Covey Effective People
Covey Effective People
Covey Effective People
Unleashing Human
Potential
Participant Guide
Dear Participant:
Welcome to the Linkage broadcast, Unleashing Human Potential. This is the fifth of ten
broadcasts in Linkages 2004 Excellence in Management & Leadership Series and features
Stephen Covey, one of the most influential holistic thinkers in our age. Dr. Covey is one of Time
Magazines 25 most influential Americans and one of Sales and Marketing Managements top 25
power brokers.
In this presentation, Dr. Covey helps us effectively unleash the potential of our people and, in the
process, unleash our own leadership potential.
Like all Dr. Coveys lessons, this presentation will reach to the very core of our essence as a
human not just a corporate executive, an organizational manager, or a team leader. Dr. Coveys
principles help us be more effective whether were sitting at a conference table or a dinner table.
Expect to be challenged. Dr. Covey believes that leadership is a choice, not a position.
Leadership requires that we choose: we choose how and when to listen; we choose how and when
to communicate; we choose how and when to praise. Effective leaders make choices based on
core fundamental principles, principles that often go far below the veneer that comprises our
corporate skin.
As evidenced in the world around us, we are defined as leaders by our character. Covey explains,
Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often
unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character. At the same time, Dr. Covey
provides hope:
I assure you that you are not your habits. You can replace old patterns of selfdefeating behavior with new patterns, new habits of effectiveness, happiness, and
trust-based relationships.
In this broadcast, you will learn to:
Build a high trust culture to empower your people to innovate and create; leverage the six
workplace/organizational principles.
Renew your leadership role and gain better understanding of its impact on your
organization; apply the four key leadership disciplines.
Assume the four critical roles of a leader: pathfinding, aligning, empowering, and
modeling.
Whether you lead a project team or a Fortune 50 company, this broadcast and follow-up training
will challenge you to take your leadership to new heights and new levels and become a better
person along the way.
These participant materials have been designed to complement your participation in this
broadcast with Stephen Covey. Use the materials before the broadcast to learn more about
Covey and his philosophies toward leadership and potential.
Use the materials during the broadcast to record your notes, ideas, questions, and insights. At the
end of the program, you will be asked to submit questions directly to Dr. Covey via fax,
telephone, and/or email. Dr. Covey will speak for the first 60 minutes and then respond to
questions for the next 30 minutes. Your submission of questions is critical to the success of the
program.
Most importantly, use the materials after the broadcast to help you implement the principles and
techniques as you lead your organization. Use the materials as your ongoing source of renewal,
energy, and direction.
About Linkage
Linkage, Inc. is a global organizational development company that specializes in leadership
development. Serving the public and private sectors, the Company provides clients around the
globe with integrated solutions that include strategic consulting services, customized on-site
training experiences, tailored assessment services, and benchmark research.
With a relentless commitment to learning, Linkage also offers a full range of conferences,
institutes, summits, public workshops, and distance learning programs on leading-edge topics in
leadership, management, HR, and OD. More than 100,000 leaders and managers have attended
such a Linkage program since the Companys founding in 1988.
Linkage is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, with regional offices in Minneapolis,
Atlanta, San Francisco, London, and Brussels. On two occasions, Linkage has been named to the
Inc. 500, a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States.
Upcoming Events
Speakers confirmed for our 2004 Fall Excellence in Management & Leadership Series are listed
below.
Please join us for these upcoming programs. These broadcasts are offered live, by Linkage, on
the following dates. Please check with the individual responsible for the broadcasts within your
organization for any internal changes to the schedule.
September 15, 2004 Ethics in Leadership
Sherron Watkins, former vice president of Enron Corporation and Time Magazines
Person of the Year, honored for her actions in calling light to wrongdoings at Enron, and
Joseph Badaracco, Professor of Business Ethics at Harvard Business School
September 28, 2004 The Half Truths of Management
Henry Mintzberg, Award-winning Author, Professor, and Management Guru
October 18, 2004 Global Leadership
Mikhail Gorbachev, Former President of the Soviet Union and 1990 Nobel Peace Prize
Laureate
November 17, 2004 The Essential Transition: Helping Managers Learn to Lead
General Tommy Franks, Four Star General, Former Commander and Chief, U.S.
