The 7 Habits – where did Covey find them?

Happy February Viphilus*

2016 is screaming by with January already in the rear-view mirror.

As promised, I am committing the next two months to reviewing Stephen Covey’s, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” (1989), from a specific angle … to highlight where he came up with these principles. When I start to have this conversation with people who have actually read the book they halt at my first point and want to argue. Then I simply direct them to locate their copy (it needs to be theirs so that they won’t think I’ve slipped them an altered joke-version … so that they realize what I told them has been in their copy all along and that they simply didn’t see it).

And what is that first point? Actually, it is the entire point of the next two months in this blog. Covey gets his 7 habits from guiding principles that he read in God’s Word. Yep: the Bible!  (the exclamation mark is inappropriate  - I’ve just added it for my own emphasis … as if a dramatic base-chord is being played while you read it).

And the push-back I get from people is actually quite funny because they almost stumble over their own incredulity because nothing as amazing as the 7 Habits book could possible come from something as ancient as the Bible. And I get it … for many (most) the Bible is an antiquated collection of writings, filled with errors, inconsistencies, prejudices and the gross un-enlightenment of a by-gone era.

Yah – not so much. Just look around at the most common struggles and dysfunctions that you see in our society (or your own life or family) and you’ll see some absolutes being violated that are pretty much self-evident when trying to diagnose the root causes. People rail against these truths without stopping to realize that the social data is so overwhelmingly stacked against them … resulting in my own incredulity about why people just don’t get it.

So for Feb and Mar I don’t want to preach … I simply want to connect the dots, at least as best as I can surmise. Covey says in his “personal note” at the end of the last chapter that he gets his principles from the Bible, but he doesn’t actually point out chapters and verses …. He simply makes the general statement. My intention for the next 2 months is to actually show you the chapters and verses with some brief explanations, at least as far as I can speculate about why Covey chose these particular 7 principles/practices.

This week I simply want to list his 7 habits.

The first 3 Habits are concerned with developing independence … focusing on your private world (the term “private world” is one that I first encountered from Gordon MacDonald, in his 1984 book, “Ordering Your Private World.”) It is about developing self-mastery.

HABIT # 1 – Be proactive
Don’t adopt a reactive attitude, simply waiting for things to happen to you before you respond. Rather, choose how you will respond effectively before something happens.

HABIT # 2 – Begin with the end in mind
Envision what you want in the future so that you can plan and work towards it.

HABIT # 3 – Put first things first
Learn the difference between important and urgent and prioritize life so that things aren’t done simply because they are urgent.

The second 3 Habits are concerned with developing interdependence … focusing on your public world. It is about getting along with others.

HABIT # 4 – Think Win:Win
Value and respect others and understand that a “win” for everyone is ultimately the best long-term solution for both you and the other person.

HABIT # 5 – Seek first to understand, then to be understood
Learn to listen empathically in order to create strong relational environments where problem-solving will be at its best.

HABIT # 6 – Synergize
Combine the strengths of team members while mitigating against their weaknesses, ultimately achieving more together than what is possible individually.

The final habit is about sustainability and continuous improvement in both your private and public worlds.

HABIT # 7 – Sharpen the saw
Balance and renew your resources (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, social) in order to sustainably build personal capacity.

Homework for next Monday: see if you can come up with your own biblical reference to support habit 1 about being proactive.

Have a great week and I hope to see you back next Monday.

Blessings Viphilus,

Your friend, Omega Man

OCA Training

* Viphilus means, "lover of life"