Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of

Highly Effective People

Presented by:

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 Objectives

 to share the lessons that one may learn from this book
 to generate an acute awareness of the character ethic
 to equip my friends with a concrete “road-map” for further self-
exploration of the book’s principles on a day to day basis

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 Introduction
The author’s motivations
 a personal experience concerning his son
 expectancy theory:
– how perceptions are formed
– how they govern the way we see
– & how the way we see governs the way we behave

 in-depth study of success literature over the past 200 years

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 Introduction
The Personality Ethic
 dominant approach in the past 50 years
 social image consciousness
 two paths:
– human and public relations techniques
– positive metal attitude approach
 inspiring & valid maxims
 some clearly manipulative & even deceptive techniques

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 Introduction
The Character Ethic
 150 years pre World War I
 idea that there are basic principles of effective living
 enduring happiness and success by integrating these into our
basic characters
 foundational and catalytic

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 Introduction
Primary & Secondary Greatness
 the Personality Ethic is of secondary importance
 natural systems based on the law of harvest!
 the “7 habits” are basic - they are primary - representing the
internalization of correct principles upon which enduring
happiness and success are based.

“what you are shouts so loudly in my ears I cannot hear what

you say”
- Emerson

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 Paradigms
The way we see

 commonly used to mean: a

model, theory, perception, assumption - or frame of reference
 a map - but the map is not the territory!
 Awareness of our own paradigms:
our paradigms, whether correct or incorrect, are the source of
our attitudes and behaviors – and determine our relationships
with others

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 Paradigms
Paradigm Shift

 Thomas Kuhn: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

 instantaneous as well as gradual
 the learning curve is determined by one’s basic character!
 Being is Seeing. Seeing is Being.

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 Principles
The Principle-Centered Paradigm

 the Character Ethic is based on the fundamental idea that there

are principles that govern human effectiveness
 principles are natural laws that cannot be broken
 constitute the “objective territory” (not just the map)
 not esoteric, not mysterious, not “religious”
 self-evident and easily validated by any individual
 Deep within our conscience and common sense

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 Principles
Growth and Change

 a process: “a thousand mile journey begins with the first step”

 the Personality Ethic amounts to “borrowing strength”
 Inside-Out: private victories before public victories!
 the way we see the problem is the problem

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 Habits
An Overview
 Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits
 deeply rooted, often unconscious
 consistent and cohesive
 express our character

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not and

act, but a habit.”
- Aristotle

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 Habits
Definition
 the intersection of:

what to do
and why

how want
to do to do

 takes all 3 for a habit!

 iterative spiral: seeing & being

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 The 7 Habits
The Maturity Continuum

Interdependence WE

5. Seek first to Public 6. Synergize

understand...
Victory
7. Sharpen the saw

4. Think Win-Win

Independence I

2. Begin with the 3. Put first

end in mind
Private
things first
Victory

1. Be Proactive

Dependence YOU

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 The 7 Habits
Effectiveness

for all assets: physical, financial and human

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 Habit 1-BE PROACTIVE
Overview
 self-awareness
– a unique human capability
– the reason why we can break our habits
 3 social/deterministic maps:
– genetic determination
– psychic determination
– environmental determination

Stimulus Response Private

Victory

1. Be Proactive

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 Habit 1-BE PROACTIVE
Between Stimulus and Response

Freedom
Stimulus to Response
Choose

Self-
Independent
Awareness
Will
Imagination Conscience

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 Habit 1-BE PROACTIVE
“Proactivity” Defined
 response-ability
 = the ability to subordinate a an impulse to a value
 3 central values identified by Victor Frankl:

The ATTITUDINAL

The CREATIVE
The EXPERIENTIAL

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 Habit 1-BE PROACTIVE
Circle of Concern /Circle of Influence
Maintaining a proactive focus:

Circle Circle
of of
Influence Influence

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 Habit 1-BE PROACTIVE
Direct, Indirect and No Control
The problems we face are threefold: solved by
changing our
Indirect methods of
Control
influence= Public
Possible
involving
Victories
other (habits 4,5,6)
Direct people’s
Control behavior
Possible
solved by involving
our
solved by
working on behavior No changing the
our habits Control way we see...
Possible
= Private our past
& situational
Victories
realities
(habits 1,2,3)
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 Habit 1-BE PROACTIVE
At the Heart of the Circle of Influence

Our ability to
make
and keep
commitments
& promises

Circle
of
Influence

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 Habit 2 - BEGIN WITH THE END IN
MIND Overview
 the most fundamental application: visualization of your death &
the graveside perspectives from family, friends, work colleagues
and the community
 underlying principle: all things are created twice - mental (1st
creation) and physical (2nd creation)
 default verses design
 personal leadership verses Management (what and how)
 imagination and conscience

