Analysis Of Habit 5

Habits 5,6 &7

By. Austin Munn

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Before we can offer advice, suggest solutions, or effectively interact with another person in any way, we must seek to deeply understand them and their perspective through listening, we don’t seek to deeply understand the problem first. Habit 5 says that we must seek first to understand, then to be understood. In order to seek to understand, we must learn to listen. We can’t simply use one technique to understand someone. If a person senses that were manipulating them, they will question our motives and will no longer feel safe opening up to us.

"You have to build the skills of empathic listening on a base of character that inspires openness and trust."

It takes time to make this shift, but it doesn’t take nearly as long to practice empathic listening as it does to back up and correct misunderstandings, or to live with unexpressed and unresolved problems only to have them surface later on.

The second part of Habit 5 is ... then to be understood. This is equally critical in achieving Win-Win solutions. When were able to present our ideas clearly, and in the context of a deep understanding of the other persons needs and concerns, we significantly increase the credibility of your

Synergy allows us to create new alternatives and open new possibilities. It allows us as a group to collectively agree to ditch the old scripts and write new ones. Once you have these in mind, you can pool your desires with those of the other person or group. Then you're not on opposite sides of the problem - you're together on one side, looking at the problem, understanding all the needs, and working to create a third alternative that will meet them. What we end up with is not a transaction, but a transformation. Both sides get what they want, and they build their relationship in the process. By putting forth a spirit of trust and safety, we will prompt others to become extremely open and feed on each other's insights and ideas, creating synergy. The real essence of synergy is valuing the differences - the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between people.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

To be effective, we must devote the time to renewing ourselves physically, spiritually, mentally, and socially. There are four dimensions of our nature, and each must be exercised regularly, and in balanced ways:

Physical Dimension: The goal of continuous physical improvement is to exercise our body in a way that will enhance our capacity to work, adapt, and enjoy. To renew ourselves physically,