The famous book of a similar name says there are 7 habits of highly effective people, but why can’t there be more than that?
You’re about to get a different look at Stephen R. Covey’s ideas about the habits of highly effective people and go in-depth into some alternate habits that will help you find success in both life and work.
What Is a “Highly Effective” Person?
An effective person, in essence, is someone that has found success (understanding that success is different for every person) and happiness within themselves. You communicate and understand well. You know how to be an honest person.
To be a highly effective person, you must act with integrity and care. You also need to have goals, a plan, and be willing to strive for success.
A Brief Look at the Book – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Since this article isn’t going to be all about Stephen R. Covey’s popular self-help book, you’ll only find a brief introduction that goes over the content in the original book. We will also discuss why so many people have found it to be an integral read in their lives.
It’s a book that pushes people to be themselves and to work toward success. You need to look at the world through your own perceptions, not those of other people. To change a situation – you need to change yourself. To make changes within, you need to perceive things differently.
Those are the basics of the book, which then delves into the 7 habits that will allow you to do these things.
Continue reading, and you’ll find the original 7 habits first, followed by an additional three habits that will help you live a more successful and productive life.
10 Habits of Highly Effective People
Highly effective people are understanding and motivated – you’ll see that throughout all of these habits, from the ones based on Stephen R. Covey’s models to the additional three. These habits help to breed success and productivity, effectively.
The habits in the book are very detailed, and each has many steps to take in order to integrate each of them into your life. It’s a great read for all entrepreneurs and business-minded folks.
The first 7 habits are derived from the ones from the book, but they are not exactly what you’ll read if you pick up a copy since each of the terms in the book are registered (however, you’ll still get an excellent overview). You may want to get a copy if you are driven to be more effective.
1. Practice Being Proactive
People that strive for (and find) success go after the things they want. They are proactive and resourceful. They take the initiative every chance they get.
You won’t find a highly effective person waiting for good things to come to them and they won’t be waiting for someone else to tell them what to do. Instead, they are the people that are making things happen, launching new businesses, and making sure that their life and career run smoothly.
2. Work Well with Teams
Highly effective people know the importance of team members, and they know that to have other effective people working with them will ensure success on all levels. To be effective as a team you need to make sure everyone is working at their full potential.
Not all businesses can be run on their own, so team-play is important. Even if you start out as an individual with a small business, you have a team in your bank and in other outsourcing that you use. You want them to be highly effective in their lives and jobs as well, so you can ensure that they are working toward your success too.
3. Be Goal Oriented
Highly effective people are driven by goals. They stay focused on the task, and they make sure that their team is also working toward a specific goal. It’s easier to succeed when your path is mapped out.
Goals can be daily things that help you get tasks done on a short-term basis. They can also be large goals for your ultimate business plan (where do you want your business to be in 5 years?).
4. Be a Problem Solver
Highly effective people never give up just because something didn’t work out on the first try. You need to come up with innovative new ideas when something doesn’t go as planned. Try something different, and be willing to make changes where they are needed.
Solving problems when it comes to issues at work or at home always begins with understanding the problem.
Then you need to determine what the best way is to fix it – whether you need to figure out how to turn an angry customer into a happy one or you need to figure out how to stop sibling rivalry.
5. Have a Desired Outcome from the Beginning
While this ties in with your goals, it’s also different. You don’t want to have only the final goal in mind – you want to know the steps it takes to get to that goal. You want to know what your preferred outcome is every single step of the way.
You also need to be ready for change – as change is always unavoidable. By having the desired outcome in mind, it helps to keep you motivated for what you’re working toward.
6. Always Work Toward Understanding
By understanding what you’re doing, and understanding the issues that come your way – you’ll develop a much better understanding of your business and how things work.
Once you understand an issue, then you can work out the way to fix whatever is going on – don’t just jump toward fixing something until you know exactly what it is you need to fix.
Understanding when it comes to individuals, whether it’s a customer or a team member, is also important. Not all people work and “understand” in the same ways. Take time to talk out any issues honestly and calmly to come up with resolutions.
7. Be a Motivator
By successfully leading and motivating your team, you ensure that they have the same drive to make your business successful. You’re also sending better people out into the world, allowing them to be more effective in their own lives as well.
Motivation comes in all shapes and sizes. One person may be motivated by knowledge, while another might be more motivated by cash or notoriety. This is yet another reason it is important to know your team members.
8. Be a Mentor
Much like being a motivator, highly effective people are mentors. You’re not only mentoring the people on your team but many of the people you cross paths with.
Mentoring is the act of giving advice to another or training them.
Much like Spider-Man, your powers of being a highly effective person come with great responsibility. Part of that responsibility means that you need to share your knowledge with others. Your knowledge transfer will create more successful people in your life, and you never know when some of their success will rub back off on you (think karma).
9. Prepare for Change
Changes happen in all aspects of life, including your business. Highly effective people understand that change is inevitable, and that change doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. Changes in life and in business could be a sign that you need to go along a different path in order to find personal or business success.
Changes can affect each of your team members differently – as change a could mean needing to let go of some members or giving some of them more pay, but not others. They may take to change differently as well, some of them will be able to roll with the punches while others may feel pressure.
10. See the Big Picture
Always see the big picture – this is something highly effective people do. They see what could be, what has been, and what they want the outcome to be. They look at things from all angles, including behind them.
Don’t be blind to the world around you – know your business and know your competition. Know yourself. This will help in both your success and your ability to be effective in your position.
Do You Have These Habits of Highly Effective People?
Read these habits over time and time again. Look through them until you understand the importance of each one of them in both your personal life and in your career.
These 10 habits of highly effective people can help you reach new levels of success.
Leave a Reply