In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen Covey demonstrates how seven key habits can foster powerful change in personal and professional life. Covey, an international leadership authority, provides principle-centered, character-based fundamentals in a powerful, easy to use program suitable for personal and business development.
Before practicing the seven habits, Covey suggests a paradigm shift – a change from the “inside out.” We must become aware of our personal biases, properly test them against reality, and experience an “aha” moment to become more objective. Next, Covey synthesizes seven habits of the highest achievers: 1) be proactive, 2) being with the end in mind, 3) put first things first, 4) think win/win, 5) seek first to understand, then to be understood, 6) synergize and 7) sharpen the saw. The first three habits deal with self-mastery or independence; habits four through six deal with cooperation or interdependence. The seventh habit is the habit of renewal and continuous improvement.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People would be appropriate as supplemental reading in future public information strategy courses. The seven habits outline an effective framework on how to self-master productivity and interpersonal communication in both personal and professional life. For example, lessons taught in Habit 3 are applicable to public information strategies, particularly among nonprofit organizations. Often times, nonprofit organizations encounter trouble clearly communicating to their target audience their mission, purpose and programming. Habit 3 teaches time management skills and physically performing plans set in the management process. Covey provides a weekly schedule chart for readers to fill-in and identify their roles, commitments and priorities (180). These visual aids outlined in Habit 3 and throughout the novel are useful for the working public information professional that wears many hats and serves multiple roles on a daily basis.
Moreover, Habit 6 is pertinent to the everyday functions of a public information communicator. Synergy, the essence of principal-centered leadership, challenges professionals to master creative cooperation in social interactions. With a personal anecdote, Covey illustrates how synergy on a business trip led to the creation of a mission statement engraved in the hearts and minds of everyone (268). Since the Gillette Amendment, the value of public information and public affairs officers in the government function are often overlooked and criticized. By first understanding one’s role, then helping others understand would combat public information misconceptions and bring synergy to the workplace.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a useful step-by-step formula for an undergraduate student aspiring to master public relations in the government or nonprofit sector. Learning and conditioning proactivity, time management and synergy are applicable for public information, public affairs or nonprofit communication. Covey’s novel, with more than 15 million copies sold, has become internationally renowned and attested by senators, Fortune 500 CEOs and U.S. Ambassadors – a noteworthy accomplishment. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People would be well suited as a supplementary book for a pubic information strategies course.
Charnelle Wilson
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Before practicing the seven habits, Covey suggests a paradigm shift – a change from the “inside out.” We must become aware of our personal biases, properly test them against reality, and experience an “aha” moment to become more objective. Next, Covey synthesizes seven habits of the highest achievers: 1) be proactive, 2) being with the end in mind, 3) put first things first, 4) think win/win, 5) seek first to understand, then to be understood, 6) synergize and 7) sharpen the saw. The first three habits deal with self-mastery or independence; habits four through six deal with cooperation or interdependence. The seventh habit is the habit of renewal and continuous improvement.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People would be appropriate as supplemental reading in future public information strategy courses. The seven habits outline an effective framework on how to self-master productivity and interpersonal communication in both personal and professional life. For example, lessons taught in Habit 3 are applicable to public information strategies, particularly among nonprofit organizations. Often times, nonprofit organizations encounter trouble clearly communicating to their target audience their mission, purpose and programming. Habit 3 teaches time management skills and physically performing plans set in the management process. Covey provides a weekly schedule chart for readers to fill-in and identify their roles, commitments and priorities (180). These visual aids outlined in Habit 3 and throughout the novel are useful for the working public information professional that wears many hats and serves multiple roles on a daily basis.
Moreover, Habit 6 is pertinent to the everyday functions of a public information communicator. Synergy, the essence of principal-centered leadership, challenges professionals to master creative cooperation in social interactions. With a personal anecdote, Covey illustrates how synergy on a business trip led to the creation of a mission statement engraved in the hearts and minds of everyone (268). Since the Gillette Amendment, the value of public information and public affairs officers in the government function are often overlooked and criticized. By first understanding one’s role, then helping others understand would combat public information misconceptions and bring synergy to the workplace.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a useful step-by-step formula for an undergraduate student aspiring to master public relations in the government or nonprofit sector. Learning and conditioning proactivity, time management and synergy are applicable for public information, public affairs or nonprofit communication. Covey’s novel, with more than 15 million copies sold, has become internationally renowned and attested by senators, Fortune 500 CEOs and U.S. Ambassadors – a noteworthy accomplishment. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People would be well suited as a supplementary book for a pubic information strategies course.
Charnelle Wilson
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill