Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Stephen Covey
According to Covey the way we see the world, our paradigm, affects how we interact with others, which in turn will affect how they interact with us. This means that if we want to influence others and make change must begin with an "inside-out" approach. Rather than looking at our problems as "being out there" (an outside-in approach) we must start by examining our own character, paradigms, and motives.
Out of this thinking Covey noticed seven habits, or behaviours exhibited by successful and effective people they are:
1. Be proactive. This is the ability to control your environment, rather than have it control you.. Managers need to control their own environment, using self-determination and the power to respond to various circumstances.
2. Begin with the end in mind. This means that you need to be able to see the desired outcome and concentrate on activities which help in achieving that end.
3. Put first things first. You need to personally manage yourself and implement activities which aim to achieve the second habit – looking to the desired outcome. Covey says that habit 2 is the first, or mental creation; habit 3 is the second, or physical creation.
4. Think win-win. This is the most important aspect of interpersonal leadership because most achievements are based on cooperative effort, the aim needs to be win–win solutions for all.
5. Seek first to understand and then to be understood. By developing and maintaining positive relationships through good communications, you can be understood, and can understand your team.
6. Synergise. This is the habit of creative cooperation - the principle that collaboration often achieves more than could be achieved by individuals working independently towards attaining a purpose.
7. Sharpen the saw. Learning from previous experience and encouraging others to do the same. Covey sees development as one of the most important aspects in being able to cope with challenges and aspire to higher levels of ability.
