The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R Covey
Stephen covey first published the 7 Habits of highly Effective People in 1989, therefore in 2010 it celebrates its 21st birthday. As we all know, change has happened at such a rapid pace over the last two decades that one could be forgiven for wondering if its contents still have relevance even today? However the answer to this is a resounding "yes" and I will explain why.
In 2009 I re-read the 7 Habits of Highly Effective people while doing some research for a program that I was designing. It had been some time since I had read the book and what struck me most was that its contents seemed even more valid today than they did when I last read the book. Perhaps the key reason for this is that we were then (and still are) in the midst of recession. Recessions often result in people going back to basics and this is where the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People really comes into its own, it reminds us of some basic principles that if applied can greatly enhance our personal and professional lives.
In Coveys theory, a person must try to encompass all 7 Habits as it is their interactivity that makes them highly effective. However each habit has, in an of itself a very important message.
The first 3 habits are habits that each of us must master personally before moving onto the next 4. Understanding the first 3 habits are key as they prompt us to assess ourselves and our own behaviours and attitudes.
Habit 1: Be Proactive: Principles of Personal Choice
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind: Principles of Personal Vision
Habit 3: Put First Things First: Principles of Integrity & Execution
The second 3 habits focus on us reaching out beyond ourselves as key to success is acknowledging that we can never achieve success alone.
Habit 4: Think Win/Win: Principles of Mutual Benefit
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: Principles of Mutual Understanding
Habit 6: Synergize: Principles of Creative Cooperation
The final habit is key to ensuring that all the rest work properly and I would argue that it is the most important habit of them all.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw: Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal of body
