Win/Win Relationships
Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2024 3:41 am
Why such a far-fetched title? Well, in case you didn't know, it's a self-help book written by Stephen Covey , the so-called American Socrates, and initially published in 1989. Since then, it has sold more than 25 million copies in 52 languages. This book is about helping you achieve a fulfilling professional and personal life.
Through the development of certain concepts, the reader comes to understand that everything we do must be in accordance with what we really see. That is to say, if we want to change the situation, we must effectively change ourselves; first of all, we will have to change our perceptions.
The result is the construction of bomb-proof self-confidence through the development of one's own character, integrity, honesty and human dignity necessary to transform our work and intimate universe into something authentic and non-transferable.
Who was Stephen R. Covey?
Stephen Covey held a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, an master's degree in business administration from Harvard University , and a doctorate in the history and doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Brigham Young University. He devoted much of his life to teaching and practicing the precepts detailed in his books, going so far as to found the Covey Leadership Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
He died on July 16, 2012 due to complications following a bicycle accident in April of that year.
Now let's talk about the book
It is divided into four sections: Paradigms and Principles, Private Victory, Public Victory, and Renewal. Each section contains chapters related to the seven habits that are timeless, universal, and self-evident.
The general starting point: the inescapable fact that your behavior, both at work and in your private life, could be improved in many aspects, but few know how to achieve this and you will be one of them by the end of this reading.
Let's summarize the 7 habits:
Proactivity
Reactive people attribute their behavior to three fundamental factors: Genetic (characteristics we inherit), psychological (education, upbringing) or environmental (what surrounds us). These types of people live based on Newton's "Law of Action and Reaction": I receive a stimulus and I react by giving a response.
The language of reactive people is: I can't, that's the way I am, it drives me crazy, they won't allow it, it drove me crazy...
Proactive people understand that between stimulus and response there is a space where they find freedom to choose action according to their values.
Proactive people take responsibility. They are people of action. Their language is: let's examine our alternatives, let's look for a different approach, I control my feelings, I will choose the right response.
Begin with the End in Mind
The second habit starts from the fact that you need to plan your future. You need to clearly see today how you want to be remembered when you die. Do you want to be remembered as a good father or mother, an honest businessman, a committed person who keeps his word?
To do this you need to build a Personal Mission :
A personal mission statement is a written document that expresses your mission in this life. A personal mission statement is usually not created, but discovered based on your passion, talents, and deep desire to leave a positive mark on this world to help others.
After defining your personal mission, you need to establish the roles that are important to achieving your mission (father, mother, entrepreneur, employee, friend, etc.) and set goals and daily activities that will lead you to fulfill your mission in the long term.
Put first things first
The third habit is about the ability to prioritize activities in your life to focus on what is really important. Basically there are:
– Important Activities: These are those that contribute to your mission, values, and high-priority goals.
– Urgent Activities: They need immediate attention. If we make a matrix that shows the activities of our day divided between “Important and non-important activities” and “Urgent and non-urgent” we have.
What we should aim to achieve is to invest most of our time in quadrant II (Important and Non-Urgent Activities). This would mean that we are not behind on our tasks and that we are not distracted.
In any transaction in life, we must think win/win . We must intentionally seek to list of canada cell phone numbers make both parties win. Whether it is romantic relationships, business, or other relationships, we are always better off if we both win. Any other type of transaction other than win/win is destructive because it produces a loser. Consequently, it produces enemies, bad feelings, failure, and hostility. Effective people become the best by multiplying their allies, not their enemies.
First understand and then be understood
If you want to develop Win/Win relationships, remember that you must understand very well what the other person wants and what winning means to them. Don't assume that you know. Listen. Don't oppose what you hear, just put yourself in the other person's shoes. Starting from the principle that everyone has good intentions, understanding the other person's point of view will help you enormously to achieve your goals as well. This is called applying empathetic communication.
Synergize
You've probably heard that the power of the whole is greater than the power of its parts . This is what Dr. Covey calls synergy. To achieve this state, excellent communication within the team is of utmost importance. The two pillars of synergy are communication and cooperation. To summarize: Listen, reflect, respond and cooperate.
Developing these three habits in your life will lead you to “Public Victory.” We achieve Public Victory when we build deep, lasting, and effective relationships. This leads us to interdependence.