Central Command
November 30, 2004 Lessons in Leadership
Richard Branson, Founder and CEO of Virgin Corporation
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About Linkage............................................................................................................................... 3
Upcoming Events ......................................................................................................................... 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS..............................................................................................................................4
SECTION 1: PROGRAM MATERIALS
Introduction and Basic Premise.................................................................................................... 6
Question-and-Answer Session..................................................................................................... 8
When the Session Has Concluded............................................................................................... 8
Pre-Broadcast Reading: Principles versus Practices................................................................... 9
Pre-Broadcast Reading: Execution Quotient (xQ) Self-Assessment ......................................... 11
During The Program ................................................................................................................... 13
Notes on Unleashing Human Potential ...................................................................................... 14
Post-Broadcast Activities............................................................................................................ 21
Books Written or Co-Written by Stephen Covey ........................................................................ 27
SECTION 2: FORMS
Question Sheet........................................................................................................................... 29
Evaluation Form ......................................................................................................................... 30
SECTION 1
PROGRAM MATERIALS
At a time when American organizations desperately need to energize people and produce
leaders at all levels, Covey provides an empowering philosophy for life that is also the best
guarantee of success in businessa perfect blend of wisdom, compassion, and practical
experience.
habit: a pattern of
action that is acquired
and has become so
automatic that it is
difficult to break
discipline: training that
develops self-control,
Dr. Coveys teachings, most people agree, are effective because they go to the very core of who
we are as people. Dr. Covey speaks to us as people first and as leaders second. The principles
that guide us in our day-to-day living guide us as we lead others.
Ineffective people try to manage their time around priorities, says Dr. Covey, whereas effective
people lead their lives and manage their relationships according to principles natural laws and
governing values that are universally valid. Leadership, he states, is the ability to apply these
principles to problems, resulting in quality, productivity, profitability, and win-win relationships.
character, or orderliness
and efficiency
Principles are
immutable truths. For
example, smoking is not
healthy.
1. Be proactive. You are responsible for your life. Decide what you should do and get on
with it.
2. Begin with the end in mind. Think of how you want to be remembered at your funeral.
Use this as a basis for your everyday behavior.
3. Put first things first. Devote more time to whats important but not necessarily urgent.
4. Think win-win. Have an abundance mentality. Seek solutions that benefit all parties.
habit.
Disciplines are actions
taken for a specific
reason or outcome. For
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Dont dive into a conversation. Listen
until you truly understand the other person.
6. Synergize. Find ways to cooperate with everyone. Value the differences between
people.
example, a smoking
cessation program is a
discipline to stop
smoking and become or
remain healthy.
7. Sharpen the saw. Continually exercise and renew four elements of your self: physical,
mental, emotional/social, and spiritual.
Translation: line-of-sight from job, team, etc., to the organizations key priorities
By adhering to the seven habits and using the six workplace/organizational principles to guide us
in our new beginning, we can increase our effectiveness as leaders.
Question-and-Answer Session
Dr. Covey will dedicate the last 30 minutes of his live broadcast to answer your questions.
Complete the Question Sheet on the next to last page of this participant guide and:
If you are participating in the live presentation of this program, fax, e-mail, or call in your
questions using the instructions on the Question Sheet. Your seminar coordinator may
gather your questions and send them in collectively.
If you are participating in a recorded presentation of this program, share your questions
with your seminar coordinator to be answered during your post-broadcast activities.
Your feedback is valuable in ensuring the integrity of future programs. We take pride in
providing relevant, thought-provoking and enlightening programs and we rely on you
to help make this happen. Please complete the program evaluation form on the last page
of this guide or online at: http://www.linkageinc.com/disl/satellite_evals.shtml.
Principle-centered leaders are men and women of character who work on the basis of natural
principles and build those principles into the center of their lives, into the center of their
relationships with others, into the center of their agreements and contracts, into the center of their
management processes, and into their mission statements.
If you focus on principles, you empower everyone who understands those principles to act
without constant monitoring, evaluating, correcting, or controlling.
nonapologetically to
say no to other things.
New Paradigm
Responding to classic dilemmas of modern living, principle-centered leadership presents a new
way of thinking to help you:
Achieve and maintain a wise and renewing balance between work and family, and
between personal and professional ambitions, in the middle of constant crises and
pressures.
Unleash the creativity, talent, and energy of the vast majority of the work force.
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Look at human weaknesses with genuine compassion and understanding rather than
accusation and self-justification.
Replace prejudice (the tendency to prejudge and categorize people in order to manipulate
them) with a sense of reverence and discovery in order to promote learning, achievement,
and excellence in people.
Maintain control, yet give people the freedom and autonomy they need to be effective
and fulfilled in their work.
Create team spirit and harmony among people and departments that have been attacking
and critiquing each other for years, while scrapping for scarce resources, playing political
games, and working from hidden agendas.
Turn a mission statement into a constitution the supreme guiding force of an entire
organization instead of a collection of nebulous, meaningless, and cynicism-inducing
platitudes.
Know where to start; knowing when and how to recharge your batteries to maintain
momentum for learning, growing, and improving.
