7 Habits Overview
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a book written by Steven Covey that I have introduced in previous posts. Reading the earlier posts will help gain a better understanding of some of the terms used here.
- Introduction to Effectiveness
- Habit 1 – Be Proactive
- Habit 2 – Begin With the End in Mind
- Habit 3 – Put First Things First
- Habit 4 – Think Win/Win
- Habit 5 – Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood
The first three habits are about taking control of our own lives as part of our journey to become more effective. Covey calls them, “private victories” as they are inward-looking to ourselves. They help us move from being dependent to independent thinking people. The next three habits are “public victories” and help us move from being independent to interdependent. Habit 6 is the last of these public victories and is the ultimate step for us to become truly interdependent.
Prelude to Habit 6
To illustrate the essence of Habit 6, I am going to start with a short story.
The rainforest was humid and the light was streaking through the breaks in the leaves. “Let’s leave for hunting now before the sun starts rising too high” said Mukasey.
He knew that they needed to go now and he needed all the young men with him so that they could trap their prey. He didn’t like leaving his wife, Yakima, behind but he trusted that the villagers would look after each other whilst the hunting party was out.
“Dave, you take your men down the bottom of the valley and drive the boar towards us. We will have a trap ready.”
Hunting required good teamwork.
Habit 6 – Synergize
This is perhaps the most powerful of all the habits because it is the essence of how we have built society. Since the time we were caveman, we learnt that by hunting in groups we could be more successful and it was hugely beneficial to leave our wives and children with others, where they weren’t raped, killed or all our possessions stolen. “Synergize” is about cooperation and teamwork. It requires us to be open-minded about finding new solutions which are better than solutions based on our own limited experience.
“Synergy is better than my way or your way. It’s our way.”
Dr. Stephen R. Covey
