Page 101 - stephen covey The seven habits of highly effective people

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particularly in our methods of administration. So I worked for a number of months in a compromise
mode to avoid what might turn out to be an ugly confrontation. All the while, bad feelings were
developing inside both of us.
After reading that it is more noble to give yourself completely to one individual than to labor
diligently for the salvation of the masses, I was deeply affected by the idea of rebuilding that
relationship.
I had to steel myself for what lay ahead, because I knew it would be hard to really get the issues out
and to achieve a deep, common understanding and commitment. I remember actually shaking in
anticipation of the visit. He seemed like such a hard man, so set in his own ways and so right in his
own eyes; yet I needed his strengths and abilities. I was afraid a confrontation might jeopardize the
relationship and result in my losing those strengths.
I went through a mental dress rehearsal of the anticipated visit, and I finally became settled within
myself around the principles rather than the practices of what I was going to do and say. At last I felt
peace of mind and the courage to have the communication.
When we met together, to my total surprise, I discovered that this man had been going through the
very same process and had been longing for such a conversation. He was anything but hard and
defensive.
Nevertheless, our administrative styles were considerably different, and the entire organization was
responding to these differences. We both acknowledged the problems that our disunity had created.
Over several visits, we were able to confront the deeper issues, to get them all out on the table, and to
resolve them, one by one, with a spirit of high mutual respect. We were able to develop a powerful
complementary team and a deep personal affection which added tremendously to our ability to work
effectively together.
Creating the unity necessary to run an effective business or a family or a marriage requires great
personal strength and courage. No amount of technical administrative skill in laboring for the masses
can make up for lack of nobility of personal character in developing relationships. It is at a very
essential, one-on-one level, that we live the primary laws of love and life.

P Problems are PC Opportunities

This experience also taught me another powerful paradigm of interdependence. It deals with the
way in which we see problems. I had lived for months trying to avoid the problem, seeing it as a
source of irritation, a stumbling block, and wishing it would somehow go away. But, as it turned out,
the very problem created the opportunity to build a deep relationship that empowered us to work
together as a strong complementary team.
I suggest that in an interdependent situation, every P problem is a PC opportunity -- a chance to
build the Emotional Bank Accounts that significantly affect interdependent production.
When parents see their children's problems as opportunities to build the relationship instead of as
negative, burdensome irritations, it totally changes the nature of parent-child interaction. Parents
become more willing, even excited, about deeply understanding and helping their children. When a
child comes to them with a problem, instead of thinking, "Oh, no! Not another problem!" their
paradigm is, "Here is a great opportunity for me to really help my child and to invest in our
relationship." Many interactions change from transactional to transformational, and strong bonds of
love and trust are created as children sense the value parents give to their problems and to them as
individuals.
This paradigm is powerful in business as well. One department store chain that operates from this
paradigm has created a great loyalty among its customers. Any time a customer comes into the store
with a problem, not matter how small, the clerks immediately see it as an opportunity to build the