Book Report - "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey
Because of some work initiatives, I’ve started digging into books on leadership. My manager recommended a few, and “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” (or just “7 Habits”) was the first available from the library. With little else to go on, I decided it was a reasonable place to start. My expectations were admittedly set very low. At a glance, “7 Habits” looks like just another book about self-improvement, with a bunch of buzzwords and very little actionable material. However, I wanted to give it a solid attempt before I panned the book as complete trash.
The funny thing about the habits themselves is they aren’t exactly hidden; Covey has them listed and described in plain view on his site. I’ll even drop them right here, it isn’t a secret. These are not some ancient gnostic wisdom that get you into an occult club. It’s just a way of thinking about things.
Habit 1: Be Proactive®
Focus and act on what you can control and influence instead of what you can’t.
Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind®
Define clear measures of success and a plan to achieve them.
Habit 3: Put First Things First®
Prioritize and achieve your most important goals instead of constantly reacting to urgencies.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win®
Collaborate more effectively by building high-trust relationships.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood®
Influence others by developing a deep understanding of their needs and perspectives.
Habit 6: Synergize®
Develop innovative solutions that leverage differences and satisfy all key stakeholders.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw®
Increase motivation, energy, and work/life balance by making time for renewing activities.
(https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits/)
It would be really easy to glaze over those and describe them as common sense. And honestly, they really are common sense. What the book accomplishes is connecting real world application with the habits, and explaining how they work together to greater effect. Working on how well you follow one habit equips you to better follow the other habits.
I would be remiss to ignore the fact that there are a few cliché mnemonics in the book.
Responsible - response able - you can control your response.
Rationalize - rational lies - you’re telling yourself rational lies to justify.
There are a couple more, but they all feel a little cringe. I understand what Covey is getting at, but I can’t help rolling my eyes when he gives little quips like that. If you can give them a pass, they really aren’t too pervasive.
All in all, “7 Habits” is about new ways to look at yourself, your problems, and the world around you. Perspective, rather than action, is the first step toward becoming more effective and efficient in anything you do. If you can recognize shortcomings and bad habits, you can begin to redress them. To pull an analogy straight from the book, it is better to remove your foot from the brake than to push the gas harder to overcome the brake.
If you want a quick and easy way to turn your life around with one small action, this ain’t it. Covey admits that himself. The difference, to again quote the book, is that quick fixes treat the symptom without ever treating the cause. Eventually, the root cause will bring back the symptoms.
Instead, look at “7 Habits” as a sort of analysis on motives and decision making. Covey does give some anecdotal examples, but they’re just that: examples. He isn’t saying that you have to do things his way. He just illustrates how these habits play out in real life, and demonstrates one or two particular ways that the reader could use for inspiration.
Personally, the 7th habit of sharpening the saw really resonates with me. Covey explains how the 7 day week is really ideal for a sort of cyclical pattern of action and review. Day to day cycles are often too short to get a good look at how you tend to spend your time. Monthly or longer is often too long to really sum everything up. Weekly is short enough to get a tight feedback loop, but long enough to allow some play in time frames.
For me, and especially in my professional life, it looks a lot like the sprint cycles of Agile software development. You start at the beginning by planning what you want to achieve and how you want to do it. You spend the sprint duration working toward the goals. At the end of the sprint, you review what you did and how it went. If changes need to be made, you detail those and apply them to the next sprint. Rinse and repeat.
“7 Habits” may not resonate with everyone in total, but I think anyone could get something from it. Don’t approach it as a quick fix to change things for you, look at it more like a tool to help you change yourself. Read it with an open mind, and you might just gain valuable perspective on some issue.
The funny thing about the habits themselves is they aren’t exactly hidden; Covey has them listed and described in plain view on his site. I’ll even drop them right here, it isn’t a secret. These are not some ancient gnostic wisdom that get you into an occult club. It’s just a way of thinking about things.
Habit 1: Be Proactive®
Focus and act on what you can control and influence instead of what you can’t.
Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind®
Define clear measures of success and a plan to achieve them.
Habit 3: Put First Things First®
Prioritize and achieve your most important goals instead of constantly reacting to urgencies.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win®
Collaborate more effectively by building high-trust relationships.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood®
Influence others by developing a deep understanding of their needs and perspectives.
Habit 6: Synergize®
Develop innovative solutions that leverage differences and satisfy all key stakeholders.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw®
Increase motivation, energy, and work/life balance by making time for renewing activities.
(https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits/)
It would be really easy to glaze over those and describe them as common sense. And honestly, they really are common sense. What the book accomplishes is connecting real world application with the habits, and explaining how they work together to greater effect. Working on how well you follow one habit equips you to better follow the other habits.
I would be remiss to ignore the fact that there are a few cliché mnemonics in the book.
Responsible - response able - you can control your response.
Rationalize - rational lies - you’re telling yourself rational lies to justify.
There are a couple more, but they all feel a little cringe. I understand what Covey is getting at, but I can’t help rolling my eyes when he gives little quips like that. If you can give them a pass, they really aren’t too pervasive.
All in all, “7 Habits” is about new ways to look at yourself, your problems, and the world around you. Perspective, rather than action, is the first step toward becoming more effective and efficient in anything you do. If you can recognize shortcomings and bad habits, you can begin to redress them. To pull an analogy straight from the book, it is better to remove your foot from the brake than to push the gas harder to overcome the brake.
If you want a quick and easy way to turn your life around with one small action, this ain’t it. Covey admits that himself. The difference, to again quote the book, is that quick fixes treat the symptom without ever treating the cause. Eventually, the root cause will bring back the symptoms.
Instead, look at “7 Habits” as a sort of analysis on motives and decision making. Covey does give some anecdotal examples, but they’re just that: examples. He isn’t saying that you have to do things his way. He just illustrates how these habits play out in real life, and demonstrates one or two particular ways that the reader could use for inspiration.
Personally, the 7th habit of sharpening the saw really resonates with me. Covey explains how the 7 day week is really ideal for a sort of cyclical pattern of action and review. Day to day cycles are often too short to get a good look at how you tend to spend your time. Monthly or longer is often too long to really sum everything up. Weekly is short enough to get a tight feedback loop, but long enough to allow some play in time frames.
For me, and especially in my professional life, it looks a lot like the sprint cycles of Agile software development. You start at the beginning by planning what you want to achieve and how you want to do it. You spend the sprint duration working toward the goals. At the end of the sprint, you review what you did and how it went. If changes need to be made, you detail those and apply them to the next sprint. Rinse and repeat.
“7 Habits” may not resonate with everyone in total, but I think anyone could get something from it. Don’t approach it as a quick fix to change things for you, look at it more like a tool to help you change yourself. Read it with an open mind, and you might just gain valuable perspective on some issue.
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