Albert Einstein observed, "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them". In our journey towards effectiveness so far in these article series we have looked at many breakthroughs in thinking which sounds very simple common sense like behaviour but as we know "common sense is very uncommon" these days.

As we look around us and within us and recognize the problems created as we live and interact within the personality ethic, we begin to realize that these are deep, fundamental problems that cannot be solved on the superficial level on which they are created.

We need a new level, a deeper level of thinking - a paradigm based on the principles that accurately describe the territory of effective human being and interacting - to solve these deep concerns, be it an issue concerning a family/child, conflict in office, or even the ethnic conflict we are facing in our country.
This new level of thinking is what the "seven habits of highly effective people" is about. It's principle centered, character -based, and an 'Inside - out' approach to personal and interpersonal effectiveness.
"Inside-out" means to start first with self; even more fundamentally, to start in the inside part of self- with your paradigms your character, and your motives. It says if you want to have a happy marriage, be the kind of person who generates positive energy, and sidesteps negative energy. If you want to have a more pleasant, corporative teenager, be a more understanding, empathic, consistent, loving parent. If you want to have more freedom, in your job be a more responsible, more helpful, and a contributing employee.

The inside out approach says that private victories precede public victories, that making and keeping promises to ourselves precedes making and keeping promises to others. It says it's futile to put personality ahead of character, to try to improve relationships with others before improving ourselves.
Inside out is a process -a continuing process of renewal based on the natural laws that govern human growth and progress. It's an upward spiral of growth that leads to progressively higher forms of responsible independence and effective interdependence.

I have had the opportunity to work with many people, wonderful people, talented people, people who deeply want to achieve happiness and success, people who are searching, people who are hurting. I have worked with business executives, college students, undergraduates, civic groups, and in my experience I have never seen lasting solutions to problems, lasting happiness and success, that came form the outside in.

What I have seen result from the outside in paradigm is unhappy people who feel victimized and immobilized, who focus on the weaknesses of other people and the circumstances they feel are responsible for their own stagnant situation. We have also seen the labour management disputes where people spend tremendous amounts of time and energy trying to create legislation that would force people to act as though the foundation of trust were really there. Inside-out is a dramatic paradigm shift for most people, largely because of the powerful impact of the conditioning and the current social paradigm of the personality ethic.

BUT according to the effectiveness, leadership and management guru Dr. Stephen R Covey , after he has successfully examined and worked with thousands of successful individuals and societies throughout history, he has come to conclude that the principles embodied in the seven habits are already deep within us, in our conscience and our common sense. To recognize and develop them and use them in meeting our deepest concerns , WE NEED TO THINK DIFFERNTLY, to shift our paradigms to a NEW , DEEPER ‘inside out ‘ level.

“We must not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time”.
T. S. Eliot
Your feedback to the writer: ameer@franklincoveysouthasia.com