Here’s another installment in my continuing my series on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Communicators.

HABIT 3: PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
This, says Covey, is where Habit 1 and Habit 2 come together. For effective communication, Habit 3 is focusing on the highest priorities — both yours and your listener/reader. Decide what is most important to communicate and spend your time saying only what needs to be said.

How to incorporate it:
Create a down-and-dirty outline by jotting down a few bullet points that relate to your topic. (Hint: Your topic is your one sentence to clarity from Habit 2.) If you’re having a conversation, obviously you won’t want to stop and create a written outline, but you can make a quick mental note of the three most important details. Share only what’s necessary at the time. Think you need to share more? Choose wisely or else you may become like the person who focuses on the most minute, irrelevant detail, such as, “There was this time I was at the store. Was it Kroger? No, it must have been Giant Eagle. No, no, it was Meijer. No, wait a minute, I’m pretty sure it was Kroger …” Nip off-topic thinking, speaking and writing in the bud. Focus instead on the top three, highest priority points. Your listeners/readers will thank you.

Possibly related posts

• The Sixth Habit of Highly Effective Communicators (1)
• The Fourth Habit of Highly Effective Communicators (0)
• The Second Habit of Highly Effective Communicators (0)

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Stephen R. Covey’s famous self-help book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

The book, which has sold more than 20 million copies, has been called the most influential business book of the 20th century. It stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for five years and has been credited with changing the lives of multitudes of people.

So in honor of the book’s milestone anniversary and its common-sense principles, I’ll be offering my take on the Seven Habits (as they relate to effective communication, of course).

HABIT 1: BE PROACTIVE
Like life, relationships and so many other things, effective communication doesn’t just “happen” by accident. It takes focused energy, thoughtful word choice and leveraging the proper communication vehicle to send, receive and understand a message. Choose to make better communication a part of your life and work.

How to incorporate it:
Proactive communicators work at tailoring their message for relevance, refining it for understanding and improving their communication delivery. Begin by recognizing your areas of strength and opportunity. Then take a small improvement step each day, such as instituting a three-count silence after someone else stops talking and before you start; paying careful attention to not repeat yourself to make your point; or using Twitter to practice concise writing and thinking. Also, consider enrolling in a writing workshop; hiring a communication coach; implementing new-to-you techniques from books and blogs; and soliciting constructive criticism from your boss, peers or others whom you respect.

Possibly related posts

• The Sixth Habit of Highly Effective Communicators (1)
• The Seventh Habit of Highly Effective Communicators (0)
• The Fourth Habit of Highly Effective Communicators (0)