Running head: THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE.

Universidad Metropolitana

Metro Orlando Campus

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

Leadership and Supervisión

MANA715

Mario Villalobos

Jose Francisco Camejo

Juan Carlos Tovar

Tamara Rojas

Gloria Viatela

October 1, 2010
 The seven habits of highly effective people.

The majority has achieved successes, but we did not find the true happiness in

interpersonal relations. These problems must happen because we did not change of paradigm,

that is to say, with the lens in which we see the world, and with which we interpreted it. Then if

we want to change the situation we must change same, and for this we must change first our

perceptions. Here we found to two types of ethical: The ethics of the character, which is the

foundation for the success and the gold rule is based on values and is based on the fundamental

idea that there are principles that govern the human effectiveness. The principles are natural laws

that cannot be broken. And the ethics of the personality, which single is based on a superficial

success, is to say of the public image. This was manipulating and looked for benefits of other

people or it intimidated them so that they are turned aside of its ways. That is why we do not

have to center our efforts in our techniques, but in our deeper motivations and our perception of

the object or person. The ethics of the personality is important for the success, but they are

secondary characteristics. Then this reflected duplicity and lack of sincerity. In addition it will

feed the distrust, although the intentions are good. Only one basic kindness can give life to the

technique. If we have secondary greatness, in prolonged relations this will be discovered. Also it

affects that a person has character force and it needs abilities for the communication, but single

they will be indirect effect. (Covey,1997)

The seven habits of the highly effective people materialize many of the fundamental

principles of the human effectiveness. Those habits are basic and primary. They represent the

internalization of correct principles that give the base the lasting happiness and the success. In
order to really include/understand them, we must understand our paradigms. A paradigm is a

theory, an explanation or a model of some other thing. Although we put all our efforts and if we

have a mistaken paradigm single we will be able to arrive at the mistaken place. In the way in

which we see the things are the way about which we thought and we acted, because it is why we

do not see the world like is, but like it is had to us conditional for which we see it. The more

conscience we have of our paradigms, we will listen and be open to the perceptions of others and

will obtain an ample picture the more and one more an objective vision. Many people experience

a shift of paradigm when an adverse situation appears or assume a new roll. It is why if we want

to change truly we must work on our basic paradigms. The paradigms are inseparable of the

character. To be is to see in the human dimension, and what we see highly it is interrelated with

which we are. We cannot arrive very far in the modification of our way to see without changing

our being simultaneously, and vice versa. The power of a shift of paradigm is the essential power

of a considerable change, or is an instantaneous or slow and slowed down process. (Covey,1997)

These principles do not have anything to do with the religion, since they are part of them,

of the philosophies and the ethical systems. Many principles exist, like by example: rectitude,

integrity, honesty, human dignity, service, of the potential, the process, etc. When more closely

our maps or paradigms agree with these principles or natural laws, more exact and functional

they will be. If we wished to skip some of the vital steps to save time and to anyway harvest the

wished result, it will lead us to the deception and the frustration. In order to be able to relate to us

indeed to the people who surround to us we must learn to listen, which emotional force and

qualities of character highly developed. To extract force generates weakness. It debilitates to

who takes that force because she reinforces the dependency respect to external factors to obtain

that the things become. The fear replaces to the cooperation, and the two participant people
become more arbitrary and defensive. The form in which we see the problem is the problem,

already that we felt intrigued when seeing that other people obtain the success based on solid

principles, and we requested an advice to them, with which single we want a fast solution that

she alleviates our pain. It is possible that some acute problems are solved, but continuous the

underlying chronic condition, and appears new acute symptoms. Then many people are

disappointing with the empty promises of the ethics of the personality. (Covey,1997)

The subject of this book is on a new level of thought. The approach of the personal and

interpersonal effectiveness is centered in principles and it is based on the character; it is of

