The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Summary of Habit 4
Let me start with a little summary. The 7 Habits, written by Stephen Covey, provide the core of a principle-centered life. It will guide us through three parts, each one as challenging and rewarding as the next. The first part deals with Paradigms and Principles that can potentially completely change the way you think.
Parts two and three deal with the concepts of personal and public victories.
Public victories come in the form of the first 3 titled chapters.
– Be proactive
– Begin with the end in mind
– put first things first
The following chapters will arm us for the challenges with public Victories.
– Think Win/Win
Seek first to understand, then to be understood
– Synergize
– Sharpen the saw
Having seen the first 3 chapters in previous posts, today it is about a way of thinking that can totally change the way we communicate.
Think Win/Win
Our ability and desire to conquer this habit is a fundamental key to living The 7 Habits.
The journey to this point has consisted of moving from a state of dependency to an independence that will eventually lead to interdependence.
It matters very little what your title is because by the time you move from independence to the realm of interdependence, you have assumed the role of leader.
As a leader, you are now in a position to influence people. The golden key to effective leadership lies in your ability to think win/win.
There are 6 forms or paradigms that prevail in human interaction.
win win
This is the state of mind that seeks mutual benefits. The result satisfies both parties and shows that there does not always have to be a winner and a loser.
win-lose
A way of thinking that has been instilled in many people since the early years. Comparisons have been a part of life, but does it have to be this way?
lose win
Getting sand kicked in the face is nothing new here. They are the popularity seekers who do not wish to express their own feelings for fear of rocking the boat.
lose lose
Determined and stubborn people who are ego driven people will often prefer that both parties lose if what they want doesn’t seem to happen.
Gain
The most common approach where all that matters is getting what they want. This is the winning mentality that cares little for the loser.
Win/win or no deal
If a mutually beneficial solution cannot be found, the call is for no deal. It is possibly the second best result you could hope for.
Personal characteristics and the way in which we are guided by our values will determine which of the categories consumes our negotiations.
While win/win thinking is the key, it’s not always the way to go, so don’t panic.
Many realistic scenarios are discussed where alternative interactions can produce the best results.
However, the win/win principle is a fundamental necessity in our interactions.
The chapter flows through five critical areas of life to keep in mind when seeking to follow the win/win abundance mindset.
- character
- Relations
- Agreements
- systems
- process
Win/win can only truly be achieved when your personal levels of integrity, maturity, and abundance mindset have established enough trust for mutual benefits to become a reality.
Whether personal or business, think of all the negotiations we engage in every day… there are so many!
How many of those situations could result in win/win if you wanted them too?