Covey's Seventh Habit example essay topic

THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was written by Stephen R. Covey in 1989. This book has been on the National Best Seller list for over 200 weeks. Many people have attended Covey's seminars on the subject. Many companies have required top executives to read this book including AT & T, Dow Chemical, Ford, Deloitte and Touche, Marriott, Xerox and Ritz Carlton Hotels. This book proposes that there are seven habits that can be learned to improve one's personal and interpersonal effectiveness.

Covey describes a habit as "the intersection of knowledge, skill and desire". Knowledge would represent the "what to do", skill the "how to do", and desire the "want to do". In order to create a habit in our lives, we must have all three. Habits 1, 2, and 3 relate to Private Victory with habit 4, 5, and 6 relating to Public Victories and Habit 7 being involved with Renewal. Habit one is to be proactive.

This habit says that as human beings we are responsible for our own lives. Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions. We create our own destiny. The proactive person acts rather than waiting to be acted upon. According to Covey, part of increasing our self-awareness is understanding our Circle of Concern, that is, our range of concern with which we have mental or emotional involvement. A Circle of Influence resides inside the Circle of Concern reflecting those things over which we have control.

Habit two is to begin with the end in mind. If we paint a visual image of what we want our life to be then we actually provide a frame of reference within which all our behaviors can be examined. We must understand where we are going. We should develop a personal mission statement. It will provide the basic direction of our lives.

This statement will force us to give thought to our values and what we want to accomplish in life. In the third habit, Covey tells us to put first things first. Independence is crucial in this habit. Our personal integrity helps us to "walk our talk". The strength of purpose enables us to do even those things we'd rather not, placing our value's first. This habit requires good time management.

If the issue is not high priority, we must say "no" to reserve time for those items that are high priority. Through this habit effective management leads to effective delegation. The expectations of delegation can be altered by the maturity level of the person performing the task". Think Win / Win" is the fourth of Covey's habits. This habit requires a four step process: 1. See the problem from the other point of view.

2. Identify the key issues and concerns (not positions) involved. 3. Determine what results would constitute a fully acceptable solution. 4. Identify possible new options to achieve those results.

This frame of mind is based on cooperation rather than competition. We must have the courage to state our convictions, but to take into consideration other's convictions". Seek first to understand then to be understood" is the fifth habit. Covey suggests that we "diagnose before we prescribe in communication".

That is we need to understand the situation before rushing in with our prescription of advise. Seeking to understand requires consideration, communication and listening skills. Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. There are five levels of listening. We may be ignoring the other person, not listening at all. We may practice pretending by just responding by nodding our head or saying "Yeah.

Uh-Huh. Right". Another level is selective listening which is hearing only certain parts of the conversation. The fourth level of listening is attentive listening that is paying attention and focusing energy on the words that are being said. Very few people ever practice the fifth level and the highest form of listening which is empathic listening. Empathic listening gets inside another person's frame of reference.

You can actually understand how the other person feels and can see the world as they see it. You listen with your ears, eyes and mores importantly your heart. You listen for feeling, meaning and behavior. By listening to others you will be understood. When properly understood, synergy, the sixth habit, occurs. This is the highest activity in all life.

Covey describes it as the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In simple terms one plus one equals three or more. Synergy occurs when minds stimulate each other and ideas call forth ideas. It reveals a third alternative. We can't create synergy directly. It is a byproduct and trying too hard to create it can actually prevent it.

The goal is to create the climate in which synergy thrives. The elements of that climate include (1) the win-win attitude, (2) seeking first to understand, and (3) a belief in our abilities to find a third alternative. In other words, this habit builds directly upon the two that precede it. Covey's seventh habit could be described as the oil that lubricates the gears of all the other habits. "Sharpening the saw" is the habit that makes all the others possible. This habit is making an investment in ourselves.

This refers to taking care of our bodies. This includes eating right, getting enough sleep and engaging in regular exercise. Our physical well being will help us to be more proactive. The spiritual dimension of our lives must also be renewed. This is achieved through prayer, music, reading, meditation or nature. This touches the center of our beings.

Sharpening the saw of the mental dimension comes through continuing education. Proactive people can figure out many ways to educate themselves. The best way to inform and expand your mind is through reading. Another tool used to sharpen the saw is through writing. Writing affects our ability to think, reason and to be understood effectively. One should spend one hour a day for the rest of your life sharpening the saw.

This book is truly a work of art. The information is easily understood and is well communicated. Covey gives so many down to earth examples that it is easy to gain knowledge personally and professionally. I highly recommend this book and will definitely take the study course the next time it is offered at Columbia State.