7 Common Habits of Highly Effective People
Every individual or organization has set goals and objectives that they aim to achieve by formulating and implementing a variety of strategies. However, if you want to be highly effective in what you do — not just modestly effective — you should try to learn the 7 habits of highly effective people to get that much-needed boost.
Apart from learning how to execute tasks, you also need to be proactive in taking responsibility. Oops! Maybe a little too early. That is the first one among the 7 habits of highly successful people that will be discussed later in this article.
Effectiveness and Success
Before moving on to explain the 7 habits of highly effective people, there is a need to understand the concepts of effectiveness and success to a reasonable extent.
In view of the 7 habits of highly successful people, effectiveness is the degree to which a certain objective is attained. In other words, it is the extent to which a certain problem is solved. For example, an entrepreneur that aimed to achieve annual business growth by 30%, but ended up achieving only 25% increase at the end of the year. The 25% growth rate will be the measurement of effectiveness.
Effectiveness is different from the definition of efficiency which simply means doing something the right way. For example, engaging in all the best practices required to achieve 30% business growth. You can simply say that effectiveness means doing what is right.
Effectiveness and efficiency should not be confused with one another, neither should the latter be considered the same has success. Success might be easier for you to define, but a definition will be stated for the sake of reference. Basically, the concept can be described as the achievement of an objective. For example, accomplishing 30% business growth as targeted.
Now that you have an idea of what these concepts may imply, it will be easier to understand the positive correlation they have with each other, and how that knowledge can be applied to the 7 habits of highly effective people.
Think of it this way: A successful leader is one who is able to achieve set goals and go higher in achievement. On the other hand, an effective leader is one that is able to foster positive change in the organization. An effective leader may or may not become successful, while a successful leader may or may not have been effective.
As an example, a successful leader might not be effective in his or her organization. In the same vein, the efforts of the managers under that leader might be the effectiveness that propels the establishment towards success.
As implied in some of the instances that have been given so far, both concepts can be measured. The underachievement of an objective would mean that success was not attained. For example, see the following studies conducted by CSO Insights in 2016:
· Only 30% of businesses were able to have 75% or more of their sales teams achieve their quotas.
· In two years, less than a third of businesses attained all or most of their sales effectiveness targets.
7 Common Habits of Highly Effective & Successful People
The 7 common habits of highly successful people can now be treated. For this subheading, Stephen Covey’s popular book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” will be studied. Related books written by two other authors are given below:
· “Change Your Habits, Change Your Life” by Thomas C. Corley
· “Million Dollar Habits: Practical, Proven, Power Practices to Double and Triple Your Income” by Brian Tracy
Based on the aforementioned books, the following 7 habits of highly successful people were considered worthy to mention:
- Be proactive by taking responsibility for your life
- Have a vision
- Set your priorities right
- Establish mutually beneficial relationships
- Be a good listener
- Try to understand individual differences
- Undergo continuous self-development and self-care
1. Be Proactive by Taking Responsibility for Your Life
What does it mean to be proactive in this case? It means that you should take charge of your life by making progressive decisions instead of going wherever the “wind of life” blows you to.
2. Have a Vision
How can you have a plan if there is no ultimate goal in mind? As a business owner, you need to have a vision and mission statement that guides everything you and the team do.
3. Set Your Priorities Right
You should start with the most important aspects of your long term goals each day before moving on to the less important things. It takes focus, determination, and discipline to do this.
4. Establish Mutually Beneficial Relationships
This is one of the 7 habits of highly effective people that takes the desires of others (apart from yourself) into action. There has to be an interdependent mindset in an organization for everyone to work towards a collective win-win situation.
5. Be a Good Listener
You need to try to understand others in your team better if you want to fully realize habit #4. One sure way to do this is by seeking the views of others in the organization before making a decision that affects everyone.
6. Try to Understand Individual Differences
You need to appreciate the strengths in people, and also recognize their weaknesses. The more you understand, the greater the synergy that will be created.
7. Undergo Continuous Self-Development and Self-Care
In all the personal ones out of the 7 habits of highly successful people, this one really goes deep into the individual’s life. Self-care and self-development in various aspects of life are lifelong habits that everyone should be dedicated to.
Conclusion
The above 7 habits of highly effective people can aid individuals and organizations in seeing a variety of ways that they can be proactive in accomplishing missions. You will keep your sights on the ultimate goal from the beginning through the middle phase of the project you are embarking on.
These 7 habits of highly successful people can be adapted in many spheres of life such as business, teamwork, mentorship, leadership, etc. Now, you will be able to adjust to changes better, especially unexpected ones. You can face life’s challenges with a better mindset and resolve!