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While Dr. Covey will reveal the survey results in his presentation, you will benefit from his
discussion by taking your own self-assessment below. The results of the self-assessment are for
your use only, so please be candid in your responses. (Note: Contact FranklinCovey directly if
you wish to assess your organizations xQ.)
FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES, rate the execution of each of the following on a scale
from 0 to 100 where 100 represents flawless execution.
Score
Principle/Statement
Clarityunderstand key priorities
Organizational Direction: The organizational strategy and goals are precisely understood.
Team Focus: Work-teams focus on top goals.
Individual Goals: Individuals have measurable, deadline-driven work goals.
Calculate the average execution for Clarity -----------------------------------------------
Commitmentemotionally connected to key priorities
Team GoalsQuality: Teams have clear, measurable goals.
Individual Engagement: Individuals are motivated and valued.
Individual Commitment: People are committed to organizational direction.
Calculate the average execution for Commitment-----------------------------------------
Translationline-of-sight from job, team, etc., to key priorities
Organizational Line-of-Sight: All workers are focused on organizational goals and can see how they contribute to
the achievement of organizational goals.
Team Planning: We have clear, correlated assignments and follow-through.
Individual Time Allocation: A majority of our time is spent executing top goals.
Calculate the average execution for Translation ------------------------------------------
Principle/Statement
IScore
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Participate!
Dr. Covey asks that you engage in the presentation and subsequent questions and
answers. If you wish, use the following pages to take notes on points important to you.
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Key Learnings
Commitment to Do
breakthrough is a break
WITH.
If you want to make
minor improvements,
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improvements, work on
paradigms. A paradigm
is like a mental model,
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an assumption, or a
map.
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More notes
ISSUE
Leadership
Management
Structure
Hierarchical, bureaucratic
Motivation
External, carrot-and-sticking
Internalwhole person
Performance Appraisal
Information
Communication
Primarily top-down
Culture
Budgeting
Primarily top-down
People
Voice
As a principle-centered
person you try to stand
apart from the emotion
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Effective people are not
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problem-minded; theyre
opportunity-minded.
They feed opportunities
and starve problems.
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Lack of Clarity
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Lack of Commitment
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EXECUTION
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No Translation to Action
No Enabling
No Synergy
Lack of Accountability
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More notes
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Many people seem to
think that success in
one area can
compensate for failure
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effectiveness requires
PRINCIPLES
Social Norm
Natural Law
Personal
Impersonal
Emotional
Factual
Subjective
Objective
Arguable
Self-Evident
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VALUES
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balance.
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How different our lives
are when we really
know what is deeply
important to us, and
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Organizational
Greatness
More notes
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Personal
Greatness
Leadership
Greatness
The 7 Habits of
Highly Effective
People
Modeling (7H)
Pathfinding
Aligning
Empowering
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Dependent people
need others to get what
they want. Independent
people can get what
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More notes
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Keep in mind that you
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your unique
contribution, if you let it.
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Without involvement,
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there is no commitment.
Mark it down, asterisk it,
circle it, underline it:
No involvement, no
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commitment.
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More notes
Discipline 1: Focus on the Wildly Important
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People are wired to do
only one thing at a time
with excellence.
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Discipline 2: Create a Compelling Scoreboard
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Discipline 3: Translate Lofty Goals into Specific Actions
To achieve goals
youve never achieved
before, you need to start
doing things youve
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Discipline 4: Hold Each Other AccountableAll of the Time
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Knowing others are
counting on you raises
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your level of
commitment.
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More notes
LEVEL 5
_________________
Leadership is a choice;
not a position.
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_________________
LEVEL 4
LEVEL 3
_________________
LEVEL 2
_________________
_________________
LEVEL 1
Executive
Builds enduring greatness through a
paradoxical combination of
personal humility plus professional will.
Effective Leader
Jim Collins
Good to Great
Competent Manager
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Leadership is
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communicating peoples
worth and potential so
clearly that they are
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inspired to see it in
themselves.
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Post-Broadcast Activities
Complete and submit the program evaluation form found on the last page of this guide or online
at: http://www.linkageinc.com/disl/satellite_evals.shtml.
Activity 1: Self-Reflection and Discussion
What did Stephen Covey say that had the most impact the most relevance for you and
your organization?
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problem is the
problem.
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Our character is
basically a composite of
our habits. Because
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How might your employees describe you, the leader? What characteristics and habits do
you display?
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What do the characteristics and habits listed above tell you about your principles? Are
you pleased with these principles? Which would you like to change? How? When?
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Which of the six principles of execution hold the most potential for you and your organization?
(Review the pre-broadcast self-assessment on the Execution Quotient (xQ) that you completed
earlier in this participant guide.)
response. In those
Why is this principle most important for you and/or your organization now?
