HABIT #1 BE PROACTIVE
Being proactive means more than merely taking initiative. It means that as human beings, we are responsible for our own lives. Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions. We have the initiative and responsibility to make things happen. Look at the word, “Response-ability”—the ability to choose your response. Highly proactive people recognize that responsibility. They do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. Their behavior is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feeling. Reactive people are often affected by their physical environment. If the weather is good, they feel good. Proactive people can carry their own weather with them. Whether it rains or shines makes no difference to them. They are value driven. Reactive people build their emotional lives around the behavior of others, empowering the weaknesses of others to control them. They are affected by “social weather”. Reactive people are driven by feelings, circumstances, conditions, and by their environment. Proactive people are driven by values—carefully thought about, selected and internalized values. Proactive people are still influenced by external stimuli, whether physical, social or psychological. But their response to the stimuli, conscious or unconscious, is a value-based choice or response. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can hurt you without your consent.”
“They cannot take away our self respect if we do not give it to them.” ~ Gandhi
PTA - Working well together as a team, feeling good about yourself
HABIT #2 BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
This one is basically about goal setting, but with a twist that makes all the difference. I have always associated goal setting with business or wealth creation goals. This is true enough, but Covey gave me a larger vision of what it means. A person who sets goals is a person who lives fully rather than just letting life happen to him.
PTA - Setting goals, the beginnings of our Strategic Plan
HABIT #3 PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
In a nutshell, this, the third of Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” tells us that part of integrity is in commitment. The reason why effective people use appointment books, prioritize their daily schedules, and focus on the minutiae of they daily agendas is because they are committed to their work.
PTA - Setting priorities, taking care of self and family before PTA, good time management will allow you to take care of all three.
HABIT #4 THINK WIN-WIN
Why is “Win-Win” more effective than “win at all costs”? It’s because if you have long term goals, they will most effectively be achieved through cooperative efforts. A “win-win” attitude not only reflects personal maturity and strength of character, it has practical benefits as well.
PTA - Decision-making, how to come up with solutions to issues and problems so that all, or at least most, of the participants feel good about it.
HABIT #5 SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD
This is a reversal of the all-too-common human characteristic of “getting your point across” and “having your say.” Just a moment’s reflection on the quagmire the world is in should make it clear that if our leaders were listening to each other instead of shouting at one another, we would be finding solutions to our common problems. This is as true on a personal level as on a corporate or political level.
PTA - In working with each other and those we serve, listen and understand first. Try to see things from their point of view. Then give comment or advice.
HABIT #6 SYNERGIZE
Stephen Covey sums this up with the old adage, “Two heads are better than one.” Synergy is working together. Confucius put the alternative to synergy well when he said, “The knowledge of one man is always one-sided and incomplete.”
PTA - Working together with the same goal in mind can result in much more success.
HABIT #7 SHARPEN THE SAW
Here, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” turns back to the individual. You cannot be fully effective if you neglect your physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual maintenance and growth.
PTA - It can be very demanding to be a PTA leader. How can you “fill your empty cup” and be able to keep moving forward?