The 8th Habit >From Effectiveness to Greatness Dr. Stephen R. Covey
1. The best way to learn is to teach. Because when one teaches one learns twice. 2. When the learner doesn't learn the teacher doesn't teach. 3. There are 5 reasons why one needs to teach in order to learn : a. One learns better when there is a Paradigm shift. And a Paradigm shift takes place when one shifts one's role. From being a learner one has to become a teacher. When a person is made accountable and has to demonstrate results then the paradigm will shift. To get children to learn better have children consistently teach you (parents) what they are learning. They are now made accountable for teaching you (parents). Let them start with the subjects they are most interested in. When the children become responsible to teach you (parents) then their learning is not dependent on the teacher or the subject. The paradigm shifts. They begin to enjoy learning. They begin to love learning for its own sake. The motivation moves from external to internal. To remain relevant and current, one needs to study, read and 'turn the TV down'. In order to get the children and members of the family to realize what happens to learning and family life etc. with the TV on, one gets hold of the data and facts and shares the same with them and asks them to discuss and decide what to do. b. The real key to learning is applying and doing. c. It improves one's ability to listen. Most people haven't learnt to listen. Most often we listen within our frame of reference. Therefore it becomes a matter of agreeing/disagreeing with the other person. When one listens within one's own frame of reference then one engages in 'transaction'. 'Transaction' leads to compromise. However at the empathetic level we listen within the others' frame of reference. This is when one attains synergy. Synergy requires transformation. Listening means understanding but not necessarily agreeing. Everybody has got a hierarchy of needs. If one sucks the air out of this room and asks people to stay back and listen people will point blank refuse. What air is to the body, feeling understood is to the heart. When one tries to understand the other, what one is saying is 'I respect you. I see the God within you. I want to understand you and not just be understood by you'. This attitude of wanting to understand the other and make the other feel understood creates an immune system. People gradually experience a confidence of being able to handle any problem if they approach it in this way. In synergy the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Through listening both get transformed. One is humbled and experiences vulnerability. One doesn't know what is going to happen. It opens up the others' world to you. When one operates with moral authority then one is operating as an individual like Gandhi or Nelson Mandela. However, this moral authority or behaviour based on principles needs to be institutionalized. One has to build these principles into structures, systems and processes. These principles get institutionalized through, for example, the Constitution. Nehru had positional authority while Gandhi had moral authority. While listening it takes a lot of courage and discipline to withhold one's judgement. Creative energy replaces defensiveness and protectiveness. To practise listening one can use the 'Indian Talking Stick' approach. The Indian Talking Stick is a physical object. When one is holding this physical object then one is permitted to talk while the other listens. When one has finished then the stick is passed onto the other who first has to state your point of view to your satisfaction before stating his/her point of view. And so on. d. It makes change legitimate. The moment you accept my position as being appropriate and acknowledge that you may have been wrong you are making it ok for me to change too. e. It builds strong relationships. 4. The more one operates from a Principle centred perspective the more one will be given formal authority. 5. Moral principles have to be institutionalized through the creation of structures and processes in order to develop sustainability. Otherwise the implementation of these moral principles will be dependent on individuals. 6. Purpose and values govern every other decision. Usually everyone is on a different page regarding the purpose and values of an organization or even of one's family. Everyone is not pointing to True North. It pays to create a Family mission statement. It must come from the bowels of the family. It will help create harmony and focus. 7. Research has shown that more time is spent on the urgent and not the important. We need to decide what's important. And this does not come from arguing. It comes from listening. We live in an urgent culture which has no time for reflection and meditation. "…we've become slaves to the tyrrany of the urgent." Charles Hummel. 8. One must be careful about bureaucracy replacing creativity. 9. No nation is greater than its families. No civilization is stronger than its families. Never put work before family. 10. 