In habit 6, ‘synergy’, Covey presents the idea of working as a team. He emphasizes the power of interaction, cooperation, giving and take, and combined effort. This chapter emphasizes the greatness of the whole, compared to the sum of its parts. It has enabled me learn that, working together in teams produces better results than working single-handedly. In the chapter also, I have appreciated the fact that only a few people have synergy, and that synergy requires principles and inner values.

Covey (2004) presents different areas where synergy can be beneficial. Through this, I have learnt that synergy can be used in the classroom, business and communication. In business, synergy is realized through opening one’s space to others in order to influence them. This helps in the generation of new ideas. I have appreciated the highest level of communication, which is synergistic, or win-win communication. This is characteristic of highly effective people. The other people are characterized with low and medium level communication, which has protectiveness, defensiveness and legalistic language meant to induce evasion of responsibility. These people have negative synergy, and have never realized the power of having an alternative point of view.

In this regard, the forces of synergy are reasonable, economic, conscious, and always positive. I will practice this habit by never taking insults personally, looking for the good that is in others, and expressing my ideas in a way that encourages other people to be open, and to grow.

References

Cover, S. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Powerful lessons in personal change. Florence, MA: Free Press.