Seven practices of effective people

The Seven Clothes off Highly Effective People translated the seven practices of effective people published into 1989, is a work of personal development written by Stephen R. Covey. Sold with more than 15 million specimens (2004) in 38 languages. The book enumerates seven principles which, so established as practices, are supposed to help a person to carry out interdependent really effective. Covey thinks that this is realizable while being aligned on principles of an ethics of character which are universal and timeless.

Covey also wrote a certain number of continuations and other derived works, such as Power off the Seven Habits ; Seven Clothes off Highly Effective Families ; and Beyond the Seven Clothes. a continuation of The Seven Habits is The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness published in 2004, ISBN 0684846659.

The audio versions (cassettes, for example) are interesting insofar as the enthusiasm of Covey for its theory is very communicative.

An approach based on principles

The book is organized around four sections.

Paradigm S and principles: Here, Covey introduces the foundations of the operation of the human being in terms of practices. He explains how the human being detects its environment, how he establishes his practices and how he can arrive has Re-to reprogram himself in term of practices.
private Victories: Here, Covey presents the first three practices necessary to make pass a person of the state of Dépendance to the state of Indépendance.
public Victories: Here, Covey presents the three following practices to bring a person of the state of Indépendance to the state of Interdépendance.
Renewal: Here, Covey presents the seventh practice which invites the reader has to begin a process of car-improvement.

With the difference of other books dedicated to the management of its activities, Covey hessite not with speaking about the role of the values and their practical application to reach a true personal balance. In opposition to much of works treating of the values with the USA, it indicates why these values can exist perfectly in a context other than religious if need be.

7 practices

A chapter is devoted to each practice, which is represented by the following requirements:

To be proactif . Here, Covey recommends an attitude of catch of Initiative and puts this attitude contrary to the position of " réactivité" less effective, but more natural.
To start with the end with the spirit. This chapter explains why it is necessary to lay down objectives based in the long run on " principles of truth-north ". Covey recommends to formulate its " personal mission " to put in writing its own objectives of life
To start with the beginning. Here, Covey explains how to be effective day after day while being focused on what really imports with respect to the long-term objectives. This chapter is the work object appendix First things first .
To think gain-gaining . Covey describes here how to develop a human attitude gaining by negotiating solutions gaining for oneself and the other people in order to nourish gaining relations has long terms.
To initially seek to include/understand, then only with being included/understood . Covey explains how to communicate effectively with a person full with emotions and needs of which that to render comprehensible themselves and to be made validate by another human. Covey describes empathic listening as being the base of a complete bidirectional communication, pre-fade listening necessary to human so that it can finally open with the ideas others.
Synergiser explains why and how to work in team brings well results beyond the sum of the results of each individual.
To sharpen the saw . Covey explains finally the interest to take time to be sharpened oneself by a practice of car-education in order to continue its personal development and to achieve its goals.

Criticisms of the 7 practices

The book was criticized like on-intellectualizing the philosophy of management. Others critical dispute the relevance of these concepts (first edition in 1989) in our world in quick change. However Covey persists in saying that these practices remain fundamental, since he thinks that these concepts are universal and timeless. This work had an important influence and it is frequent to find some of the concepts of Covey in other works of personal development.

Related literature

Principle Centered Leadership , published in 1992 (ISBN 0671792806).
First Things First , coécrit with Roger and Rebecca Merrill, published in 1994 (ISBN 0684802031).
Living room the Seven Clothes , published in 2000 (ISBN 0684857162).
The 8th Dress: From Effectiveness to Greatness , published in 2004 (ISBN 0684846659).

External bonds

off Supplements article detailing each the clothes
Informations on The 7 Clothes off Highly Effective People Personal Coaching
Matrice of the management of the time of Stephen Covey in French

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