Synergize Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood Think Win-Win Put First Things First Begin with the End in Mind Be Proactive Sharpen the Saw Start with a clear goal in mind. This will help you to ensure that each step is taking you in the right direction. One thing that makes humans special is our ability to critically analyse ourselves, to be objective about our character, our actions, and the situations in which we’re involved. This allows us to judge our effectiveness and seek to improve it. We must be proactive to be effective. To be effective, set time aside to refresh yourself physically, spiritually, socially and mentally. Before offering solutions or effectively interacting with someone, try to understand them and see where they’re coming from. Listen with empathy, paying attention to their words but also their body language and tone of voice. Understand and value differences in the people you meet so you can create synergies that help you tap new possibilities. To establish effective relationships we need to commit to creating scenarios of trust, where agreements benefit and satisfy both parties. Bear results in mind to get a win-win. To be able to manage ourselves better we need discipline to prioritise our daily activities. One suggestion is to leverage the idea of what is important instead of what is urgent.