This is the habit of interpersonal leadership,
necessary because achievements are largely dependent on co-operative efforts
with others. He says that win-win is based on the assumption that there is
plenty for everyone, and that success follows a co-operative approach more
naturally than the confrontation of win-or-lose.
Think Win-Win isn't about
being nice, nor is it a quick-fix technique. It is a character-based code for
human interaction and collaboration.
Most of us learn to base our self-worth on comparisons and competition. We
think about succeeding in terms of someone else failing--that is, if I win, you
lose; or if you win, I lose. Life becomes a zero-sum game. There is only so
much pie to go around, and if you get a big piece, there is less for me; it's
not fair, and I'm going to make sure you don't get anymore. We all play the
game, but how much fun is it really?
Win-win sees life as a cooperative arena, not a competitive one. Win-win is a
frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human
interactions. Win-win means agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and
satisfying.
A person or organization that approaches conflicts with a win-win attitude
possesses three vital character traits:
- Integrity: sticking with your true feelings,
values, and commitments
- Maturity: expressing your ideas and feelings with
courage and consideration for the ideas and feelings of others
- Abundance Mentality: believing there is plenty
for everyone
Many people think in terms of
either/or: either you're nice or you're tough. Win-win requires that you be
both. It is a balancing act between courage and consideration. To go for
win-win, you not only have to be empathic, but you also have to be confident.
You not only have to be considerate and sensitive, you also have to be brave.
To do that--to achieve that balance between courage and consideration--is the
essence of real maturity and is fundamental to win-win. According to Paul Zane
Pilzer, Nobel Prize Winning Economist and Author - “You only win when you help
others win.”
Habit 5: Seek
First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
This is habit of communication. One of the
great maxims of the modern age, and it's extremely powerful. Covey helps to
explain this in his simple analogy 'diagnose before you prescribe'. Simple and
effective, and essential for developing and maintaining positive relationships
in all aspects of life.
Communication is the most
important skill in life. You spend years learning how to read and write, and
years learning how to speak. But what about listening? What training have you
had that enables you to listen so you really, deeply understand another human
being? Probably none, right?
If you're like most people, you probably seek first to be understood; you want
to get your point across. And in doing so, you may ignore the other person
completely, pretend that you're listening, selectively hear only certain parts
of the conversation or attentively focus on only the words being said, but miss
the meaning entirely. So why does this happen? Because most people listen with
the intent to reply, not to understand. You listen to yourself as you prepare
in your mind what you are going to say, the questions you are going to ask,
etc. You filter everything you hear through your life experiences, your frame
of reference. You check what you hear against your autobiography and see how it
measures up. And consequently, you decide prematurely what the other person
means before he/she finishes communicating. Do any of the following sound
familiar?
"Oh, I know just how you feel. I felt the same way." "I had that
same thing happen to me." "Let me tell you what I did in a similar
situation."
Because you so often listen autobiographically, you tend to respond in one of
four ways:
|
Evaluating:
|
You judge and then either
agree or disagree.
|
|
Probing:
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You ask questions from your
own frame of reference.
|
|
Advising:
|
You give counsel, advice,
and solutions to problems.
|
|
Interpreting:
|
You analyze others' motives
and behaviors based on your own experiences.
|
You might be saying, "Hey,
now wait a minute. I'm just trying to relate to the person by drawing on my own
experiences. Is that so bad?" In some situations, autobiographical
responses may be appropriate, such as when another person specifically asks for
help from your point of view or when there is already a very high level of
trust in the relationship. Find out what the other party wants first, and then
communicate what you want to say.
Habit 6: Synergies
This is the habit of creative
co-operation - the principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its
parts, which implicitly lays down the challenge to see the good and potential
in the other person's contribution.
To put it simply, synergy means "two
heads are better than one." Synergize is the habit of creative
cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new
solutions to old problems. But it doesn't just happen on its own. It's a
process, and through that process, people bring all their personal experience
and expertise to the table. Together, they can produce far better results that
they could individually. Synergy lets us discover jointly things we are much less
likely to discover by ourselves. It is the idea that the whole is greater than
the sum of the parts. One plus one equals three, or six, or sixty--you name it.
When people begin to interact together genuinely, and they're open to each
other's influence, they begin to gain new insight. The capability of inventing
new approaches is increased exponentially because of differences.
Valuing differences is what really drives synergy. Do you truly value the
mental, emotional, and psychological differences among people? Or do you wish
everyone would just agree with you so you could all get along? Many people
mistake uniformity for unity; sameness for oneness. One word--boring!
Differences should be seen as strengths, not weaknesses. They add zest to life.
Like John D. Rockefeller, Businessman said, “I would rather earn 1% off a 100
people's efforts than 100% of my own efforts.”
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
This is the habit of self
renewal, says Covey, and it necessarily surrounds all the other habits,
enabling and encouraging them to happen and grow. Covey interprets the self
into four parts: the spiritual, mental, physical and the social/emotional,
which all need feeding and developing.
Stephen Covey's Seven
Habits are a simple set of rules for life - inter-related and synergistic, and
yet each one powerful and worthy of adopting and following in its own right.
For many people, reading Covey's work, or listening to him speak, literally
changes their lives. This is powerful stuff indeed and highly recommended.
Sharpen the Saw means
preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have--you. It means having a
balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical,
social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. Here are some examples of activities:
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Physical:
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Beneficial eating,
exercising, and resting
|
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Social/Emotional:
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Making social and
meaningful connections with others
|
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Mental:
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Learning, reading, writing,
and teaching
|
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Spiritual:
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Spending time in nature,
expanding spiritual self through meditation, music, art, prayer, or service
|
As you renew yourself in each
of the four areas, you create growth and change in your life. Sharpen the Saw
keeps you fresh so you can continue to practice the other six habits. You
increase your capacity to produce and handle the challenges around you. Without
this renewal, the body becomes weak, the mind mechanical, the emotions raw, the
spirit insensitive, and the person selfish. Not a pretty picture, is it?
Feeling good doesn't just happen. Living a life in balance means taking the
necessary time to renew yourself. It's all up to you. You can renew yourself
through relaxation. Or you can totally burn yourself out by overdoing
everything. You can pamper yourself mentally and spiritually. Or you can go
through life oblivious to your well-being. You can experience vibrant energy.
Or you can procrastinate and miss out on the benefits of good health and
exercise. You can revitalize yourself and face a new day in peace and harmony.
Or you can wake up in the morning full of apathy because your get-up-and-go has
got-up-and-gone. Just remember that every day provides a new opportunity for
renewal--a new opportunity to recharge yourself instead of hitting the wall.
All it takes is the desire, knowledge, and skill.
On the other hand, there is need for balance
between production and production capability by carrying out scheduled
maintenance of machines and equipment to ensure durability and continuous
production. This will prevent inevitable downtime and high maintenance expense.
