Habits of Highly Successful Managers
by Devon Fleming on January 02, 2010 at 07:12AM
Stephen Covey is one of my favorite authors and an expert in the habits of highly successful people. He refers to those traits or ways of thinking that can be applied to anyone who wants to become more effective in life—business people, homemakers, athletes, students—anyone! Surely, we women, who are running our households, families, careers and personal lives, can find these habits of particular use!
Summing up Covey’s findings with my own personal experience spin, here’s a few great habits to take you into the New Year!
1. Be Proactive This is great advice for anyone and though it may sound a bit simplistic, I find the best words of wisdom stick to the basics. Identifying the next “right” action in our lives and taking responsibility for those actions (and our attitudes about them), is a wonderful mindset for approaching life. Remember, the goal is progress not perfection. But progress requires action! It’s a daily practice and way of thinking that improves with time.
2. Begin with the End in Mind This is one of my favorites. Knowing where you’re going is most efficient way to start any new venture, path or plan. By visualizing a clear target, and keeping your eye on the ball, goals are much more easily realize.
3. Put First Things First I find that many women are naturally inclined to multi-task – managing a wide range of activities, schedules and goals. To get things done, certain priorities must rise to the top of the to-do list and take precedence over the others. In my personal experience, the challenge, particularly for women, is including themselves on their to-do list. Sometimes personal, emotional, psychological or physical health needs need to be put first in order for the rest of life to run smoothly. How (and how often) do you put yourself first?
4. Think Win-Win- This is a wonderful concept but not always easy to execute. The idea is to have an attitude that seeks mutual benefit in situations. I feel that one of the greatest attributes a business can have is alignment with synergistic brands where joint effort produces exponentially better results. The same can be applied to your household and personal efforts. Ask yourself who in your life has skills or assets that complement yours. What can you do together to help each other?
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood The benefits of thoughtfulness and empathy cannot be overemphasized. It’s not always easy, but empathic listening inspires openness and trust whether in the Board Room or the Family Room. And there’s the boomerang effect, the more you give it the more it comes back to you.
6. Teamwork This is a term many people use, but the best results come from cooperation and valuing differences by bringing together different perspectives in the spirit of mutual respect. As the CEO, you need to set the tone in the household, and while this might sound a bit corporate in nature, it is attainable with regular practice.
7. Sharpen the Saw This is the habit that brings BALANCE. When we keep our physical, mental and emotional attributes renewed, personal growth is possible. Without personal growth and adaptation to new circumstances, we cannot run our ships.
We amazing, female phenoms, aka SheNoms ™ as I have coined, are the backbone of our households, schools, communities, businesses and governments. We are each powerful examples to those depending on us. There is tremendous pressure, I know, particularly given all of the economic strains in the world today. Yet the New Year is a wonderful time to try new ways of getting things done, and I hope the above inspires new habits in your life.
Want more inspiration? Please join me at my next event, Empowering Women 2010, to hear how to handle these pressures and learn about some valuable resources.
Date: February 3rd
Location: The Greenwich Hyatt
Time: 6:00-9:00pm
Cost: FREE
For more details or to sign up, please visit to www.DevonFleming.MyEvent.com
Space is limited
Happy New Year!
Devon Fleming is considered the area’s Home and Lifestyle Expert. She writes books, articles, blogs, and other online content. She provides ‘Fairfield County Living Tips’ on four local radio stations and appears on area TV providing lifestyle segments and “solutions for the modern woman.” For more information, visit www.DevonFleming.com or email devon@devonfleming.com.
Habits of Highly Successful Managers
By Devon Fleming, Posted 2/02/10 07:12 AM
Stephen Covey is one of my favorite authors and an expert in the habits of highly successful people. He refers to those traits or ways of thinking that can be applied to anyone who wants to become more effective in life—business people, homemakers, athletes, students—anyone! Surely, we women, who are running our households, families, careers and personal lives, can find these habits of particular use!
Summing up Covey’s findings with my own personal experience spin, here’s a few great habits to take you into the New Year!
1. Be Proactive This is great advice for anyone and though it may sound a bit simplistic, I find the best words of wisdom stick to the basics. Identifying the next “right” action in our lives and taking responsibility for those actions (and our attitudes about them), is a wonderful mindset for approaching life. Remember, the goal is progress not perfection. But progress requires action! It’s a daily practice and way of thinking that improves with time.
2. Begin with the End in Mind This is one of my favorites. Knowing where you’re going is most efficient way to start any new venture, path or plan. By visualizing a clear target, and keeping your eye on the ball, goals are much more easily realize.
3. Put First Things First I find that many women are naturally inclined to multi-task – managing a wide range of activities, schedules and goals. To get things done, certain priorities must rise to the top of the to-do list and take precedence over the others. In my personal experience, the challenge, particularly for women, is including themselves on their to-do list. Sometimes personal, emotional, psychological or physical health needs need to be put first in order for the rest of life to run smoothly. How (and how often) do you put yourself first?
4. Think Win-Win- This is a wonderful concept but not always easy to execute. The idea is to have an attitude that seeks mutual benefit in situations. I feel that one of the greatest attributes a business can have is alignment with synergistic brands where joint effort produces exponentially better results. The same can be applied to your household and personal efforts. Ask yourself who in your life has skills or assets that complement yours. What can you do together to help each other?
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood The benefits of thoughtfulness and empathy cannot be overemphasized. It’s not always easy, but empathic listening inspires openness and trust whether in the Board Room or the Family Room. And there’s the boomerang effect, the more you give it the more it comes back to you.
6. Teamwork This is a term many people use, but the best results come from cooperation and valuing differences by bringing together different perspectives in the spirit of mutual respect. As the CEO, you need to set the tone in the household, and while this might sound a bit corporate in nature, it is attainable with regular practice.
7. Sharpen the Saw This is the habit that brings BALANCE. When we keep our physical, mental and emotional attributes renewed, personal growth is possible. Without personal growth and adaptation to new circumstances, we cannot run our ships.
We amazing, female phenoms, aka SheNoms ™ as I have coined, are the backbone of our households, schools, communities, businesses and governments. We are each powerful examples to those depending on us. There is tremendous pressure, I know, particularly given all of the economic strains in the world today. Yet the New Year is a wonderful time to try new ways of getting things done, and I hope the above inspires new habits in your life.
Want more inspiration? Please join me at my next event, Empowering Women 2010, to hear how to handle these pressures and learn about some valuable resources.
Date: February 3rd
Location: The Greenwich Hyatt
Time: 6:00-9:00pm
Cost: FREE
For more details or to sign up, please visit to www.DevonFleming.MyEvent.com
Space is limited
Happy New Year!
Devon Fleming is considered the area’s Home and Lifestyle Expert. She writes books, articles, blogs, and other online content. She provides ‘Fairfield County Living Tips’ on four local radio stations and appears on area TV providing lifestyle segments and “solutions for the modern woman.” For more information, visit www.DevonFleming.com or email devon@devonfleming.com.