75% say 25% of their time is spent in dysfunctional activities. And 25% say that more than 50% of their time is spent on dysfunctional activities. The various dysfunctional activities indulged in within organisations are office politics, inter-departmental rivalry, defensive communication, and various hidden agendas operating. 11. There is a contradiction in the following facts : Ask anyone if the current people in the organization have more talent and more creativity than their present jobs require and the answer will nearly always be 'yes'. And ask the people in the jobs whether they are being pressurized to produce more for less and the answer will be 'yes'. Then why is this happening. Because of archaic accounting principles which treat people as expenses and things or machines as investments and assets. Instead of releasing people we control them. 12. Control is behind the jack-ass theory of motivation of carrot (reward) and stick (fear and punishment). 13. The sandwich approach to Performance Appraisal can be summed up as consisting of : A top part where the boss gives a pat on the back for any achievements. The middle part is where the boss slips in the knife and twists it a few times by pointing out the areas for improvement and the bottom part consists of a pat to go on improving and get going. When you think about it, a person should evaluate his/her own self. When you have a high-trust culture, helpful systems, and people on the same page, then people are in a far better position to evaluate themselves, particularly if they have 360 degree feedback data from sources around them. Self-evaluation is tougher than anyone else's evaluation. 14. People have lost their voice. Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs. This is the 8th Habit. 15. There are 5 economic ages viz. The Hunter/Gatherer, Agrarian, Industrial, Info/Knowledge worker, Wisdom. Knowledge shrinks as Wisdom grows. Wisdom is the "..habit of the active utilization of well - understood principles." Alfred North Whitehead. 16. We are using the principles of the Industrial Age in a Knowledge era. This can be seen from assuming that leadership is a position or that people are expenses or the jack-ass theory of motivation or the sandwich technique of performance appraisal and so on. The Industrial Age operates on the basis of Control while the Knowledge Age operates on the principle of Release and empowerment. 17. One manages things but leads people. 18. Leadership is communicating people's worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it themselves. 19. Arnold Toynbee summarized the history of civilization as "Nothing fails like success". In other words, when you have a challenge and the response is equal to the challenge, that's called success. But once you have a new challenge, the old, once-successful response no longer works. That's why it's a failure. We live in a Knowledge Age but operate our organizations in a controlling Industrial Age model. Every new contribution requires a new preparation. 20. When everyone is not on the same page regarding goals how can one translate goals into action. There will be an execution Gap. 21. Research (Harris Interactive study of 23000 workers, managers and executives) has shown that only a third of employees have a clear understanding of what their companies are trying to achieve. More often than not these goals are not communicated to the front – line inspite of the front line being responsible for creating the bottom line. Only 10% are passionate about the goals showing that there is no ownership. Respondents estimate that 23% of their time is spent on what is urgent but irrelevant. And 66% do not have clearly defined goals. They don't understand what they have to do to achieve the organisation's goals. It usually involves doing things one has not done before. 22. The consequences of using an Industrial Age mindset is that one does not understand the fundamental problem. Much of the problem lies in behaviour that flows out of an incomplete or deeply flawed paradigm or view of human nature – one that undermines people's sense of worth and straitjackets their talents and potential. There is a need to be reeducated and have new practices. 23. In a highly interdependent world one needs to start with oneself. One can't put the blame outside of oneself. One has to change oneself from the inside-out. 24. Personal Greatness is character and contribution. Primary greatness is equated to character. Secondary greatness is related to Position. Living the Rich and Famous lifestyle and being Celebrity obsessed. This is secondary greatness. 25. One needs Principle – Centred Leadership Greatness to inspire others to find their voice and not an understanding of motivation which is embedded in the Industrial Age. 26. Supervision is an obsolete concept in the Knowledge Age. One needs an in-depth investment in people and not in bureaucracy. 27. A Financial Accounting mind-set drives the old Paradigm. 28. Management works in the system. Leadership works on the system. Architects work on the system while the construction workers work in the system. 29. One needs to win the personal battle for leadership before one can win the public victory of leadership and inspire others. In order to sustain performance one needs to manage things through structures, systems and processes and lead people through 'releasing' them to find their voice and calling. 