Habit 6

The Third The Third AlternativeAlternative

7 Habits of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:Highly Effective People:

Synergy in Nature?

LEVELS OF COMMUNICATIONLEVELS OF COMMUNICATION

TRUSTTRUST

Synergistic (Win/Win)Synergistic (Win/Win)

COOPERATIONCOOPERATION

Respectful (Compromise)Respectful (Compromise)

Defensive (Win/Lose or Lose/Win)Defensive (Win/Lose or Lose/Win)

LowLow

HighHigh

LowLow HighHigh

4 Levels of Interaction

• Hostility (1 + 1 = -1, -10, -100!)

• Defensiveness (1 + 1 = ½)

• Compromise (1 + 1 = 1½)

• Synergy (1 + 1 = 3, 10, 100!)

IndependenceIndependence

DependenceDependence

InterdependencInterdependencee

PUBLICVICTORY

PRIVATEVICTORY

Seek First to Understand

… Then to beUnderstood

Synergize

Think Win/Win

Put First Things First

Be Proactive

Begin with the End in Mind

Shar

pen

the

Saw

Habit #6

Synergize

Principle #6:

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”

““Our traditional thinking is Our traditional thinking is concerned with: concerned with: What-ISWhat-IS. . It isn’t good at designing It isn’t good at designing What-CAN-BEWhat-CAN-BE.”.”

Edward de BonoEdward de Bono

1. They are always WILLING to search for a better solution

Are we caught in the

Intelligence Trap?

Unfortunately, many people with a high intelligence actually turn out to be poor thinkers. They get caught in the ‘intelligence trap’, of which there are many aspects.

For example, a highly intelligent person may take up a view on a subject and then defend that view (through choice of premises and perception) very ably.

The better someone is able to defend a view, the less inclined is that person actually to explore the subject.

So the highly intelligent person can get trapped by intelligence - together with our usual sense of logic that you cannot be more right than right - into one point of view.

The less intelligent person is less sure of his or her rightness and therefore more free to explore the subject and other points of view.

Problems

Risks

Judgment

Benefits

Optimism

All Positive

AdversarialThinking

ParallelThinking

EgoEgo must be must be separated from separated from

PerformancePerformance

2. They’re always LISTENING and RESTATING the other position(s)

3. They value, and thus create, more NEW IDEAS

• You feel new energy and excitement

• You see things in a different light

• You feel the relationship has transformed

You know there’s synergy when…

What We’re Used ToWhat We’re Used To What We Need To What We Need To Get Used To…Get Used To…

Either/Or ThinkingBoth/And

(And/Also) Thinking

Argumentation Exploration

Universal AbsoluteTRUTH

Relationally Constructed Perspectives

Linear LogicalCertainty Thinking

Multi-Loopy CreativePossibility Imagining

Making it a Habit

• Learn to ‘look for’ value in positions you do NOT hold/agree with

• Learn to ‘argue against’ your own outlooks and viewpoints

• Try to have at least one new idea every 2 days and make a list

• Join collaborative projects!