OPINION: Seven helpful habits

Editor's Note: By special request from a reader, this is a reprint from Feb. 6, 2013.

From 1994 to 2005, I was an operations officer in the Nuclear Physics division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. One of my responsibilities was to assure that our staff's training was up-to-date. One day I read about a seminar titled, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change." That intrigued me, and I attended the seminar to see if I should recommend it to our staff. I'm glad I did, and it was my privilege to meet and talk with the speaker, Dr. Stephen R. Covey. Dr. Covey condensed his seminar into a book titled by the same name: "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." (He passed away in July of 2012. America will miss him, but his teaching will go on. And, yes, I recommended this course to our staff.)

Covey taught that developing good habits presents more long-term benefits than trying to build a good image -- corporate or personal.

He said: "The difference between the two approaches is similar to the difference between cramming for an exam and taking care of a farm. 'Cramming' is an image-based approach that nets temporary results, whereas 'taking care of a farm' requires continuous, daily attention that will provide long-term dividends." And 'taking care of the farm' is the phrase he used for developing good habits for living.

The first three habits deal with the Personal Level. Individuals develop Independence by adherence to these habits.

Habit One focuses on taking control of life: Be Proactive. Don't create or accept excuses for failure or lack of progress. Blaming or accusing doesn't help anyone. And stop being overly concerned about things over which you have no control, but respond properly to situations. Covey called this: "response-ability."

Habit Two is the development of a Personal Mission Statement: Begin with the End in Mind. Leisure time? Travel? More efficient teamwork? More effective sermons? Quicker meals? Whatever it is, define it. Whether you are a husband, wife, business owner, student, pastor, etc., develop goals to define your direction. This can be difficult; but once accomplished it will help you develop more effective leadership qualities needed in your personal or business life. It makes life easier and more enjoyable.

Habit Three is the essence of personal time management: Put First Things First. Separate tasks or projects under "urgent" – "important" – "necessary" – "desired." This takes insight, planning, preparation, and promotes efficiency. It also greatly reduces time spent in "crisis management." That, in itself, is rewarding.

The next three habits deal with the Interpersonal Level. This section is more complex because practice of these habits leads to valuable Interdependence, which leads to personal and corporate maturity.

Habit Four is the philosophy that creates more productive, long-lasting relationships: Think Win/Win. We do not have to "step on" someone in order to succeed (except for sports games: one team must win). We need to fix in our mind that, in order to truly "get ahead," we must depend on and help others. No one ever succeeds by himself. We must ignore our competitive instinct and help others succeed. The Win/Win concept requires courage and trust, but pays big dividends.

Habit Five is the skill that allows Win-Win to work: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. This concept made a long-lasting impression on me. Learning to actively understand someone else and his/her point of view is mandatory in order to effectively communicate our thoughts. If the other person realizes that I am concerned about him, he will be open to hear from me and perhaps willing to help me.

Habit Six is Synergize. Often (but not always) a corporate concept produces a better solution than our individual ideas. And this is actually the fruit of Habits four and five.

And Habit Seven is Sharpen the Saw. Our skills and methods are never perfect. Therefore, we need to continually hone or refine them.

The information I gained at the seminar, and in reading the book, did not guarantee quick fixes to any personal, interpersonal or business problems. But I was supplied with tools to improve my communication skills, my outlook on life, and reduce unnecessary friction.

I also recommend two other books: "The Leader In Me" and "The Wisdom and Teachings of Stephen R. Covey." To learn more about the "7 Habits" and other Covey books, contact Franklin Covey Co., Debra Lund, 801-244-4474; [email protected]. (Also, visit http://pages.franklincovey.com/FranklinCovey-Contact-Us.html)

-- S. Eugene Linzey is the author of 'Charter of the Christian Faith.' Send comments and questions to [email protected]. Visit his website at www.genelinzey.com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.