Stephen Covey's Seven Habits

Stephen Covey's Seven Habits are a simple set of rules for life - inter-related and synergistic. Each one worthy of following in its own right. For many people, reading Covey's work, or listening to him speak, literally changes their lives.

This is just a brief overview of the Seven Habits - the full work is fascinating, comprehensive, and thoroughly uplifting. I recommend you read the book, or listen to the full tape series if you can get hold of it.

HABIT 1 - BE PROACTIVE®
This is the ability to control one's environment, rather than have it control you, as is so often the case. You can either be proactive or reactive when it comes to how you act about certain things. Being "proactive" means taking responsibility for everything in life. When you're reactive, you blame other people and circumstances for obstacles or problems.

HABIT 2 - BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND®
Covey calls this the habit of personal leadership - leading oneself that is, towards what you consider your aims. By developing the habit of concentrating on relevant activities you will build a platform to avoid distractions and become more productive and successful.

HABIT 3 - PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST®
Prioritizing work aimed at long-term goals, at the expense of tasks that appear to be urgent, but are in fact less important. Successful delegation, according to Covey, focuses on results and benchmarks that are to be agreed in advance, rather than on prescribing detailed work plans.

HABIT 4 - THINK WIN-WIN®
The habit of interpersonal leadership. Necessary because achievements are largely dependent on co-operative efforts with others. He says that win-win is based on the assumption that there is plenty for everyone, and that success follows a co-operative approach more naturally than the confrontation of win-or-lose.

HABIT 5 - SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND AND THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD®
Habit of communication, and it's extremely powerful. Covey helps to explain this in his simple analogy 'diagnose before you prescribe'. Simple and effective, and essential for developing and maintaining positive relationships in all aspects of life. Giving out advice before having empathetically understood a person and their situation will likely result in that advice being rejected. Thoroughly listening to another person's concerns will increase the chance of establishing a working communication.

HABIT 6 - SYNERGIZE®
The habit of creative co-operation - the principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, which implicitly lays down the challenge to see the good and potential in the other person's contribution. Apply effective problem solving. Apply collaborative decision making. Value differences. Build on divergent strengths. Leverage creative collaboration. Embrace and leverage innovation.

HABIT 7 - SHARPEN THE SAW®
The habit of self renewal, it necessarily surrounds all the other habits, enabling and encouraging them to happen and grow. Learn from previous experiences and encourage others to do the same. Covey interprets the self into four parts: the spiritual, mental, physical and the social/emotional, which all need feeding and developing.