This post follows on from Part 1 of Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Being fully aware of these habits and implementing them on a daily basis will lift your business to the next level and improve your social life.

After discussing the 3 habits of your ‘Private Victory’ we are now turning to the next three habits. These belong to the ‘Public Victory’.

Why does public go second? Because you first have to handle yourself. If you haven’t paid the price of success with yourself you can’t be successful with other people. Private Victory precedes Public Victory. Self-mastery and self-discipline come first. Same is true when it comes to business. If you have never lead and managed a business yourself, you can’t teach others much about it. And if you decide to do so, you will most likely teach theoretical things you have read in some books.

I will now review Stephen’s habits number 4 through to 6.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Habit #4 Think WIN-WIN

The quintessence of this habit can be brought down to the following:

If you can’t find a solution that would benefit all parties involved than there is No Deal! If you can’t reach a true Win-Win you’re better off with No Deal at all. Anything else is a poor second best that will impact your long-term relationships.

Krisz’s note: Focus on results. Many businesses and especially sales people focus on methods. We tend to supervise methods and end up with Win-Lose, Lose-Win or Lose-Lose results. This happens because we lack accountability. Go for Win-Win and leave all the other exhausting methods. And if you can’t agree at all, you’d better walk away.

Habit #5 Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood

This habit is the key to effective interpersonal communication. It is one of the biggest challenges business and sales people face.

A professional sales person first seeks to understand the needs and problems of the customer. An amateur salesman sells products and services. Totally different approach with different results.

“Next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival – to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated” says Stephen Covey.

Krisz’s note: We often forget the fact that having influence also means you have to be influenced as well. You really have to understand what the person net to you says and means. A good businessman will always provide solutions to the needs and problems of the target market. If you don’t provide solutions to your customers you don’t have a business.

Habit #6 Synergize

The essence of synergy is valuing the mental, emotional and psychological differences between people. The key is to understand that people see the world as they are, not as it is.

In business a high level of synergy means Win-Win. Respect, tust and cooperation on a high level lead to absolute synergy, empowering teams and organizations to achieve high performance.

Krisz’s note: If you have a confrontation or disagreement with someone, try to understand the concerns and reasons. Address these concerns and work on a solution that will benefit both of you.

What Do You Think Of Stephen Covey’s Book So Far?

How did you find habits number 4 through to 6? Let me know in the comment field below.

In the final post you will learn one last habit, which Stephen calls the Principle of Balanced Self-Renewal.

I’d love to hear if you have already read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. If so, what’s your biggest take away?