I found this from the book

This is a great book anyway.. if you have the time, go read it. Below are the best points and here is the gists.

• Habit 1. Be proactive
  Dont blame others for any failures. Always think positive and find solutions for the problem. If you talk to other people about the problem, don`t make the matter worse and your point is not to tell them the problem is not caused by you. The reason you talk about it is to gather information and plan active solution.
  
  
• Habit 2. You must have long term / final goal.
  If your final goal is to buy a multimillion dollar mansion at Lake Como Italy and live a luxury lifestyle, then work for it. I believe there is nothing wrong with that as long as you earn your money honestly.
  
  If your goal is "to help other people" (yawn!), then prepare yourself to be a community activist. Don`t pretend to "help other people" by joining politics and when you are elected, you abuse the power by channeling a huge sum of money and projects to create personal wealth.
  
  
• Habit 3. Prioritise
  This is probably the best point in the whole book. The author divide daily jobs in 4 quadrants
  
  I. Urgent and Important
  
  • Work that is truly needed to be done NOW!
  • Usually work that really productive and bring direct financial result to your company
  • e.g. First meeting with customers, meeting with key people before a project started.
  
  II. Not urgent but Important
  
  • Important work that can be done later that day.
  • e.g. Planning, reading important management books, reviewing performance.
  • PLANNING TO BE SMART!!

III. Urgent but Not Important

• e.g. Answering all phone calls. Most of the phone calls are not important and disrupt your working mood.
• Reading all emails. Just scan the title & read from people you really working with
• Follow up meetings with no new issues.

IV. Not urgent and Not important

• Trivia like watching YouTube
• Reading funny email from friends

How do you separate your tasks into the above 4 quadrants? Well it is up to you! This is probably what separate great person from losers. Great person knows what is important and urgent, without the need to draw the 4 quadrants. Losers need to be told.. by their bosses.


• Habit 4. Think win-win
  Dont take advantage on your client or staff or anyone around you. Whatever you do, it must NOT for the sole benefit your own self. I knew a boss who spend a huge amount of time dividing and conquering the structure of his workforce so he is the sole leader of the company. No deputy, no vice president etc. This way, the whole company relied heavily on him and he cannot be ousted if he abuse his power.
  
• Habit 5. Listen to others before asking others to listen to you.
  By listening to others first, you can avoid the boss mentality.. (I am always right. Do what I told)
  
• Habit 6. Synergize
  Put the right people at the right place. Dont duplicate effort.
  You should find your staff`s strength and assign the suitable job to him/her. Dont assign just any jobs and ask the person to "improve" themselves if they are not up to the job.
  
• Habit 7. Sharpen the saw
  Take care of your health. If you think you are too busy to exercise or think about healthy food, remember that by the age of 40, your heart is choke full with cholestrol and you are a time bomb waiting to explode and hospitalised for months.