Argh! I’ve been Covey-ized!
March 26, 2004
Hello readers. Your faithful LiB has just gotten out of a two-day Franklin Covey training on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. LiB is restraining herself greatly, but let me sum up:
1) Franklin Covey training is a waste of my time.
2) Franklin Covey training is a waste of my employer’s money.
3) Franklin Covey training artificially compartmentalizes things in a way that weakens meaning and promotes conformity.
You all have no idea how hard it was to write this post without cursing. Thank Jeebus it’s the weekend.
March 27th, 2004 at 1:18 am
Ouch, sounds painful. And I like Covey and the 7 habits! But it’s regimentation and structure simply don’t work for many of the people I know (or even me some of the time.)
Companies need to be wary of wasting their time on training courses that:
a) Don’t necessarily fit with the personality and work styles of all employees
b) Can be equally learnt from a $15 paperback. Or better yet, free from your local library!
March 27th, 2004 at 8:55 am
Our tax dollars at work!
March 29th, 2004 at 3:57 am
My sympathies- hope it didn’t ruin your weekend.
On the other hand…
watched Donnie Darko with the kids again yesterday- maybe you’re just overwhelmed by Fear and that’s whats making you resistant to Covey’s message of Love ;^)
1 habit of highly effective people has to be that they ignore pseudoscientific cure-all moneymaking seminars…
March 29th, 2004 at 12:13 pm
Well, I did the Covey training in Marin, too, and thought frankly that it was the best training of any kind that I’d ever had. So I guess it is a matter of individual style–but I just felt free to take from it what worked within my style, and discard (someimtes after fruitless attempts at using them) the portions that didn’t work for me. One aspect that I think can work well, especially if all members at all levels in the organization have the same training, is that there can be a shared vocabulary (even if only used to vilify and reject!), and the management and rank and file are all capable of understanding that vocabulary (less exclusivity, better communication).
March 30th, 2004 at 6:25 am
Covey’s concepts are nothing new or original, but his presentation does speak to some people in an effective way (practice what you preach, I suppose). Still, I don’t see why schools don’t just take his stuff (much of it is public domain) and teach it themselves. They’d put him right out of business, IMO.