“inside towards outside”. Of inside towards outside it means to begin more fundamentally by the

person, to begin by the most inner part of the person: the paradigms, the character and the

reasons. It is why first we must do promises to and later before the others. It is a continuous

process of renovation based on natural laws that govern the human growth and the progress. It is

an ascending spiral of growth that leads to progressively superior forms of responsible

independence and effective interdependence. On the contrary the paradigm of outside exists

inwards, which generates people unfortunate who feel sacrificed and immobilized, looking for

the defects of the others and attributing the cause to them of its misfortune. In order to recognize

and to develop the principles incarnated in the seven habits in order to give answer to our deeper

preoccupations, we must think otherwise, take our paradigms to a new level, deeper, of inside

towards outside. The HABITS are powerful factors in our lives, since it is consistent guidelines,

often unconscious of constant way and daily they express our character and they generate our

effectiveness… or ineffective. The habits are not unbreakable, can be learned and forget; but this

requires of a process and tremendous commitment, which is not easy or fast. To the habit also

we can define it as a knowledge intersection, capacity and desire. The knowledge is the
theoretical paradigm, what to do and so that; the capacity is how to do; and desire is the

motivation or wanting to do. In order to turn something a habit of our life we needed these three

elements, and to work on them, thus we can burst in into new levels of personal effectiveness

and interpersonal, I spread we break with old paradigms that have not served to us. This finally

will produce happiness to us which is the fruit of desire and the aptitude to sacrifice we want no

reason why we want finally. The continuity of the maturity takes to us from the dependency

towards independence and to the interdependence. The dependency is the paradigm of you,

independence is the paradigm of I, and the interdependence is the paradigm of us. Many people

wish to arrive at independence, leaving of side to the interdependence, as if outside an inferior

value. That is why independent people without a maturity can think in be good producers, but

neither no-good leaders nor members of equipment. Then it is necessary to be interdependent to

achieve successes in the different fields from the life. Habits one, two and three are related to the

self-control, to happen of the dependency to independence. Later one will follow the habits four,

five and six that are oriented to the cooperation, work in equipment, etc. It is not necessary to be

perfect in habits one, two and three to continue with the four, five and six. Then it is needed to

understand the sequence well, although it is necessary to dedicate several years to the three first

habits. These habits are effective, giving results in the long term. These are based on a paradigm

of the effectiveness that is in harmony with the natural law, with a denominated principle

BALANCE P/CP, as the applicable ones for all the aspects of the life. P is the production of the

wished results. CP is the capacity of production, the aptitude or the means that produce the

object. For that reason the effectiveness you are based on two things: what produces and means

or capital goods and the capacity to produce. It is why we do not have to neglect n one of these

two things. Basically three types of goods exist: physicists, economic and human; in which also
balance P/CP takes part. These principles are applicable as much to the organizations as to the

individuals. When people do not respect balance P/CP, the organizational effectiveness is

reduced and is accustomed to organizational effective and just left a death tool. The balance

P/CP is important when you apply to organizations with clients and employees. The principle CP

says that always have to treat to the employees the same way how we want to be treat.

(Covey,1997)

FIRST HABIT: BE PROACTIVE

Being a leader, sometimes, you have to take enormous decisions, over all when those are

the difference between “TO BE OR NOT TO BE”. Furthermore, sometimes your decisions not

only implicate your responsibility, but both Middle Managers, and not even Top Management,

give you their approbation. But you know your decision, so far, is the only way to lead success

to organization. Besides, you are leader such as you represent the first level in the management

hierarchy and you would rather to be pleasant to high level, but you are conscious to take that

decision could mean, they fire you, even so, you have to act with responsibility and to avoid

something worse to organization. What can you do? Be proactive/. Why? Because “Be

proactive, is the key to unlocking all other habits and that is why it comes first. Habit 1 says am

the force. I am the captain of my life. I can choose my attitude. I am responsibility for my own

happiness or unhappiness. I am the driver’s seat of my destiny, not just a passenger”

(Covey,1997)

Thus, you are now in charge not matter what happen because you are confidence, you are

honesty with yourselves, and you have to be loyalty in such a way that you do not fly off when

situations are difficult and you do not give off your responsibility. Of course, always you have
to know that “proactive people make choices based on values” (idem..Page 49). And your values

(experience and technician) say you as soon as high level decides to evaluate the results, they

have to go back.(Covey,1997)

In spite of, if you would have not taken a decision, you would have been a person

REACTIVE in a like manner that you would have make choices based on impulses no

reasonably, without control. You would have acted of afraid form. In this point, you, probably,

would have thought about disadvantages that are in weak people of character, but you did not let

yourselves win and you did decide to be a PROACTIVE person, instead of reactive.

