The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a self help book that was written by Steven Covey and originally published in 1989. The 15th anniversary addition of the book was released in 2004. The book takes us on a journey through the stages of dependency, independency, and interdependency by way of the following seven habits; 1) Being Proactive, 2) Beginning with the End in Mind, 3) Putting First Things First, 4) Thinking Win/Win 5) Seeking First to Understand, Then to be Understood, 6) Synergizing, and 7) Sharpening the Saw. Covey did not invent the seven habits that he discusses in his book rather emphatically believes that if they are followed they will lead to personal success. The first part of the book is Paradigms and Principles. This is where Covey lays the foundation for the creation of the habits. The second part of the book is Private Victory. Private Victory encompasses the first three of Covey’s seven habits, being proactive, beginning with the end in mind and putting first things first. These three habits, once mastered, help one to move from a state of dependency, or relying on others for care, to a state of independency, or making our own decisions and taking care of ourselves. The third part of the book is Public Victory. Public Victory discusses the next three habits of thinking win/win, seeking to understand before being understood and synergizing to help us move from a state of independency to a state of interdependency, or cooperating with others to achieve something that cannot be achieved independently. The final section of the book focuses on renewal or “sharpening the saw.” This section discusses the process of self improvement and taking time out from production to work on production capacity.
The Private Victory section of the ...