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7 Habits of Highly Effective People
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by John Allen, John Cassel, Angela Pfeifer, Illinois School Boards Association
Well, I was surprised by "it" again this morning. "It" happened at a meeting with little promise. The issue was difficult, our agenda lacked direction, we were not all on the same page. But, my experience conforms to the pattern: sometimes "it" is spontaneous and effortless; other times it comes only after very hard work. And it’s never possible to force it. Let’s take a closer look at what happened.
Of the eight people in the meeting, two of us had worked closely together on different projects, four work together and know each other well, and four of us were meeting for the first time. We each had personal as well as organizational interests we wanted to protect–the pride of ownership.
After some initial exploratory discussion, and maybe some testing, and just when it began to feel like the meeting–like so many–would be pleasant, unproductive, suddenly after someone asked exactly the right question at precisely the right time, "it" happened.
Each participant had contributed. But, when "it" happened, the work of the group became larger than the sum of each individual’s contribution. "It" is synergy. Synergy, the sixth habit of Stephen R. Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, happens when two or more people produce more than what they could have produced separately. When synergy kicks in, individuals move beyond cooperation to collaborate and create new ideas, building freely and openly on each other’s thoughts and contributions. The creative energy unleashed with synergy has some antecedents we should consider. Though synergy arises out of the group, the attitudes and skills of each participant are used to set the stage for synergy to occur.
You will recall from last month’s article, "Are You Listening?" the skill Stephen Covey calls "empathic listening." The ultimate goal in listening at this level is to be able to explain the other’s position better than they can explain it themselves, by acknowledging both the content and the feeling. Once you understand at this level, you have the opportunity to present your position effectively. Explain it clearly, specifically, and in the context of the other person’s perceptions and concerns. In this morning’s meeting, all of us began-as if on a simultaneous cue-to seek that level of understanding of each person’s position. The cue that moved us into that mode was the "right question at the right time."
"Tell me more..." invites not only more information, it creates a climate for active listening. The respondent believes the questioner is going to listen and not just gain more time to prepare a response. Don’t be mistaken. Sometimes, questions can be used to control the direction of the discussion, e.g., "How might you react to this proposal?" or to offer solutions, e.g., "Why don’t you..." These shut down rather than expand the conversation. When the right type of questioning and listening becomes habit, participants become less defensive and more substantively responsive. So, the right question, properly posed, can move the group to a higher level of listening, learning and creative action.
The synergy of the meeting came as each of us independently realized that we might benefit by letting go of our own private agendas. As we ceased to defend our own positions by creating a larger possible alternative, we all benefited. Synergy creates a transformation which assures that each member gets what he or she wants and simultaneously builds relationship–the springboard for future work together. Covey’s habit number four, "Think Win-Win" comes to mind as participants realize the power of their collaborative relationship.
One of the strengths of relationship is confronting another point of view. As I reflect on this morning’s meeting I realize the individual who was able to move the participants to looking at new possibilities was in a unique position, and was highly skilled. He took a risk by inviting a deeper conversation. Because he did not have a prior relationship with the individual he positively challenged, the risk was not based on old, maybe bad habits of listening and questioning. People with different points of view can build new and creative ideas and solutions because of their diversity. The pieces of this puzzle are each different and do fit together in a variety of ways. There is more than one right answer–and the more points of view, the greater the likelihood of finding and considering the many possible right answers. By valuing differences, participants build on strengths and compensate for weaknesses.
To be honest, boards of education are not often asked to work as a group in a way that allows for synergy. More often, boards are called upon to act on a recommendation made by the superintendent. An up or down roll call vote does not require synergy. You might want to use these questions for further reflection:
• Have you ever experienced synergy?
• What factors were present when synergy occurred?
• In your board of education experience, when did synergy happen?
• What do I do–or not do–to encourage synergy?
• What could I do to help our board achieve synergy when the opportunity arises?
Over two hundred years ago, Thomas Jefferson wrote about the need for education into citizenship to help ordinary citizens see the common good. Education, in his mind, was about citizenship. Is your board modeling a search for the common good? Practice Covey’s attitudes and habits and you may be surprised how often "it" happens.
The authors are IASB field services directors.
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