30. If social values are strong then one doesn't need laws. And if social values are not strong one finds it difficult to enforce laws. 31. The Richmond Canada Mountain Police when dealing with the youth resorted to 'positive ticketing' rather than 'negative ticketing'. The children needed a park to cycle and practise their extreme sports. They got the kids involved so that they designed the park and created it. They focused on what's important. They focused on building relationships. They did not operate from the old paradigm of preventing crime. They created a new paradigm where the police and the public are made to feel jointly responsible for peace and harmony. 32. The Grameen Bank in Bangla Desh is an example of how the poorest of the poor are finding their voice. 33. Culture has to adapt to a new reality. Through a Force Field analysis release the restraining forces (Cultural and Emotional). By involving people in the problem convert the restraining forces into driving forces. By involving people arrive at the solution. 34. How important is our family! All that matters on the death bed is the family. 35. One can't think independently in an interdependent world. This is the principle of peace making. 36. Before involvement there is identification. People identified with Gandhi and got involved with the movement. 37. To understand one's purpose and calling and find one's voice one needs to ask oneself the following questions : a. What are you good at ? (Talent) - (Mind) b. What do you love doing ? (Passion) – (Heart) c. What need does it serve ? (Need) - (Body) d. What is life asking of you ? (Conscience) – (Spirit) e. What should you contribute in this situation ? This process constitutes the path to Personal Greatness. 38. Always live true to what you feel is right. This brings about a peace of conscience. This is greater than just having peace of mind. 39. The boss needs to be a servant leader. Moral authority is upward driven. Position authority is downward driven. 40. The characteristic of all leaders is their humility. 41. One needs to aim at being a level 5 leader. A level 5 leader according to Jim Collins builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical combination of personal humility plus professional will. 42. Empowering shared Mission Statements are produced when there are enough people who are fully informed , interacting freely and synergistically in an environment of high trust. 43. Synergy comes out of cultural differences. One must make it culturally acceptable for a person to push back. It takes a lot of security and maturity to allow people to push back. Insecure people gain position power. 44. A critical mass is not 60% but rather 10% of the universe who are convinced and committed. 45. Only independent people have the choice of becoming interdependent. Dependent people are continuously victimized. 46. People's conscience becomes a leader's advocate. Nelson Mandela saw that everyone is in some form of jail - the oppressor and the oppressed. So he took it upon himself to liberate both the oppressor and the oppressed. He became the advocate for people's consciences. 47. The culture owns the responsibility for creating the results. In the Mountain Police example the children and the police designed and created the playground which was passed by the Council. In such situations one becomes the servant – leader and the culture owns responsibility for the results. 48. In the Santa Fe nuclear submarine people live in a hell hole. As a result they were leaving and joining Silicon Valley. The Commander then got them to continuously train within different simulated scenarios. Their level of empowerment and identification grew and enthusiasm on the job was ever present. The attrition rate was controlled. 49. It is better to be humbled by one's conscience than the force of circumstances. In the nuclear field all information is shared because all the players have been humbled by the circumstances. If anything untoward happens the consequences will be devastating. However, one needs to be humbled by principles. 50. For Quantum changes look at changing Paradigms. 51. A Trim Tab is a small rudder that turns the big rudder that turns the ship. 52. You are not a product of your past. People can make choices. Your past is included in your present but you can make your future. 53. Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In those choices lie our growth and our happiness. 54. Smile about things you can do nothing about. 55. New York crime police turned their attention to small problems like graffiti in subways in order to control crime. Keep the little things little. And small things like a trim tab have a big impact. Focus on what you can do and make adjustments. 56. Marilyn Cartwright a Principal of a down and out school created a culture of doing what it takes to change the culture of the school by washing the latrines herself in order to rid them of the stink. This story spread and the Parents and teachers got involved. Academic achievement improved. Be prepared to work outside one's job. Identify the need and decide what to do. 57. People cannot act with integrity outside their perception. One needs to act with humility to seek to understand rather than be understood. 