following set of seven scales.
In each case 1 = a real need to develop this, through to 5 = this
is fundamental to the way I already lead my life.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
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1. Be proactive - you are in control rather than being a
victim |
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2. Begin with the end in mind - live by values - you know what
you personally want out of life and do not get distracted |
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3. Put first things first - prioritizing and controlling - have
good personal time management - focus on the non-urgent, important things |
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4. Think win/win - avoid creating losers. See challenges rather
than problems, and trust others |
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5. Understand and then be understood - listen carefully to make
sure you understand the other person’s point of view - listen for
feelings as well as meaning |
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6. Synergise - recognize and respect different points of view
and use them as driving forces to produce the best solutions and enhance
mutual awareness and respect |
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7. Sharpen the saw - this is about personal renewal, growth and
learning and has four dimensions - physical, social, spiritual and mental |
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Habits 1-3 are essential precursors to allowing the ensuing processes:
- genuine empathy: really understanding the other point of
view
- identifying and agreeing the issues and concerns
- agreeing that what results constitutes a mutually
acceptable solution
- agreeing action to achieve the results
Note: having filled the boxes you might care to share the findings with a
critical friend by way of using them as a mirror to help you move towards deeper
understanding of your own habits.
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