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What is the desired level of execution for this principle? Describe the way it SHOULD
be if this principle were executed flawlessly.
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What is the gap between the current level and the desired level? Why does the gap exist?
What can be done to close the gap? What can you do to close the gap?
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Select one of the disciplines one that has most impact and potential for you and complete the
associated activity.
Discipline 1: Focus on the Wildly Important!
regularly, consistently,
Principle: People are wired to do only one thing at a time with excellence.
Old Thinking: We can effectively accomplish six, eight, or even ten important goals at
once.
New Thinking: Organizations/Teams can only accomplish two or three goals at once
with excellence.
Outcome: Clarify your teams Wildly Important Goals and align them to the
organization.
lives. It requires
enormous personal
security and openness
and a spirit of
adventure.
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Discipline 2: Create a Compelling Scoreboard
Old Thinking: Once weve communicated the goal, people will know were serious
about it.
New Thinking: Were not really serious about the goal until we start keeping score.
Outcome: Identify key measures for your teams goals and transform them into a visible,
dynamic scoreboard.
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Principle: To achieve goals youve never achieved before, you need to start doing things
youve never done before.
Old Thinking: If people know the goal, theyll know what to do about it.
New Thinking: Goals will never be achieved until everyone on the teams knows exactly
what theyre supposed to do about them.
Outcome: Identify the new and better behaviors needed to achieve your goals and then
translate those behaviors into weekly and daily tasks.
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Discipline 4: Hold Each Other AccountableAll of the Time
Principle: Knowing others are counting on you raises your level of commitment.
Old Thinking: As long as the goal is clear and compelling, people will remain focused
and committed.
New Thinking: Maintaining commitment to the goal requires frequent team engagement
and accountability.
Outcome: Learn and apply an ongoing team accountability process to engage the team in
accomplishing the Wildly Important Goals.
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The Inside-Out
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approach to personal
and self; even more
fundamentally, to start
with the most inside part
of self - with your
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paradigms, your
character, and your
motives. The inside-out
approach says that
private victories precede
public victories, that
making and keeping
promises to ourselves
precedes making and
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How do you keep the main thing forefront in your decisions and actions?
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keeping promises to
others. It says it is futile
to put personality ahead
of character, to try to
improve relationships
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If the main thing isnt currently part and parcel to your thinking and behaving, how will
you once again make it the main thing?
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Picture yourself six months from now. Youre reflecting with a sense of pride and
satisfaction on what youve accomplished since the broadcast. As you look back, what
one thing brings you the most pride?
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Back to the present. With the above goal set for six months from now, what intermediary
steps do you need to take to reach that goal?
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Be patient with yourself.
Self-growth is tender; its
holy ground. Theres no
greater investment.
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Stephen Covey. Simon & Schuster. 1989.
Daily Reflections For Highly Effective People: Living The 7 Habits Of Highly
Successful People Every Day. Stephen Covey. Fireside. March 1994.
First Things First: To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy. Stephen R. Covey, A.
Roger Merrill, Rebecca R. Merrill. Free Press. January 1996.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families. Stephen Covey. Golden Books Adult
Publishing. Oct 1998.
Living the 7 Habits: Stories of Courage and Inspiration. Stephen Covey. Simon &
Schuster. June 1999.
Living the 7 Habits: The Courage to Change. Stephen Covey. Free Press. March 2000.
SECTION 2
FORMS
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Question Sheet
Use this form to write your question for Dr. Covey for discussion. Please write legibly.
Name (optional):
_______________________________________________________________
Organization:
_______________________________________________________________
Location:
_______________________________________________________________
Your question (25 words or fewer):
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Fax 1.877.892.0170 (from within U.S.)
Fax 646.349.3661 (from outside U.S.)
Email: [email protected]
Tel 1.800.489.8814 (from within U.S.)
Tel 801.303.7412 (from outside U.S.)
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NAME_____________________________________ TITLE__________________________________________
ORGANIZATION____________________________________________________________________________
Please indicate functional area (only circle one):
Finance
Manufacturing/Operations
Marketing
R&D
Sales
Other (specify)_______________________________________________________
How many people do you have reporting to you (include all levels)? Number:___________________
Please indicate your job level (only circle one):
President or Officer
Vice President
Director
Manager/Supervisor
Individual Contributor
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1) Please indicate a rating for each of the statements below by checking the appropriate box.
Strongly Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Somewhat Agree
Strongly Agree
Rating:______________
6) Which speakers are you most interested in seeing at the next Linkage Excellence in Leadership &
Management Series? (Please rate your top five, 1 being most interested)
___ James Champy
___ Deborah Tannen
___ Steve Jobs
___ Philip Knight
___ Edgar Shein
___ Carly Fiorina