(Covey,1997)

Thus far, you and I know, by the moment, you are in charge, in that, you are responsible

for your own happiness, besides you can choose your attitude but we know that not always is

trust, in that we (human being) are in between in other word, sometimes we are PROACTIVE

and sometimes, we can be REACTIVE….” The key then in to get the habit of being proactive so

you can run on autopilot and not even have to think about it” .(Covey,1997)

We can take control only one thing.

If we decide to take control about everything that happen to us, we probably spend time

without solution. We cannot control who our mother is, what does people say about us. We

have a circle control and “it includes thing we have control over, such as ourselves, our attitudes,

our choices, our response to whatever happens to us”. (Idem pag. 54). We can take control

everything happens inner our circle control, but everything happen surrounding the circle control

is one of control to us. In fact, we must no concern when something happening surrounding the

circle of control. Then, “Proactive people, on the other hand, focus elsewhere…on the things
they can control. By doing so they experience inner peace and gain more control of their lives.

They learn to smile about and live with the many things they cannot do anything about. They

may not like them, but they know it is not use worrying.(Covey,1997)

Turning setbacks into triumphs.

A leader has got to be enthusiastic and must be capable to inspire individuals to achieve

goals, but as soon as, some people act under pressure, they getting panic. This is the moment,

when leader must turning setbacks into triumph; no matter how often people get dawn into

organization .(Covey,1997)

SECOND HABIT : BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND.

Begin with the end in mind means you must begin with emblematic paradigms in your

mind, in order that, you must accomplish twice all you want to do in your life. In other word,

you have to have clearly your Mission, in that, your imagination f light back without frightful

images. Then, you can float back to reality now. If you were a good sport and actually tried this

experiment, you probably got in touch with your deeper self, you got a feel for what is

important to you and what you would like to accomplish this next year. That is called beginning

whit the end in mind. And it does not even hurt.(Covey,1997)

A Personal Mission Statement.

Most companies in the world have a Mission Statement and apparently, to have been

worthwhile. So if they have succeeded, why not make each of us a Personal Mission statement?
 A Personal Mission Statement “is like a personal credo or motto that states what your life

is about. It is like blueprint to your life”. (Idem page 81) Human being must do our Personal

Mission Statement because it can set positive paradigms to help us meet the challenges and

achieve the objectives.(Covey,1997)

THIRD SET HABIT - FIRST THINGS FIRST

The third habit is the personal fruit, the practical realization of the first and second. The third

habit is the second creation is the physical creation. Is the implementation, updating, natural

occurrence of the first and second habit. It is the exercise of independent will become principle-

centered. Implementation is continuing, moment by moment.(Covey,1997)

The first and second are absolutely essential habits and prerequisites of the third. One cannot

pass without taking focus on first principles of nature awareness and develop proactive.

Practicing effective self live on the third habit. Then he says runs from the left, leading from the

right. The degree to which we have developed our independent will in daily life is measured by

our personal integrity.(Covey,1997)

In the third habit tackle many of the issues of life management and time. That is why we must

organize and run according to priorities .(Covey,1997)

There are three generations:

* The first generation is characterized by notes and task lists.

* The second generation is characterized by agendas.

* The third generation reflects the current field of time management, plan day after day, but

gives priority to quadrants 1 and 3. Fourth generation is emerging, which is not time

management, but to manage ourselves. (Covey,1997)

Quadrants Types:

* Quadrant 1: It's important and urgent. Normally we call problems, crisis, and must be

addressed or you do not survive.

* Quadrant 2: Important is important but not urgent, is related to their mission, their role, their

goals, but without that sense of it now.

* Quadrant 3: Not important is urgent but not important. Is pressuring you, is next, that phone is

ringing, the email without replying. Are interruptions, some calls E, some reports, some

meetings, immediate issues, popular activities

* Quadrant 4: Not urgent or important: Long lost or unprepared unnecessary meetings,

interruptions that consume all day, leaving you feeling that "I was busy all day and did nothing."

