Seven habits and four keys for crisis: Stephen R. Covey
Monday, March 30, 2009 @ 12:25 PM
I have read part of Covey´s 7 habits and Steven Schaffer, a member of the Costaluz team is very much inspired by it and its author, Stephen R. Covey who delivered a lecture in IESE last autumn where he gave four keys to move to the new organizational paradigm:
1.- Leaders must inspire confidence, which always requires humility, asking forgiveness after the errors, listen a lot, until you really understand the other.
2.- Besides trust, it is required to clarify the goal or goals, "few and well known by evetryone in the organization”.
3.- To align systems to these objectives, the systems can be set either by the measurement of outcomes or responses (feedback). There is nothing that most quickly convert a cynic or an skeptic than results.
4.- And finally, give free rein to the talent: to empower each person because each one is important for the company, giving voice and enhancing everyone´s own opportunities to find a better alternative to doing things his way and achieve the objectives, endorsing the company and the targets.
There is no need to have a big organization for putting these tips into practice, you can even start in your marriage and your family and keep growing from there to your office and your employees: you are the same at home, at social life and at work. Same principles need to guide our behaviour and conduct regardless the role we are playing in every case.
I am leaving for London tomorrow, I will tell you more on it once I am back.
Maria