TZL 1452 (web)

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FROM THE FOUNDER

We’ve all heard about the attributes of highly effective people, but what about the habits of highly ineffective people? Seven habits of highly ineffective people

W e are outside Santa Fe at my brother and sister in-law’s place way out in the middle of a national forest. There isn’t a whole lot to do here other than hike, eat, and talk. We got into a conversation about Franklin Covey Planners last night and how my sister-in-law used to completely rely on them, and that got me thinking about Stephen Covey. Of course, that then led to a discussion of his best seller from long ago, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People .

Mark Zweig

Over the years, I have written a lot – based on my own observations and Zweig Group research – about the attributes of highly effective people. But what about the seven habits of highly ineffective people? As a lifelong student of human behavior in this industry, I have certainly met and worked with many of them who were principals and managers in AEC firms. So here it goes. Following is my list of the seven habits of highly ineffective people – particularly those who are owners and managers of AEC firms: 1. They are endless planners but infrequent doers. If there is one thing that is most important for those who want to be effective at whatever they do it’s that they have to DO . This takes action. Ineffective people get stuck in planning – an endless cycle of “what ifs” – always needing

more information to make a decision. Or even worse, they get stuck at the still earlier stage of fantasizing. They fantasize about the possibility of success but don’t take any of the actual steps necessary to achieve it. This keeps the dream alive if you never try. Success belongs to doers, not planners. 2. They have little to no empathy. Ineffective people are ineffective in part because they cannot put themselves in the other person’s shoes. As a result, they aren’t good at managing people or selling their ideas. And this doesn’t help them win over friends, either, because they often seem harsh and overly judgmental. That leads other people to wonder what these ineffective leaders and managers think about them.

See MARK ZWEIG, page 12

THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 8, 2022, ISSUE 1452

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