As most readers know, we are living practitioners of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as codified by Stephen R. Covey in 1989 when he was 57 years old. We lost Stephen to a bicycling accident in 2012 but the principals he wrote in the “7 Habits” have been and continue to be life-changing for those who subscribe to an ethics-based life in both personal and business matters.
We believe so firmly in the principals of the 7 Habits that we re-read them and act upon them regularly. We recommend that you pull it down from your shelves (at 25 Million sold, I know that most of us have at least one copy somewhere) and re-read it yourself. If you can’t find your copy invest in a new one. The message never gets old.
But for those who may view the 7 Habits from a generalist’s standpoint we would like to re-iterate the habits specifically for insurance agents. As you will see over the next eight months (we won’t publish a Habit in October, our annual Composite Group issue) every Habit applies to us within our own industry.
Agency Consulting Group, Inc. has incorporated the 7 Habits in all of its consulting and training modules. Many of our clients will find these principals very familiar indeed.
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Synergize
Synergy comes from the Latin word meaning “working together.” And synergy is the antithesis of, not synonymous with compromise.
In compromise each side gives up a little in order to solve a problem. Compromise, by definition, is a Lose/Lose scenario since each participant is being asked to give something up. In a compromise, 1 + 1 = 1.5 – a solution that both parties find palatable, but also one in which each party gives up something. Synergy takes the Win/Win and Communication principles of the Seven Habits and applies them to business and personal life so that 1 + 1 = a minimum of 3.
Synergy, in its real sense, is a culmination of the other six habits, allowing us to open our minds to new ideas without the boss/employee or ego mentalities that are normally pervasive in our business or personal dealings.
Since neither side is expected to give up anything and since we are Actively Listening (Habit 5) and understanding each other’s points of view, a synergistic answer will always challenge the participants to creatively solve a problem in ways heretofore not explored. Brainstorming a solution to a difficult coverage question or challenging ourselves to grow in new ways are synergistic exercises that take the place of dictatorial styles of management in which the “boss” evaluates his choices and makes a decision, up to which everyone is expected to live.
Please re-read Covey’s Seven Habits, concentrating on Synergy, to understand how this applies to Strategic Planning as well as in solving normal business challenges.