Highly Effective People Book Review

The 7 Habits of Highly Eective People: Book Review

I) About Author

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Stephen Richards Covey, recognized as one of Time magazine’s 2 most inf!uentia! Americans, "as born on #ctober 2$, %&'2( nti! his death on *u!y %+, 2%2, he "as a professor at the *on -( .untsman . untsman Schoo! of /usiness at tah State niversity( 0r( 0r( Stephen R( Covey "as an American author, businessman, educator and motivationa! spea1er "ho devoted his !ive in demonstrating ho" every person can !ive eective!y and order!y( .e became "e!! 1no"n in the fie!d of business administration and management because of his boo1 entit!ed 3The 4 .abits of .igh!y 5ective 6eop!e7 "hich "as named the 8% -ost Inf!uentia! /usiness /oo1 of the T"entieth Century( .is success continued as he pub!ished more b!oc1buster boo1s "hich inc!ude 9irst Things 9irst, 6rincip!e:Centered ;eadership, and The 4 .abits of .igh!y 5ective 9ami!ies "ith sa!es eue! to the Seven .abits( .e

suggests that  eectiveness does not suffice in the 3?no"!edge @or1er Age7 and he says that cha!!enges and everyone must find their voice and inspire others to find theirs( This boo1, having so!d more than $, copies "or!d"ide, sho"s ho" peop!e admire the "or1s of Stephen Covey(

II( Synopsis A( 6aradigms and 6rincip!es A paradigm is the "ay "e see and understand the "or!d around us( It is a menta! map by "hich "e interpret the information "e receive( 6rincip!es are guide!ines for human behavior that have been proven over time to have enduring and permanent va!ue( The cha!!enge is to deve!op our o"n paradigms that are based on princip!es( 5veryone carries "ith them t"o menta! maps  the "ay things are and the "ay things shou!d be( 6eop!e a!"ays assume that the "ay they see things is the "ay they rea!!y are "hich affects the "ay they interact "ith other peop!e( In other "ords, peop!e of the same perception communicate and act the same( The 4 habits are a ne" ne" !eve! of thin1ing that is a paradigm shift based on a princip!e:centered,

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The 7 Habits of Highly Eective People: Book Review character:based inside:outside approach to persona! eectiveness( @hen this boo1 "as Brst "ritten, much of the !iterature "as focused on creating a better persona!ity for business success( 9or Covey this is bac1"ards( Covey sees the deve!opment of a good character, one that is based on good princip!es, as more important as this forms the basis for you as a "ho!e( Covey sees this approach as a paradigm shift something that "i!! move peop!e from one Dusua!!y "rong) "ay of doing something to a ne" direction( SpeciBca!!y, the shift is going from a deterministicEgenetic approach to persona!ity and character, Covey be!ieves that you can change you "ho are, because "ho you are is a co!!ection of habits( Therefore, if you change your habits, you can change you are( Covey a!so be!ieves there are certain princip!es and va!ues "hich ma1e us more eective(

%&TR'()*T%'&  The Stephen R( CoveyFs boo1 3The Seven .abits of .igh!y 5ective 6eop!e7 te!!s about "ays to increase individua!s’ eectiveness and ma1e them more successfu!( To accomp!ish these goa!s, the author proposes the practice of seven main princip!es or habits( These inc!ude being proactiveG beginning "ith the end in mindG putting Brst things BrstG thin1ing "in:"inG see1ing Brst to understand rather than to be understoodG synergizingG and sharpening the sa"(  To combine a!! of the habits, the author uses the concept of a 3-aturity Continuum from dependence to independence to interdependence7 DCovey, %&=&, p( $&)( In other "ords, Covey anticipates that individua!s go through each suggested step, meaning that a!! men and "omen start as dependents( Then, as they mature, peop!e start to become more independent, physica!!y, emotiona!!y, Bnancia!!y, etc( .o"ever, interdependence focuses on arriving at the eectivenessFs mauiring them "i!! give us the character to succeed(

iii) .abits and its meaning

Covey !oo1s at each of the habits in turn, euires a c!ear vision of your destination and "here you are( Then you c!arify "hat needs to be done and "here you’d !i1e to end up( Covey "rites, 3The most eective "ay I 1no" to begin "ith the end in mind is to deve!op a persona! mission statement or phi!osophy or creed(7 This statement describes your goa!s and the type of person you "ant to become( ou shou!d thin1 carefu!!y about the statement and ma1e a commitment to your: se!f to 1eeping it(

Habit 3: Put frst things frst.  This habit invo!ves se!f:!eadership and se!f:management( ;eadership decides "hat the first things are, and management is the discip!ine of carrying out the program(  The heart of eective persona! time management is to spend the ma