Habit 6 - Summary The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People PDF

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Habit 6: Synergy Favorite Quote: “To put it simply, synergy means “two heads are better than one.” Synergize is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems. But it doesn’t just happen on its own. It’s a process, and through that process, people bring all their personal experience and expertise to the table. Together, they can produce far better results that they could individually.” 1) Synergy a) The whole is greater than the parts i) Example of harmonies in music b) Different than compromise c) Many examples in nature of animals/plants living together in symbiotic relationships d) Synergy is about achieving greater success by working together 2) Synergistic communications a) There are three types: i) Defensive Communication ii) Respectful Communication iii) Synergistic Communication b) Opening mind to alternative possibilities and options c) Embrace the uncertainty d) Must be secure in yourself before you can participate in synergy e) It about being vulnerable to other ideas f) The new ideas are better than just an individuals’ own 3) Synergy in the Classroom a) Embracing a respectful and trusting attitude can lead to an openness where students share experiences and insights that you wouldn’t normally get. b) Keeping an open and flexible structure allows for a better learning environment c) It’s important to get students involvement and consent for assignments as it will increase their efforts 4) Synergy in business a) Synergy can help unite leadership among a common goal b) Synergies can exist among resources, partnerships, customers departments, people, etc. c) It’s all about building relationships to encourage differences and thus synergies d) Implementing synergy requires i) A common goal ii) Trust to embracing differences iii) Desire to understand iv) Having a Win/Win mentality

5) Synergy and communication a) Sometimes it’s more important to make sure a synergistic environment exists before trying to tackle big problems b) The higher the trust the higher the cooperation c) Synergistic environments create efficiencies 6) Fishing for the third alternative a) Synergism creates a third alternative that is more Win/Win b) Often just attempting to find a middle ground will be enough to prevent disagreements c) Openly appreciating and respecting others opinions promotes a more collaborative environment 7) Negative synergy a) Lots of energy is wasted in not using a synergistic approach b) The more parts to a system the more likely there will be something that messes up c) The more energy a system contains the more damage it can do if it goes wrong d) Synergy can magnify positives and negatives 8) Valuing the differences a) It’s important to acknowledge people have different perspectives b) Having different views provides creativity c) Differences allow for specialization of complementary skills d) Example of the “Animal School” 9) Force Field Analysis a) Performance is determined by the forces motivating a person and the forces restraining a person from doing better b) Synergy removes the restraints 10) All Nature is synergistic a) Genuine involvement and sincere participation are the keys to creating a synergistic environment...