I am always striving to become a better person. In my journey to become a better father, husband, leader and boss, I look for books and podcasts that offer guidance. One resource that deeply impacted me is Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
What stood out to me the most is the concept of the emotional bank account. Covey explains that every interaction is either a deposit, by delivering trust and transparency, or a withdrawal when we do the opposite. Any human has at some point felt the sting of having someone mislead us, and we know how depleting that is.
Building on this, Covey emphasizes the importance of seeking first to understand and then to be understood. This can be a challenge in our distraction-filled world, but whether with a family member, client or colleague, we build relationship when we actively listen. This allows us to ask clarifying questions, and when we truly understand their perspective, we can offer our own.
When we are in tune with idea of the emotional bank account and understand and then be understood, it leads well to another concept Covey outlines – the importance of win-win in every negotiation. If we have win-lose, or lose-lose, one or both parties are going to leave feeling depleted, and not feeling understood. Neither of these negative outcomes are beneficial.
I have been reflecting on how these concepts apply to our contra-season services.
We are honoured when clients trust us to multiply their seeds, and we honour that with full transparency. In agriculture, there is always the chance that despite best efforts something doesn’t go completely as expected. We are always going to be 100% honest with our clients so we can problem solve together. We want to keep the emotional bank account full.
We also take the time to understand potential clients’ needs and ensure we can meet those needs before we sign any contracts. With that understanding, we arrive at the desired win-win.
As the CEO of a family-owned company, I’m committed to building long-term, genuine relationships. Incorporating these habits is key to achieving that goal.
Have you read Covey’s book? What resonated most with you?