58. The way we are we see the world. It's not the way it is. 59. The more you know the more you know that you don't know. 60. Education is the progressive discovery of our ignorance. As knowledge grows, ignorance grows and humility grows. 61. The Principle of synergy is that when the ego is not involved then one will be detached and be able to achieve synergy. 62. I am not my perception or thoughts. 63. In the industrial Age the way I see the world is the way it is. In the Wisdom Age always listen first. 64. People don't like physical walls like the Berlin Wall. Today the most challenging walls are between people. 65. A good habit is to say to another 'It's good that you see it differently. Help me to understand.' 66. There are 2 steps to achieving Synergy (Third Alternatives) viz. By first asking 'Would you be willing to search for a solution that is better than what either one of you (us) have proposed ?' and then 'Would you agree to a simple ground rule : No one can make his or her point until they have restated the other person's point to his or her satisfaction.' 67. Every one of us who has found his or her voice possesses the power to rewrite the bad Industrial Age "boss, rules, efficiency, control" software in their organization. The process involves the 4 roles that become the antidote to the four chronic organizational problems. They are the positive manifestations of body, heart, mind and spirit in an organization, whereas the 4 chronic problems are the negative manifestations of neglecting them. One solves these chronic problems in the following manner : Where there is low trust, we focus on modeling (Spirit) trustworthiness to create trust. Where there is no common vision or values we focus on pathfinding (Mind) to build a common vision and set of values. Where there is misalignment, we focus on aligning (Body) goals, structures, systems and processes to encourage and nurture the empowerment of people and culture to serve the vision and values. Where there is disempowerment, we focus on empowering (Heart) individuals and teams at the project or job level. These are the 4 roles of Leadership Greatness. 68. xQ is the Execution Quotient. Your perception of what's happening inside your organisational culture. It gauges the organization's ability to execute its most important goals. It deals with clarity, commitment, translation into action, enabling, synergy and accountability. These are the elements which help in achieving Organizational Greatness. The xQ questionnaire has 27 questions, is accessible from the Internet viz. www.the8thhabit.com. Involve everyone in the data. If one is perceived as coming from a position of authority then don't get involved. Let them discuss. If they see you with moral authority then stay as a participant. Go for synergy. 69. In the Industrial Age there is a production of co-dependent people who want to be controlled and are passive. In this kind of culture one needs the weakness of the other to validate oneself. Even though Russia was freed its people could not handle their freedom. They wanted to be controlled and managed. 70. Focus on the wildly important. If you don't achieve it nothing else matters. Create a compelling scoreboard. Create synergy. Not distracted by the urgent. Translate lofty goals into specific actions. 71. Can't hold people responsible for results if one supervises their methods. We need to hold each other accountable all the time. What are your goals and what are your measures ? 72. I am somebody today because somebody believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. 73. Key to happiness is not me and mine but thee and thine. 74. One can't retire from meaningful work. One may retire from an organization. One needs to live life in crescendo. 75. Whole life to be devoted to bless others' lives for good. 76. The challenges given were : a. Teach the essence of this program to one's loved ones and Associates. b. Take 4 personal actions : Rebuild one relationship you care a lot about (Modelling); Create a personal mission statement and involve the family in creating one (Pathfinding); Get anonymous feedback from people you live and work with (Aligning) one finds it difficult to see one's blindspots; and work out a third alternative. The third alternative is to have a mind-set which searches for a solution that satisfies both parties. A win-win agreement with one person/team/partner (Empowering). 77. We are the creative force of our own life. 78. The best way to predict the future is to create it. 79. Principle Centred Leadership involves Personal Greatness, Leadership Greatness and Organizational Greatness; all of which need the practise of the 8th Habit which is to find one's voice and inspire others to find theirs. -- www.gaybombay.info Group Site: http://www.gaybombay.info ========================== This message was posted to the gay_bombay Yahoo! Group. Responses to messages (by clicking "Reply") will also be posted on the eGroup and sent to all members. If you'd like to respond privately to the author of any message then please compose and send a new email message to the author's email address. 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