Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I used to belong to an organization where it was mandatory for all senior managers to take the 7 habits two day course. This was two years ago when I was less skeptical than I am now, but I still remember thinking that the course was full of fluff and nonsense. Covey isn't as bad as Tony Robbins, but he is in the same ball park. The few nuggets of wisdom that can be found buried among all the garbage in 7 Habits are common sense that any one who has been paying attention in life should already know at a young age. Allow me to elaborate: 1. Be Proactive. You get to decide how you react to things. Your mom taught you this as "two wrongs don't make a right." When your kid brother hit you, it didn't make things better to hit him back. 2. Begin with the end in mind. This is called planning ahead. Humans have been doing this for millennia. 3. Put first things first. Uh, yeah. "Junior, eat your vegetables if you want to have dessert. Clean your room before you go out and play." Etc. This one strikes me as the "Well, duh!" habit. 4. Think Win-Win. Two kids want to watch different TV shows. Mom says they don't get to watch anything until they work out a solution. Yet another example of something that any good parent would have taught us. 5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. In the sales and marketing game this is called knowing your customer needs. As a child, mom and dad should have taught you about thinking about other people's feelings. It's all the same. 6. Synergize. Ever play team sports as a kid? Again, "Duh!" 7. Sharpen the saw. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. There is only one habit of highly successful people, and that is that they DON'T waste their time reading self-help nonsense. YOU shouldn't either. If you want to read something to better yourself, read educational information that will make you better at your job, being a parent, being a spouse, a citizen, more active politically. Learn about the world and how it works. Learn about people. Learn how to change the oil in your car or build a tree fort. If you were paying attention in life, you already know the Seven Habits. I repeat: Covey is like the rest of these motivational gurus: a scam artist who wants your money. I'm glad I don't work for the company that pushed this tripe on me any longer.