Urgent means you need immediate attention. The importance has to do with the results. People

who focus on one quadrant manage their life on the crisis, and unable to solve their problems flee

quadrant 4, and quadrants 2 and 3 provide them any attention. .(Covey,1997)

People who engage in quadrant 3 thinking they are in the quadrant one react to the urgent

things that are important assumption. People who devote their time exclusively to caddie

quadrants 3 and 4 are basically irresponsible lives. Effective people stay out of the quadrants 3

and 4 as urgent or not, are not important. They also reduce one quadrant, spending more time in

quadrant 2. Quadrant 2 is the heart of effective personal management; it comes to things that are

not urgent but important.(Covey,1997)

The start time for the quadrant 2 has to come from quadrants 3 and 4. Nor should we

ignore the activities of quadrant 1, although this will reduce as they spend more time on

prevention and preparedness in quadrant 2. We must learn to say yes to the important priorities
of quadrant 2, and say no to other activities, some appear to be urgent. So we must be proactive

to work on the dial 2 and the quadrants 1 and 3 working on one. None of the three generations

has produced a tool that enables live focusing on principles, with a style of quadrant 2. The

management goal quadrant 2 is to organize our lives effectively, from a central sound principle,

from the knowledge of our personal mission, focusing on the importance and the urgency and

within the framework of the balance maintained between the increases our production and

increasing our production capacity. We need a tool to usher in quadrant 2. An organizer (tool) in

quadrant 2 will have to meet six important criteria: consistency, balance, and focus on quadrant

2, a human scale, flexibility and portability.(Covey,1997)

The organization of quadrant 2 involves four activities:

1) Identifying roles: This consists of putting in writing our key roles.

2) Selection of the goals is to think two or three results, which will be recorded as goals. At

least some of these goals must be related to the activities of quadrant 2.

3) Personal Programming can be considered with the goals in mind, and set the time to

reach them. You can move a target to a specific day of the week, is a priority, or what is

even better, with a specific time allocation.

4) Adaptation daily .- With the organization of quadrant 2, the daily planning becomes a

way of adapting daily to prioritize activities and to respond to events, unforeseen

relationships and experiences in a meaningful way. As we look up, you can see that the
 roles and goals allow natural prioritization that comes from our innate sense of balance. .

(Covey,1997)

The fourth generation of self is more advanced than third in five aspects:

• Focuses on principles: Create the central paradigm that allows us to consider the time in the

context of what is really important and effective.

• It is directed by conscience: Provides an opportunity to organize your life using the maximum

capacity in harmony with the deepest values. But it also gives freedom to subordinate quietly

times to higher values.

• Define our unique mission, including values and long-term goals and purpose: It gives direction

to how the day goes on.

• Helps to balance: Establishing roles identifying life goals and scheduling the activities of each

key role every week.

• Provides a wider context through weekly organizing (with daily adjustment when needed):

Towering above the limited perspective of a single day, and putting us in touch with our deepest

values through the review of our key roles. .(Covey,1997)

The theme of these five developments is the primary goal in relationships and results, and

the secondary target in time. We achieved everything we do through delegation, in time or in

people. If delegate in time, we think in terms of efficiency. If you delegate to others, think in

terms of effectiveness. Transfer responsibility to capable and trained people enables us to devote

our energies to other important activities. The delegation means development, both for

individuals and for organizations. .(Covey,1997)

The ability to delegate to others is the main difference between the role of manager and

independent producer. A producer invests time and effort to produce one unit of results, suppose
without loss of efficiency. An administrator, on the other hand, can spend an hour of effort and

produce ten, fifteen or a hundred units through effective delegation. There are two types of

delegation: delegation and delegation messengers responsible. .(Covey,1997)

The delegation will seek messengers means that, go find something, do this, do that and let

me know when it is done. Most people who are producers are messengers delegation paradigm.

The delegation to managers focus on results, not methods. It allows people to choose their

methods and makes them accountable for their results. This is a clear understanding and mutual

commitment, based the beginning about expectations in five areas:

* Desired Outcomes: Create mutual understanding and clear in what you want to achieve, focus

on results, not methods.