Sharpen the saw
You are developing this habit right now as you read this article. Highly effective people take the time to sharpen their tools, which translates into cultivating their:
Through the development of certain concepts, the reader comes to understand that everything we do must be in accordance with what we really see. That is to say, if we want to change the situation, we must effectively change ourselves; first of all, we will have to change our perceptions.
The result is the construction of bomb-proof self-confidence through the development of one's own character, integrity, honesty and human dignity necessary to transform our work and intimate universe into something authentic and non-transferable.
Who was Stephen R. Covey?
Stephen Covey held a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, an master's degree in business administration from Harvard University , and a doctorate in the history and doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Brigham Young University. He devoted much of his life to teaching and practicing the precepts detailed in his books, going so far as to found the Covey Leadership Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
He died on July 16, 2012 due to complications following a bicycle accident in April of that year.
Now let's talk about the book
It is divided into four sections: Paradigms and Principles, Private Victory, Public Victory, and Renewal. Each section contains chapters related to the seven habits that are timeless, universal, and self-evident.
The general starting point: the inescapable fact that your behavior, both at work and in your private life, could be improved in many aspects, but few know how to achieve this and you will be one of them by the end of this reading.
Let's summarize the 7 habits:
Proactivity
Reactive people attribute their behavior to three fundamental factors: Genetic (characteristics we inherit), psychological (education, upbringing) or environmental (what surrounds us). These types of people live based on Newton's "Law of Action and Reaction": I receive a stimulus and I react by giving a response.
The language of reactive people is: I can't, that's the way I am, it drives me crazy, they won't allow it, it drove me crazy...
Proactive people understand that between stimulus and response there is a space where they find freedom to choose action according to their values.
Proactive people take responsibility. They are people of action. Their language is: let's examine our alternatives, let's look for a different approach, I control my feelings, I will choose the right response.
Begin with the End in Mind
The second habit starts from the fact that you need to plan your future. You need to clearly see today how you want to be remembered when you die. Do you want to be remembered as a good father or mother, an honest businessman, a committed person who keeps his word?
To do this you need to build a Personal Mission :
A personal mission statement is a written document that expresses your mission in this life. A personal mission statement is usually not created, but discovered based on your passion, talents, and deep desire to leave a positive mark on this world to help others.
After defining your personal mission, you need to establish the roles that are important to achieving your mission (father, mother, entrepreneur, employee, friend, etc.) and set goals and daily activities that will lead you to fulfill your mission in the long term.
Put first things first
The third habit is about the ability to prioritize activities in your life to focus on what is really important. Basically there are:
– Important Activities: These are those that contribute to your mission, values, and high-priority goals.
– Urgent Activities: They need immediate attention. If we make a matrix that shows the activities of our day divided between “Important and non-important activities” and “Urgent and non-urgent” we have.
What we should aim to achieve is to invest most of our time in quadrant II (Important and Non-Urgent Activities). This would mean that we are not behind on our tasks and that we are not distracted.
In any transaction in life, we must think win/win . We must intentionally seek to list of canada cell phone numbers make both parties win. Whether it is romantic relationships, business, or other relationships, we are always better off if we both win. Any other type of transaction other than win/win is destructive because it produces a loser. Consequently, it produces enemies, bad feelings, failure, and hostility. Effective people become the best by multiplying their allies, not their enemies.
First understand and then be understood
If you want to develop Win/Win relationships, remember that you must understand very well what the other person wants and what winning means to them. Don't assume that you know. Listen. Don't oppose what you hear, just put yourself in the other person's shoes. Starting from the principle that everyone has good intentions, understanding the other person's point of view will help you enormously to achieve your goals as well. This is called applying empathetic communication.
Synergize
You've probably heard that the power of the whole is greater than the power of its parts . This is what Dr. Covey calls synergy. To achieve this state, excellent communication within the team is of utmost importance. The two pillars of synergy are communication and cooperation. To summarize: Listen, reflect, respond and cooperate.
Developing these three habits in your life will lead you to “Public Victory.” We achieve Public Victory when we build deep, lasting, and effective relationships. This leads us to interdependence.
Sharpen the saw
You are developing this habit right now as you read this article. Highly effective people take the time to sharpen their tools, which translates into cultivating their: