Has anyone read the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People? Is this book a waste of time (like I believe it to be) or did you actually get something out of it? Habit 6 is really not making a whole lot of sense at the moment…
Any thoughts/comments would be appreciated!
“I am so smart, I am so smart, s-m-r-t, i mean s-m-a-r-t”
I have read the book. It had some good ideas, though they are not always terribly easy to implement.
My book is upstairs, so what is habit six?
I actually had a class in grad school where this book was one of the books to read and then we had to come up with our goals and all for improvement.
Jeffery
I started reading my manger’s copy during a slow time at work. It seemed to have good ideas in it, but I lost all respect for the author when he was talking (for some reason) about the Holocaust. He said people were killed in “gas ovens”. HUH?
I mis-wasted my youth.
I’ve gotcha beat. My employer sent me to a seminar on entitled the same. No, there is nothing worthwhile about it.
As a side note, it cost upwards of $1000 (for my employer) for me to attend…
Teach your kids to bungee jump.
One them might have to cross a bridge someday.
Well…I have a problem. I’ve tried reading this crap (it is an assigment for my internship, it seems as if everyone employed by the large foodservice company that runs my internship has had to do something with this book) and its not making any sense. Habit 6 , which is “Synergy”…I don’t get it, or how it relates to being an “effective person”. I have to present this chapter and chapter 7 (“Sharpening the Saw”) to my class of interns and the director. and i’m supposed to think of an exercise to get everyone involved that deals with each of these chapters.
I hate assingments like this! I’m getting more and more pissed the more I think about it! I need help, from any of you dopers!!
“I am so smart, I am so smart, s-m-r-t, i mean s-m-a-r-t”
Oh boy, are they. And upper level management are intellegent, common-sense people. At least, that’s what their tags say…
MissMonica,
I’ve read it. I’ve struggled with it. I’ve tried to implement certain elements of it into my own management style. Truth is, it just doesn’t have worth in the real world unless all parties involved are willing to make the commitment to spend the time necessary to hash out solutions using those principles. Usually, the best one can hope to do is stick by one’s own ideals as much as possible.
“Synergy,” if I recall correctly, is what Covey refers to as “win/win” communication. It’s the idea of trying to understand all the viewpoints expressed and coming up with a solution incorporating the best parts that works better than anything any individual came up with on his own. Yet another “pretty on paper” theory that breaks down pretty quickly behind closed board room doors. You can see more on my experience, if you’re still interested, in this thread.
Good luck with your assignment!
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.