the 8 habits of highly effective people

The seven habits of highly effective people (plus the eighth), by Stephen R. Covey, summarised on one sheet of paper:

1. Be proactive

Everyone can choose how to react to a specific situation. You need not be a victim of circumstances. A proactive attitude is: ‘why don’t I look at alternatives’ or ‘I could approach this differently instead of reacting with ‘that’s the way I am’.

2. Begin with the end in mind

By thinking of what others will say at our funeral, we can establish what we find really important. What were you like as a colleague, a mother, or as a friend? Determine the vision on your life and the direction of it instead of investing too much energy in the wrong things. After all, nobody on his deathbed will think: ‘I should have worked more’.

3. Putting first things first

Johann Wolfgang Goethe put it very aptly: ‘what matters least must never be at the expense of what matters most’. Make a schedule of your main goals and base your time management on that. Say ‘No!’ more often to matters that may be urgent, but not important.

4. Think win/win

Most people have a win/lose mentality. If the other loses, we win. This is because in a family, there is usually no unconditional love. You have to earn it. What someone is worth is then established by making a comparison with others.

5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood

Too often we have our opinions ready when we do not understand the person or the situation. To learn to listen is therefore a crucial quality for effective communication. Mostly, we will not listen in order to understand, but in order to reply, and we will filter everything by using our own views and experiences as the ultimate point of reference.

6. Synergize

Synergy is the added value of the whole in relation to the separate parts. Prerequisites for synergy are trust, openness and safety. Only if we can see in others the qualities and potentials, can a really creative cooperation come into being.

7. Sharpen the saw

This refers to renewing and maintaining yourself, that is your physical, spiritual, mental and social-emotional capacities. Whether you do sports, eat healthy food or find inspiration in classical music, it is vital that you keep nourishing and developing yourself.

8. Find your own voice

Make known what you really want. And help others in doing so too. This will bring out the best in yourself and in others, and creativity will be fully used, power will be fully expressed and results will be best achieved. This goes not just for individuals, but also for organisations.


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