Natalia Foppa

Cohort U
August 17, 2014

How are the 7 habits ingrained in The Go Giver story?
During the Cycle two of Cap Cohort U, the books The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People and The Go Giver were given as the main reading assignments. Both of them were
utilized during cohort discussions and all of the members built up arguments regarding the main
ideas of the books. In consideration of the main ideas we have the seven habits accomplished by
Stephen R. Cover and the five laws of stratospheric success, covered by Bob Burg and John
David Mann in the Go Giver story. Afterwards, in the final discussion all of the members of our
cohort concluded that there are similarities between the books, mainly related to three specific
habits: Begin With the End in Mind, Think Win-Win and Seek First to Understand, Then to Be
Understood.
First of all, in the Go Giver story, Joes attitude of following straightforward every advice
given by Pindar is direct related to his main goal of achieving a great business deal. The second
habit mentioned is related to always base all your actions in the final result you really want in
life. Even though Joe did not know what would certainly happen after he follows every single
task established by the great men, he surely had a personal mission statement. For every action
Joe planned, he used his sense of security; wisdom; guidance and power to make sure the results
would be converted in a self-reward after all. Considering Joe as having a sense of leadership, if
some of his attitudes might have lead to an unsuccessful result, he would certainly have stopped
right away and chose another path.
As a matter of fact, all the advices given by Pindar were somehow related to give, above
of all, and how much more is dedicated, more someone can take in payment at the end. The habit
four, think win/win, can be correlated to the first three laws of the go giver: the law of value, the
law of compensation and the law of influence. Including in all those laws the main idea is a type
of interaction in which both parts are benefited, after all. In the beginning, Joe doubted of that
idea once he had ingrained in his mind that by giving he would always lose more that he would
gain. However, the final balance, as he discovered in the end, was both way positives, and by
placing peoples interests above his, he would also benefit from that by gaining confidence and
expanding his network of people who cares about him.
Finally, the fifth habit: seek first to understand, then to be understood, can be explained in
the go giver by two different situations. The first moment is repeatedly mentioned in the book
and it happens every time Joe has an encounter with Pindar. By listening empathically every
speech Pindar had to share with him, without placing his judgment ahead, Joe was practicing the
empathic listening. He always tried to put him in the place of who Pindar want him to be and
them put in practice all the theory that has been given. The second situation was an isolated case
in which Joe changed his attitude drastically in order to listen to his wife complains without
expecting for anything in exchange. Those two situations resume well the concept of practice
empathy in a relationship.
In conclusion, there is a clear connection between the laws established by Pindar in the
Go Giver and the seven habits of highly successful people. Joe can be recognized as a successful
business man after all, and one more law can be related with that success: the seventh one. By
the law of receptivity, Joe can stay open to receive, and by receiving he can constantly be self-
renewed in all the spheres of his life. Thus, self-renewal is the main key to maintain his success
by learning as much as he can and constantly put all the laws and habits in practice.