The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is still the most influential self-improvement book on the market and sales can certainly back up this opinion. While it was written more than 30 years ago, this wonderful book by Stephen Covey is a masterpiece. It’s also a great source of advice that can help startups with PR and marketing in the years ahead.

The book highlights the authors’ belief that our perception of the world is precisely how we see the world. In other words, in order to change any given situation, you must first change your perception.

That’s not to say that perception is all that matters. Covey used more than 200 years of literature to identify major habits that enabled humans to achieve success.

In this article, we talk about each of these seven habits and how they can benefit startups that want to get ahead.

It should be known that Stephen Covey also identified a change in terms of ethics. In earlier times, success was often based on character traits such as integrity, humility, or patience.

Today, many people look for a quick fix.

Most people want to know how to get things done quickly or efficiently. Covey points out that the quick-fix mentality is merely a short-term solution.

Each of the following habits is important. Startups can improve their approach by taking note of this advice from the famous author:

1. Be Proactive

Stephen Covey is quick to highlight the importance of self-awareness. He states that humans have a distinct ability to examine their own character and take control of any given situation. He talks about the power of being proactive and how reactive people are more inclined to lose due to a negative thought process in which people believe things are happening to them as opposed to things happening for their good.

Startups need to be proactive in order to be effective and make every effort to avoid taking a reactive approach to decision-making. Reactivity will leave members of the startup feeling like things are out of control. On the other hand, a proactive culture will develop a sense of responsibility in the organization.

For example, when dealing with clients, instead of waiting for feedback and hoping it won’t be negative, you can ask for feedback. Asking for feedback can help you identify areas where your product needs improvement, and act on the feedback before frustrated clients leave you for a competitor. In addition, asking for feedback can help you build positive relationships with your clients, who will feel seen and valued. Clients who feel valued are more likely to develop brand loyalty and become brand ambassadors.

Takeaway – You are in charge and you write the script for your business in the very same way that you do for your life. You should always focus on what you can control.

2. Begin with the End in Mind

Stephen Covey outlines how a successful person will use their imagination to create a vision of their future success. When they have this vision, the person can then use their conscience to decide what principles and values they will maintain to achieve this success.

Most people work hard for their end goal without having a precise vision of what this objective looks like. Since there is no clear objective to move toward, everything they do along the way is unlikely to be as effective or beneficial. On the other hand, if a person is able to decide on a clear destination, they are much more likely to take meaningful steps in the right direction.

When it comes to a startup, this habit could not be more relevant. After all, managing a startup is all about changing and adapting in order to become more efficient. Every great leader knows that having a strategic vision is what often enables the business to achieve certain goals.

For instance, when you first begin to advertise on Google Adwords or on the Facebook ads platform, what is your end goal? Is it to get enough data about your customers or to measure your campaign results?

Do you need help developing effective goals for your next public relations campaign? The experts at Pressfarm can help you define these goals and develop a winning public relations strategy that will generate publicity for your brand.

Takeaway – Startups need to visualize every last detail of what success will look like in the future. What will people say about the business? Where will you advertise? What do you want to say to customers? Thinking about these questions can set priorities and create a clear blueprint for success.

3. Putting First Things First and Getting Things Done

Discipline is essential for a startup and day-to-day actions must be prioritized according to what is most urgent or important. The third habit in the book goes on to talk about these priorities and explains the importance of taking action to execute these tasks. However, Stephen Covey also points out how the person (or startup) needs to maintain willpower and remain aware in terms of whether they are still on track toward certain objectives.

Simply put, the startup should be taking action based on values as opposed to impulse or desire and keeping a tight reign on every aspect of management. The management should be as specific as possible and include estimates of time, money, and resources needed to get things done.

Takeaway – Startups should have a very clear structure for time management which outlines specific tasks right down to the hours and minutes of every day.

4. Thinking Win-Win

Relationships are crucial to success in life and the very same is true in business.

However, many relationships fail due to a lack of understanding and a belief on one side that the relationship is one-way. Stephen Covey explains the foundations of any good relationship and how six paradigms rule over the success or failure of every interaction. Each option is common in business and a startup should always seek to nurture the most effective of the following paradigms:

Win-Win – Both sides of the relationship will benefit and receive just as much satisfaction as the other.

Win-Lose – Startups with this approach are likely to use power or position to get their way.

Lose-Win – Startups with this approach try to please at first but then seek to gain strength over time.

Lose-Lose – Everyone loses. When both sides are in a Win-Lose mindset, the result is loss on both sides.

Win – Startups with a ‘win’ mentality only want to win and this does not necessarily mean that someone else needs to lose.

No Deal – Without an agreement that benefits both sides, there is no deal.

Win-Win is the most ideal approach for a startup and one that should create more long-term relationships. Anything else is likely to have a negative impact on the relationship over time and result in only short-term success at the very best.

Takeaway – Prior to communicating on behalf of the startup, it’s best to think ahead and write down a list of what the other party wants or needs. You can then make a list of how you can meet those needs and identify where you might be able to strike a balance between the two sides.

5. Seeking First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

According to Stephen Covey, most people make the mistake of providing advice or solutions without properly listening to the other person. For example, let’s assume you told your doctor that you had been experiencing stomach problems and they prescribed you some medication without asking any follow-up questions. How confident would that make you feel?

The truth is, this lack of empathy or ability to listen is the cause of breakdowns in communication. This applies to communicating with employees, customers, or business partners. This also suggests a distinct lack of awareness. It’s the same for startups when facing a problem – the issue always needs to be diagnosed before you can think of a solution.

One area of your business where you can put this into practice is when onboarding new customers. Rather than immediately recommending your most expensive product, you should take time to understand what the customer needs. Once you’ve done that, you can make recommendations that will address their pain points.

Takeaway – Take time to deploy empathy and always ensure that you address the other person’s concerns before trying to express your own point of view.

6. Making Progress using the Synergize Approach

When we better understand the perspective of another person, Covey says that we can create a synergy that will also uncover endless creative possibilities. In fact, the previous 5 habits will be used to prepare the individual for this step and the same goes for a startup. For example, if you were to plant two trees in proximity to each other, the roots of these trees would eventually intertwine. As a result, the soil becomes richer and the trees are able to grow faster.

This synergy will enable a startup to ditch ineffective ideas and come up with new concepts. On the other hand, synergy simply creates a more meaningful environment in which people and ideas can flourish instead of facing obstructions or objections. In many ways, this means that synergy creates a transformation through which everything/everyone involved will benefit.

Takeaway – Synergy can not only help a startup make decisions between ideas. It will also help create a third idea that would not have been an option without this foresight.

7. Sharpening the Saw

The final habit in “The 7 habits of highly effective people” is arguably the most straightforward. It demonstrates the importance of improvement. According to Covey, people and businesses should try to renew and strengthen themselves both physically and mentally. 

However, there are four dimensions to this habit – physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional. A startup needs to understand that each dimension is just as important for creating an authentic culture within the company. For example, people in a successful organization need to eat and sleep well. Additionally, a creating sense of purpose and belonging is crucial for nurturing teamwork.

Takeaway – Startups should have a list of values and core principles that will enable people in the organization to feel happy and fulfilled. Each dimension should have a clear and concise activity. Founders should also evaluate and update each one on a regular basis.

Final Thoughts

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a remarkable book and every bit as relevant as it was 30 years ago. However, the only way to inject these habits into a startup is by changing things in the first place. While startups have a lot on their plate from the very beginning, taking a proactive approach to these habits will help nurture a long-term blueprint that is much more likely to succeed. These habits have proven success and keeping them as part of the company ethos is sure to result in positive results and lasting success.

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