7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Dr. Covey is the author of several acclaimed books, including the international bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It has sold more than 15 million copies in 38 languages throughout the world. In 2002, Forbes named The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People one of the top 10 most influential management books ever. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People audio book on tape is the best-selling non-fiction audio in history, selling more than 1.5 million copies. Here is the Coles Notes on the 7 habits of Highly Effective People. If this interests you and you want to learn more visit http://www.blogger.com/www.franklincovey.com.

Be Proactive (Confidence – to feel empowered – take initiative)
Choose response and ability. Be a light, not a judge: a model, not a critic. Be Helpful, not critical. Proactive people develop the ability to choose their responses, making them more a product of their values and decisions than their moods and conditions.

Begin with the End in Mind (Planning – selection and maintenance of the aim)
All things are created mentally before they are created physically. You lead people and mange things.

Put First Things First (Time Management)
Time Management in four quadrants:
1. Crisis, pressing problems
2. Planning, crisis prevention. Opportunities, preparations
3. Interruptions, mail, reports, popular activities
4. Busywork, mail, phone calls, procrastination

The aim is to spend as much time as possible in the second quadrant, work to avoid quadrants three and four which will result in less time in quadrant one which could easily become the most time consuming.

Think Win-Win (Hierarchy of Needs)
Think of others as much as yourself in desired results, guidelines, resources, accountability and consequences. Maintain Emotional Bank Accounts.

Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood (Effective Communication)
Only when you seek to understand the point of view of others can you hope to be understood. This is the bait of effective communication. Beware of messages in body language, Know which emotional bank accounts are in the red. Avoid probing, evaluating and advising – listen.

Synergise (Team Building)
Creative co-operation and team work. Synergy results from valuing difference by brining different perspectives together in the spirit of mutual respect.

Sharpen the Saw (Self-Improvement)
This is the habit of self-renewal. Too many people concentrate on sawing and forget to sharpen the blade because this does not produce immediate tangible results. Self-Improvement must also concentrate on the whole being and to include physical, social, emotional, spiritual and mental.