* Guidelines: Identify the parameters within which the individual must operate. Say what not to

do, but do not say what to do.

* Resources: Identify the human, financial, technical or organizational changes with which the

person can expect to achieve the desired results.

* Accountability: Establish performance standards to be used in evaluating the results and

specific times that this assessment will take place.

* Implications: specify what will happen, good and bad, as a result of the evaluation. If the

delegation in charge is successful, both parties benefit and ultimately do more work in less time.

The focus is on effectiveness, not efficiency. (Covey,1997)

Effective delegation is perhaps the best indicator of effective management, simply

because it is fundamental to personal and organizational growth. The seven habits belong to
quadrant 2. Address all critical things that, if undertaken on a regular basis, determine our life an

extraordinary positive difference. (Covey,1997)

FIFTH HABIT: TRY FIRST TO INCLUDE/UNDERSTAND AND LATER TO BE

INCLUDED/UNDERSTOOD.

This habit of effectiveness describes the effective communication and agrees to apply it

to the effects to develop the benefits of emotional intelligence and to obtain a social climate of

respect and harmonious coexistence. This it is the habit that sustains the necessity to

include/understand with empathy to the other later to be included/understood and to be able to

build more constructive interpersonal relations. It very specially emphasizes in this habit the

importance of empática listening in the process of the human communication. Although all the

habits of the effectiveness are related to emotional intelligence very, this habit is it in a greater

degree by their own emotional connotations. It has been verified through diverse studies that

active listening turns out for the supervisor a critical aptitude to achieve the success in its

management. This listening is with the sincere intention to really include/understand deeply and

the other person. It can remember here that the old Greek philosophy recognizes the ethos,

foundation of the character and integrity; the pathos, base of the empathy and the feeling; and the

logo, sustenance of the logic and the reason. Some illustrative examples on the habit of the

emphatic communication are the following ones: Mentally learn to put itself in the shoes of the

other to begin to include/understand it. Ask yourself if the quality of its communication with the

people contributes the necessary respect and makes possible a harmonious coexistence. .

(Covey,1997)
 Recognize that to include/understand to the other it will have to learn to listen to it. . .

with the open mind. Understand to the other to communicate, first, and to find an effective

solution together, later. Behave with the necessary firmness and security as opposed to others to

be listened. Make constant and positive deposits in the emotional banking account of the others.

Learn to contact emphatic listening and letting themselves listen..(Covey,1997)

SIXTH HABIT: SYNERGIZE.

This habit of effectiveness implies the interdependence and is the social product of

individuals, families, work parties and integrated, productive and creative organizations affluent.

This it is the habit that bases the synergize profits of the work on equipment, is worth to say of

those equipment in which the result of the group is greater than the simple sum of its members.

Also it could affirm that the intellectual quotient of the equipment is greater than the average of

the intellectual quotient in which they participate in its composition. Synergize is a resulting

product of the quality of the internal and external relations of singular quality. Thus, synergize

intrapersonal is consequence of the practice of the three first habits that cause the private victory

or personal masters; whereas synergic interpersonal is the result of the practice of the three

second habits that generate the victory or interpersonal masters public. Another way to focus

synergic interpersonal is to consider it like a product of the abundance mentality, the emotional

banking account and the effort to try first to include/understand. A remarkable example of

synergic is the quality circles it jeopardize, productive and creative. Some illustrative examples

on the habit of the interdependence are the following ones: Synergize acting with proactively,

competitiveness and creativity in its work party. Select the third superior idea in the human

groups in which it participates. Reach new profits and causes the innovation in its own family.
Surpass to it to develop each one of the dimensions of its personality and to obtain greater

synergies commits. Act proactively to help the formation of an integrated and productive

affluent work party. Accept the diversity like strength of the work party that is needed to

explode with intelligence, creativity and sensitivity. Integrate to a work party adding and

multiplying efforts to reach the objectives of the group in synergize form.(Covey,1997)

