A book that I’m sure all of you have heard about and many of you have read is 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. It’s an incredible book that’s helped millions of people become more effective in their work and personal lives. While the book was originally published back in 1989, the principles it shares are quite timeless.
I was reminded of this when my friend Muhammad Siddiqui, Senior Director of IT Operations at Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi shared the following infographic (click on the image to see it full size):
While this isn’t my favorite infographic, the steps it outlines are the real gold:
- Be proactive
- Begin with the end in mind
- Put first things first
- Think win/win
- Seek first to understand, then to be understood
- Synergize
- Sharpen the saw
Which of these habits stand out to you? Which ones could you apply in your life and see a personal or professional improvement?
I think one that I see missing in many people today is #5 Seek first to understand, and then to be understood. It’s really easy in our current society to not slow down and take the time to understand the people around us. Whether that’s a co-worker, a boss, a customer, etc. All of those relationships can benefit from empathetic listening.
