The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

This book has been around for a while but it is still selling very well. Part of the reason is that it crossed over from the “general” self help category to the “business” self help category. It has spawned a number of sequels from the same author including “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Marriages”, “The 7 Habits of Happy Kids” and “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families.” The author, Stephen R. Covey is the head of a company and a non-profit which teaches leadership skills to corporations.

Another author gave an interesting distinction between being efficient and effective. She said that being efficient was getting things done quickly, correctly and with minimum effort and cost. On the other hand, being effective was getting what really NEEDED to be done quickly, correctly and with minimum effort and cost. Covey’s book lays out what he thinks is necessary to be effective. Here are his 7 “habits”:

Be Proactive

This section points out that your decisions are the most important thing in determining how effective you are. He emphasizes that you need to take responsibility for your decisions and what happens as a result. If you want changes in your life, take action. Don’t wait for the world to deliver your dreams on a platter.

Begin with the End in Mind

The first step in being effective is to dig down deep and find your basic values and decide what your long term goals should be. Plan ahead by trying to anticipate future situations and what your best response should be. As the Caterpillar told Alice, if you don’t know where you want to get to, it doesn’t matter which way you go.

Put First Things First

Covey emphasizes that you should prioritize your weekly activities on the basis of importance. After you take action, you should review your actions and their outcomes to see if you are pursuing your long term goals in line with your basic values.

Think Win-Win

You should always try to find a way that everyone can win when you interact with others. This enhances trust, involvement and relationships. Being selfish will not get you to your goals effectively.

Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood

You should listen carefully and empathically to what other people say. Then you should be patient and articulate in what you say to others. Communication breakdown can really get in the way of effective action.

Synergize

This plays off the saying that “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts”. If you emphasize cooperation and collaboration with others, you will reach your goals more effectively than if you “go it alone.”

Sharpen the Saw

You need to enhance your skills and renew your energy in order to be able to sustain a long-term effective lifestyle. You should allocate time to prepare, practice, exercise and relaxation to be ready for the challenges that you face.

Many of these ideas have been floating around in the self help literature for years but this book does bring a lot of good advice into a very accessible and thorough package.