SEVENTH HABIT : SHARPENS THE SAW

Consists in take time to sharpen the saw. It includes to all the other habits of the model of

the seven habits because he is the one that makes possible. Of this seventh habit we have some

definitions: - It is personal CP. - He means to preserve and to heighten the greater good than

you have: same you. - It means to renew the four dimensions of its nature: the physics, the

spiritual one, mental and social/the emotional one. - It means to give expression to give

expression to the four motivations. For that reason we must be proactive and to cause that the

CP becomes one second nature, in a species of healthy addiction; and as nobody is in ours of

influence can do it by us, we must do it we our self. That is the investment more powerful than it

is to our reach: the investment in our self, in the only instrument whereupon we counted to live

and to make our contribution. Then to be effective we must dedicate time to sharpen the

mountain range in the four dimensions.

Physical dimension. - It consists of taking care of indeed of our physical body (correct

feeding, rest, exercises). It is required to take care of the resistance, the flexibility and the force.

Spiritual dimension. - Leadership to our own life Provides, is related to the second

habit. He is ours, a deprived area of the life of much importance. Mental dimension. - It comes
from the formal education. We developed it by means of reading, writing, to organize and to

plan.

Emotional Social dimension - It focuses to the habits fourth, fifth and sixth trims in the

principles of interpersonal leadership, the empathic communication and the creative cooperation.

(Covey,1997)

It is why we must demonstrate unconditional love to our resemblances, because the way

in which we treat them will influence in them. It is by is or that in our auto-renovation, we must

include an a balanced renovation, using the four dimensions before mentioned. If we neglected

one of these areas, the whole is negatively affected. The synergic renovation is optimal in certain

degree, which helps us to progress in a dimension. The key for the development of the seven

habits is to dedicate us to the renovation of the dimensions physical, mental and emotional. This

is called daily private victory. The renovation is the principle and the process that allows us to

promote in a spiral of growth and change, continuous improvement, this ascending movement is

directed by our moral conscience. That is this the one that allows us to choose between good and

the bad thing, between the intentions which we will put in practice in our life, otherwise we will

be destined to being crawling animals dedicated to the survival and reproduction a moral

conscience more and more educated will impel to us in the personal footpath of the freedom,

security, wisdom and the power. In order to move throughout the ascending spiral it is necessary

to learn, to commit themselves and to act in more and more high planes. Single one of these

factors is not sufficient one, because to continue progressing we must learn, be committed and

act… to learn, to commit themselves and to act… and to learn, to commit themselves and to act.

(Covey,1997)
 The key not to let love consists of speaking. We can become transition people, that is to

say, people who have the freedom to rise over the received negative scripts. Any tendency that in

its family has been transmitted of generation in generation can stop in you. You are a transition

person: a bond between the past and the future. And its own change can affect many lives

advanced more. The real par comes from inside outwards; it is not obtained cutting to the leaves

of the attitudes and the conduct with the fast techniques of the ethics of the personality, but

acting on the roots (fundamental thoughts and paradigms). The truth no longer is outside us, nor

in a certain sense within us, but that we are that, and that is us. (Covey,1997)

The profit of the unit with ourselves, with our wanted beings, our friends and fellow

workers, is the most superior and delicious fruit of the seven habits. To construct a character of

total integrity and to live a life on love and service that creates such unit are not easy lake, but it

is possible. When centering our lives in correct principles and creating an objective balanced

between doing and to increase our capacity to do, we acquired the power to create effective,

useful and pacific lives… for us and our posterity. All these correct principles come from God,

which allows us to elevate to us over the flat animal, he is why we must continue fighting with

our weakness, which are going to us to enable to love, to serve and to try to make happy to the

others. (Covey,1997)

CONCLUSION

Steven Covey's Seven Habits help you develop personally and so become more effective in

how you work and relate with other people. Developing these habits can help you tackle your

work and life challenges with new confidence. At the core of these habits are a deeper

understanding of yourself and an appreciation of the fact that you need others in order to
achieve your goals. Developing them will take time and effort. But it is worthwhile and will

have a lasting effect on your personal effectiveness. (Covey,1997)

 REFERENCES

Covey, Stephen. (1997). The seven habits of highly effective people.

New York: Covey corp.