2. Begin with the

end in mind
Private
Victory

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 Habit 2 - BEGIN WITH THE END IN
MIND Highest Leverage PC Work
whatever is at the center of our lives will be the source of our:

- SENSE OF WORTH
- IDENTITY
- YOUR SENSE OF BALANCE
- EMOTIONAL ANCHORAGE
- UNDERSTANDING THE WHOLE

- SOURCE OF DIRECTION IN LIFE

- INTERNAL FRAME OF REFERENCE
- STANDARDS AND PRINCIPLES

- FACULTY TO ACT
- STRENGTH & POTENCY TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING

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 Habit 2 - BEGIN WITH THE END IN
MIND Alternative Centers
 spouse centeredness
 family centeredness
 money centeredness
 work centeredness
 possessions centeredness
 pleasure centeredness
 friend/enemy centeredness
 church centeredness
 self centeredness

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 Habit 2 - BEGIN WITH THE END IN
MIND A Principle Center (1)
 Security
– principles do not change (only our understanding of them does)
– principles do not react to anything
– principles are larger than circumstances
 Wisdom and Guidance
– principles supply the correct maps
 Personal Power
– unrestricted by the attitudes, behaviors and actions of others

Only limitation: the natural consequences of the principles

themselves - a universal law.

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 Habit 2 - BEGIN WITH THE END IN
MIND A Principle Center (2)
The principle center puts all other centers into perspective

spouse family

friend/enemy
money
PRINCIPLES

church work

self possessions
pleasure

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 Habit 2 - BEGIN WITH THE END IN
MIND Using a Mission Statement
 through conscience (of our own uniqueness) we detect our
missions in life by working within our circle of influence
 it will take time and should be reviewed regularly
 the process is as important as the product
 use your whole brain:
– using imagination to visualize and affirm (right brain activity)
– capturing these images and plotting them (left: roles and goals)

- personal
- positive
- present tense
AFFIRMATIONS - emotional
- visualized
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 Habit 3 - PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Overview
 The practical fulfillment of habits 1 and 2 (i.e.the 2nd creation)
 exercising independent will to become principle centered
through day-to-day effective self-management
 “Manage form the LEFT” (versus lead from the RIGHT)
 a measure of the value we place on ourselves!
 ensuring that your habits are a function of your values - not the
mood and/or circumstances of the moment
 management amounts to discipline in the area of life and time
management

3. Put first
Private
things first
Victory

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 Habit 3 - PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Four Generations of Time Management

+ Calendars
+ Calendars &
Notes and and Satisfaction
Appointment + prioritization
Checklists Appointment is a function of
Books
Books expectations
3. Setting of
& time!
1. recognition 2. attempt to goals and
of demands look ahead short / long
term planning

current Emerging
efficiency effectiveness
focused approach
approach (relationships &
(things & time) results)
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 Habit 3 - PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Quadrant II Activities

important I. II. require more

crises prevention, PC activities initiative &
pressing problems relationship building proactivity!
deadline driven projects recognizing opportunities
planning, recreation

not important III. IV.

interruptions (some calls) Trivia, busy work
some mails & reports some mail
some meetings some phone calls
popular activities time wasters

urgent not urgent

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 Habit 3 - PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Quadrant I Results

important I. you are

overcome by
• stress “waves” of
• burnout activity!
• crisis management
• always putting out fires
• problem minded people
• deadline driven producers

urgent

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 Habit 3 - PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Quadrant III Results

not III. you are work-

important
in terms of
• Short term focus other people’s
• crises management expectations
• chameleon character reputation and priorities!
• feel victimized and out of control
• inability to set goals and make plans
• shallow or broken relationships

urgent

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 Habit 3 - PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Into the Danger Zone

not III. & IV. effective people

important
stay out of here!
• total irresponsibility!
• Fired from jobs urgent or not,
• depend on others for basics they aren’t
important!

Urgent / not urgent

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 Habit 3 - PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Quadrant II Results

important The
I.
of effective
II. personal
management!
• vision, perspective
Feeding
• balance
opportunities
• discipline & starving
• control problems!
• few crises
P/PC balance!
Not urgent

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 Habit 3 - PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Learn to Say NO
 NB: you are always saying NO to something!
 Quadrants III and IV must make way for Quadrant II
 a center of correct principles and a focus on our personal
mission empowers us with the wisdom to take these yes/no
decisions effectively

NO.

