A Case Study-7 Habits Of Highly Effective People.docx

A Case Study: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Abag, Danielle Lois G.

Abstract Our personality is basically a combination of our habits. In any condition, our ordinary human reaction is to look for likeness to experiences we have encountered beforehand. In doing this, we fail to be aware of the position we are essentially in and we also fail to distinguish chances and challenges given to us. This means, to begin first with one’s self, even more basically, to begin with the most inside elements of one’s self. First, Be Proactive: your life is carefully designed by you, take responsibility for your actions and the way that you choose to live your life. Next, Begin with the End in Mind: mental creation can lead to physical objectives. Just as a building requires a carefully designed blue chart before it is built, so does life. Third, put First Things First: Life management focused on your personal values, roles, purposes and priorities. Fourth, Think Win-Win: Life is a cooperative arena, meaning that we need to work together in order to fulfill our own objectives, and those of others. Fifth, Seek First to Understand-Then be Understood: We must listen, understand and relate. Sixth, Synergize: Two heads are better than one. This entails creative cooperation, teamwork and open-mindedness. Lastly, Sharpen the Saw: Preserve and enhance your mind, body and soul. -------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------

INTRODUCTION

These days, people look for quick fixes. They see a successful person, team, or organization and ask, "How do you do it? Teach me your techniques!" But these “shortcuts” that we look for, hoping to save time and effort and still achieve the desired result, are simply band-aids that will yield short-term solutions; they don't address the underlying condition.

"The way we see the problem is the problem," Covey writes. We must allow ourselves to undergo paradigm shifts -- to change

ourselves fundamentally and not just alter our attitudes and behaviors on the surface level -in order to achieve true change. The first, second and third habit are focused on self-mastery and moving from dependence to independence. The fourth, fifth and sixth are focused on developing teamwork, collaboration, and communication skills, and moving from independence to interdependence. And lastly, the seventh habit is focused on continuous growth and improvement, and embodies all other habits.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

As students, often times we become more reactive to negative circumstances rather than thinking of ways on how to grow and improve from it. We are used to saying “There’s nothing I can do” or “That’s just who I am”. We think the problem is "out there" -- but that thought is the problem.

We work hard to achieve victories -promotions, higher income, more recognition. But we don't often stop to evaluate the meaning behind this busyness, behind these victories -- we don't ask ourselves if these things that we focus on so intently are what really matter to us.

Habit 3: Put First Things First

As students, we always react to urgent matters. We spend our time doing things that

are not important. We forget to prioritize our day-today actions based on what is most important, not what is most urgent.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood Sometimes, we prescribe a solution before we diagnose the problem. We don’t seek to deeply understand the problem first. Habit 5 says that we must seek first to understand, then to be understood. In order to seek to understand, we must learn to listen.

Habit 6: Synergize

Habit 4: Think Win-Win Most people operate with the Scarcity Mentality -- meaning they act as though everything is zero-sum (in other words, if you get it, I don’t). People with the Scarcity Mentality have a very hard time sharing recognition or credit and find it difficult to be genuinely happy about other people’s successes.

Sometimes, when weighing down your opinion compared to others, we tend to look at the negative value of others’ opinion just to make a stand and prove something.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw We cannot be as highly effective as we want if we do not sharpen our saw, meaning, to be effective, we must devote the time to renewing ourselves physically, spiritually, mentally, and socially. Continuous renewal allows us to synergistically increase our ability to practice each habit.

AREAS OF CONSIDERATION & PROPOSED SOLUTION

With all the habits mentioned by Covey, we must take into consideration that before we can alter our behavior, since it is a very excruciating process, we should come up with a higher reason, being ready to subordinate what we believe we want now for what we know we would desire later. Based on experience, as a student, I was always that one who does the requirements the night before the submission, I was never motivated to finish everything beforehand. I was too busy doing the things that are urgent. Similar to Covey’s third habit, ever since I stepped into my engineering major, I always make sure that I weigh thing down from the most important ones, to the least important ones. With this, I am able to accomplish everything that needs to be done, from school works to household chores. It is important that we hav e good self management than time management, because according to Peter Drucker, the expression “time management” is something of a misnomer: we have constant amount of time, no matter what we do; the challenge we face is to manage ourselves.

ALTERNATIVE CAUSES OF ACTION

Everything from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits for Highly Effective People are all optional, in the sense that it is still up to us on how we can improve ourselves and be a better person. These habits are just guides but for sure, if we follow these habits, we will be able to live our lives to the fullest and neglect all the negative vibes in this world.

KEY CHALLENGES & KEY LESSONS LEARNED

Our body will become tired and can not be able to carry out all the habits that will ensure that one is successful and efficient. Good rest and feeding the body with positive thoughts is important in order to achieve the highest of highs in terms of efficacy. Improving yourself does not only require you the will to do it but you must also have the wholehearted willingness to change for the better because it will be a difficult process and will not happen overnight.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Always focus on improving yourself and always radiate good vibes to have a harmonious and happy life. Also, rooting all the things you do to God, will help you solve all the problems you face because it is through Him that we can do all things.

REFERENCES 

(26 June 2018). 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Case Study. www.acasestudy.com/7-habits-of-highly-effective-people/

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Howell (2015). Influential Thinkers Assignment, pp. 2-3. www.studylib.net/doc/9591457/case-study-on-stephen-r.-covey

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Hussain, Anum (7 Nov 2018) What habits do highly effective people have? www.blog.hubspot.com/sales/habits-of-highly-effective-people-summary