SUMMARY OF ‘THE 7 HABITS OF

HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE’

BY
RITESH PATIDAR
SEERAM SHETTY
SHUBHALI SINGH 2019PGP396
VAIBHAV KUMAWAT 2019PGP453
THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
• The 7 habits of highly effective people by Stephen r. covey was
written for self improvement based on his belief that our perceptions
guide the way we see the world.
• If we want to change a particular situation, we must change ourselves
and in order to do that we must change our perceptions.
• We all aspire to succeed and identifying habits that lead to success
can help us in our journey.
• The book opens with an explanation that many people have achieved
outward goals but still struggling to find inward fulfillment which has
higher potential of being achievable.
• Covey has mentioned:
• Pre1920s- foundation of success was character ethic (integrity, humility,
fidelity, temperance, etc.)
• 1920s – way of seeing shifted to personality ethic (success is a function of
personality, public image, attitudes, and behaviors).
• Two paths –
1. human and public relations – personalities were manipulative,
deceptive, encouraging people to use techniques to like them
2. positive mental attitude – your attitude determines your altitude.
• People often ask successful people about mantra or techniques of their
success and try to practice them for solving our problems.
• Covey believed that these short cuts will construct short term solutions
only.
• Covey writes “the way we see the problem is the problem”.
• He meant to say that we must change our thinking patterns (paradigm
shifts) to change ourselves fundamentally, not just alter our attitudes and
behaviors superficially.
Power of paradigm
• We see things as they are.
• We see things as we are.
• When we describe something we tend to describe ourselves, our
perceptions, our paradigms.
• Disagreement with our description shows something is wrong with
other people.
• The more aware we are of our paradigms and the extent to which we
are influenced by our experiences, the more we can take
responsibility for those paradigms, examine them, test them again
reality.
The maturity continuum
• Dependence – paradigm of ‘you’
• Independence – paradigm of ‘I’
• Interdependence – paradigm of ‘we’
• Habits 1,2 and 3 deal with self mastery, movement from dependence
to interdependence – PRIVATE VICTORIES
• private victories precede PUBLIC VICTORIES – habits 5, 6, movement
from independence to interdependence (realizing you and I together
can achieve more than what I can achieve all by myself)
• Habit 7 is the habit of renewal – continuous improvement that helps
in upward growth.
 Seven habits of highly effective people:
PRIVATE VICTORY
1. Be proactive
2. Begin with the end in mind
3. Put first things first
PUBLIC VICTORY
4. Think win-win
5. Seek first to understand
6. Synergize
HABIT OF RENEWAL
7. Sharpen the saw
1. Be proactive
• Talks about the idea that we are conditioned to respond in a particular way.
• Proactivity means we are responsible for our own lives. The behavior we
exhibit depends on our decision not on our conditions.
• Responsibility means response ability, we can choose our responses that
would change our decisions and behavior to exhibit.
• We often become reactive because we think nothing can be done
regarding the problem, we empower our conditions or surroundings to
influence our decision.
• Proactive people are value driven. They subordinate their feelings to their
values. They will keep on to their values doesn’t matter weather is
conducive or not.
• Reactive people feel well when they are treated well and when don’t
the become defensive and protective. These people are driven by
feelings.
• Proactive people also get influenced by stimuli, environment,
conditions but their response is a value based response.
LISTENING TO LANGUAGE
• Our language indicates the degree to which we are proactive.
• He makes me so mad - I am not responsible. My emotional life is
governed by something outside my control.
CIRCLE OF CONCERN
• REACTIVE PEOPLE FOCUS THEIR TIME AND ENERGY on the circle of
concern, where they have no control on the things. These people
focus on others incapability, blaming and accusing. This negative
energy generated causes the circlr of inlflurmcr to shrink.
• Circle of influence
• Proactive people invest their time and energy in the circle of
onfluence where they have control on things. They work on the things
they can work upon causing circle of influence to increase.
Think Win-Win
To create effective interdependent relationships, we need win-win situations which are mutually beneficial and
satisfying to each party.

Covey explains that there are six paradigms of human interaction:

1. Win-win situation: winning situation for both party say an agreement or mutually beneficial solutions
2. Win-lose situation: “If I win, you lose”. Win-lose people use their position, power, credentials and
personality to get away with what they want.
3. Lose-win situation: “If I lose, you win”. Situation when one has to please other or seek help.
4. Lose-Lose: when both people lose. When two Win-Lose people get together i.e. when two determined,
stubborn or ego-invested individuals interact seeking their benefit; the result will be Lose-Lose.
5. Win: People with the Win mentality don't necessarily want someone else to lose. What matters is that they
get what they want.
6. Win-Win or No Deal: If you can't reach an agreement that is mutually beneficial, there is no deal.
Solving for Win-Win
• In solving for Win-Win, we must consider two factors: Consideration and courage.

FACTORS HIGH COURAGE LOW COURAGE

HIGH CONSIDERATION WIN-WIN LOSE-WIN
LOW CONSIDERATION WIN-LOSE LOSE-LOSE

• Another factor important for win-win situation is maintaining abundance mentality or the belief that there’s plenty
resources for everyone. This allows one to be genuinely happy for others successes and able to understand sharing
recognition or credit.
• Establishing good interpersonal leadership skills requires genuine character, the higher our level of proactivity; the more
committed we are to Win-Win, the more powerful our influence will be.
• To achieve Win-Win, keep the focus on results, not methods; on problems, not people.
• How to start thinking Win-Win:
1. Think about an upcoming interaction where you'll be attempting to reach an agreement or solution.
2. Identify three important relationships in your life. Think about what you feel the balance is in each of those relationships. Do you
give more than you take? Take more than you give?
3. Deeply consider your own interaction tendencies. Are they Win-Lose? How does that affect your interactions with others? Can you
identify the source of that approach? Determine whether or not this approach serves you well in your relationships. Write all of this
down.
Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
• Conversation is a two way road of conversation and one needs to be proficient in both speaking and listening. Similarly to
wish to be understood, we need to understand first. A doctor cannot prescribe one medicine to all, he needs to
understand each individual’s problem first. Therefore before we offer our advice, suggest solution or effectively interact
with someone, we must seek to deeply understand them and their perspective through empathetic listening.
• As Stephen Covey quoted “You have to build the skills of empathic listening on a base of character that inspires
openness and trust.”
• As per Convey mentioned in the book, communication experts estimate that:
• 10% by words
• 30% by sounds
• 60% by body language
• The process of our response to others involves Evaluate, Probe, Advise and Interpret. These results in the solution which
helped us but may or may not help someone else. But if we add emphatic listening to it we can help more accurately and
without a shred of biasedness.
• To Improve empathetic Listening below activity will help:
1. Next time you're watching two people communicating, cover your ears and watch. What emotions are being communicated that
might not come across through words alone? Was one person or the other more interested in the conversation? Write down what
you noticed.
2. Next time you give a presentation, root it in empathy. Begin by describing the audience's point of view in great detail. What problems
are they facing? How is what you're about to say offering a solution to their problems?