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 Habit 3 - PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Moving to Quadrant II
A Quadrant II Organizer Tool will meet the following six criteria:

COHERENCE

PORTABILITY BALANCE

FLEXIBILITY QUADRANT II FOCUS

PEOPLE DIMENSION

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 Habit 3 - PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Becoming a QII Self-Manager
Long-Term Organizing:

Mission
Roles Goals
Statement

WEEKLY Organizing:

Schedule
Weekly Weekly
Plans
Roles Goals
Delegate

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 Habit 3 - PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Delegation: Increasing P & PC
 we delegate to TIME (efficiency) or PEOPLE (effectiveness)
 temptation to delegate to time
 delegating to people empowers both parties

input output
Producer:

Manager:
output
input

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 Habit 3 - PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Delegation: Gofer verses Stewardship
 stewardship focuses on RESULTS rather than METHODS
 5 aspects must be mutually understood:

DESIRED RESULTS

CONSEQUENCES GUIDELINES

RESOURCES
ACCOUNTABILITY

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 Public Victory
Introduction
 self-mastery precedes good relationships
 the emotional bank account paradigm - 6 major deposits:

– understand the individual

– attend to little things
– keep commitments
– clarify expectations
– show personal integrity
– apologize sincerely

5. Seek first to Public 6. Synergize

understand...
Victory

4. Think Win-Win

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 Habit 4 - THINK WIN/WIN
Overview
 not a technique - but a total philosophy of human interaction
 one of six paradigms of interaction:

– win / win (a better way)

– win / lose (authoritarian approach)
– lose / win (loser / peacemaker at all costs) It depends...
– lose / lose (enemy centeredness)
– win (other parties irrelevant)
– win / win or no deal
Public
Victory

4. Think Win-Win

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 Habit 4 - THINK WIN/WIN
5 Dimensions

(1) (2) (3)

win/win win/win win/win
character relationships agreements

Supporting systems (4) and processes (5)

the emotional bank account Performance & Partnership

(focus on results not methods)
consideration ->
l/w w/w
Integrity
Maturity l/l w/l
Abundance Mentality

courage ---------->
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 Habit 5: Seek first to understand…
Overview
 within your circle influence
 four basic forms of communication: speak, read, write and listen
 character and communication
 a profound paradigm shift:

selective attentive empathic

ignoring pretending
listening listening listening

 emotional bank account deposits

 understanding of the center
 when you listen, you learn 5. Seek first to Public
understand...
Victory

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 Habit 5: Seek first to understand…
4 Autobiographical Responses

1. we evaluate
by either agreeing 2. we probe
or disagreeing from our own
frame of reference

3. we interpret
based on our own
motives and behavior
Generally: 4. we advise
based on our
own experiences
communication asking questions
is logical/open and give counsel

communication reverting to
is emotional empathic listening

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 Habit 5: Seek first to understand…
AND then to be understood
part of win/win!!

ethos pathos logos

1. 2. 3.

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 Habit 6: SYNERGIZE
Overview

 the whole is greater then the sum of the parts

 the relationship between the parts is significant

WE LIVE IN AN INTERDEPENDENT REALITY

Public 6. Synergize
Victory

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 Habit 6: SYNERGIZE
Definition

when faced with our greatest challenges… with:

4 unique human
endowments
the true skill of
self-awareness motive of empathic
imagination WIN / WIN listening
conscience
independent will

we create NEW ALTERNATIVES - something that wasn’t there

before!
the creativity can be terrifying as the outcome is unsure...

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 Habit 6: SYNERGIZE
Levels of Communication

high

Synergistic (win//win)

TRUST
Respectful (compromise)

Defensive (win/lose or lose/win)

low

low high
COOPERATION

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 Habit 6: SYNERGIZE
The Middle Way

compromise

a higher way!

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 Habit 6: SYNERGIZE
Intrapersonal and interpersonal Synergy

The essence of synergy

is to value the differences!

• to move beyond our own

• perceptual limitations

• to increase our own awareness

• to affirm others
L R

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 Habit 6: SYNERGIZE
The Growth & Change Force Field

restraining forces

4 5 6

current level of performance

driving forces

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 Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Overview

Sometimes when I consider

PERSONAL PC ! what tremendous consequences
come from little things…

7. Sharpen the saw

I am tempted to think…
there are no
little things.

Bruce
Barton

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 Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
4 Dimensions of Renewal

PHYSICAL
Exercise, Nutrition,
Stress Management

MENTAL SOCIAL /
Reading, Visualizing, EMOTIONAL
Planning, Writing Service, Empathy,
Synergy, Intrinsic Security

SPIRITUAL
Value Clarification &
Commitment, Study &
Meditation

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 Conclusion

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