Effective Bank Branch Management: Applying Covey's 7 and 8 Habits

This report examines the application of Stephen Covey's principles, including the seven habits of highly effective people and the eighth habit, to the role of a bank branch manager. It discusses how the habits of being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, prioritizing first things first, thinking win/win, seeking to understand first, synergizing, and sharpening the saw can be utilized to improve leadership skills, customer service, and team motivation within a banking environment. The report emphasizes the importance of coordination between staff and customers, and the branch manager's responsibility in creating a positive and secure environment. It highlights the significance of communication, decision-making, and the ability to inspire and motivate the team to achieve success, ultimately leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. The report also touches upon the importance of the 'human voice' in inspiring and influencing others, fostering fairness, respect, and integrity within the organization.

Running head: EIGHT HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
HOW TO BECOME AN EFFECTIVE BRANK BRANCH MANAGER
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1EIGHT HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
Based on the bestseller book of Stephen R. Covey “The seven habits of highly effective
people”, there are seven important habits that each individual should be following to achieve
success in life. These habits are intended to enhance the inner skills of people and let them grow
as a person as well as achieve success in professional life. This discussion is going to present
these seven secrets plus an extra eighth secret and discusses the ways by which an individual can
use these habits to become an effective bank branch manager.
The seven habits discussed by Covey are being proactive, beginning with the end in
mind, first things first, think win/win, seeking knowledge to understand first, then to understood,
synergizing and the seventh one is sharpen the saw (Covey 2014). These seven habits are the
basal structure to achieve success and to serve a number of people through our work. Being a
bank Brach manager, the primary duty is to keep the belongings of thousand s of people safe and
secure. Several precautions are taken by the bank to keep these belongings safe (Jahanshani et al.
2014). However, if the environment within the branch is not cordial and there is no coordination
between the staff, customers does not consider that bank a safe place to save their money or
belongings. Hence, the role of branch manager is very important, as it is his responsibility to
develop coordination between staff and customers.
The first habit of being proactive defines one’s responsibility or response ability.
Proactivity cannot be practiced as it is the sense of responsibility that comes from inside. I can
use this habit, as I am able to sense my responsibilities at times and can use resources and
initiatives to achieve success. This habit is to help me with making decisions in direct, indirect
and critical problematic situations. My leadership quality, organization and communication skills
are determining factors, as without these I would not be able to understand the problem and
concerns of my staff as well as my customers. The second and third habit is about making correct

2EIGHT HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
decisions at correct time and estimating the result before commencement of any new project
(Barna 2013). It is my duty as a branch manager to understand the effect of any implemented
scheme for the betterment of customers and coworkers. Before agreeing to any new project or
scheme, I will be assessing the result of those projects. Furthermore, I have to make weekly and
monthly goals for my team so that it is easier for them to track their success and I can get an idea
of their weaknesses and lags, for amendment.
According to the fourth habit, I should be implementing different ways to motivate and
inspire my team to perform better every week and month and share their experiences and
accountabilities while achieving those to influence others to achieve the same. Fifth and sixth
habit is to maintain balance between the organization and customers. Fifth habit makes me
understand the need to listening to the problems of customers as well as my team staff. Being a
proactive manager, I will be looking for ways to help my customers and giving accurate
feedback. Whereas, the sixth habit makes me demonstrate different problem solving skills using
different alternatives provided by the staff. Finally the seventh secret that demonstrates the full
strength and highest ability of each individual of the team (Barna 2013). This habit will enhance
my ability to motivate the spirit and capability of every team members to achieve ultimate
success.
The abovementioned seven habits are to improve me as a leader and enhance my abilities
to understand the needs of customers as well as my team members. Further, there is another habit
demonstrated by Stephen R. Covey namely “the 8th habit: from effectiveness to greatness”. This
habit talks about the importance of human voice (Covey 2013). The human voice can be utilized
to inspire, influence negatively as well as positively. People generally use their voice for
spreading spiritual, body, mind and heart related talks. Whenever we are completely involved in

3EIGHT HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
something, all these four aspects are engaged in that task. This habit will provide me a mental,
spiritual, physical and emotional strength to amend different changes in my organization. The
habit will give strength to positive consequences and will inspire me to focus on fairness,
respect, kindness, honesty, integrity and service. These will enhance my moral authority, which
will help to improve the formal authority, leading to positive result. This is important as people
nowadays go to office and mark their bodily presence. Therefore, Covey has mentioned ‘loosing
voice’. This was the eight habits by which I will be able to enhance my ability as a branch
manager to help the customers as well as team members.

4EIGHT HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
References
Barna, G., 2013. The power of team leadership: Achieving success through shared responsibility.
WaterBrook. https://books.google.co.in/books?
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%20leadership%20for%20success&f=false
Covey, S.R., 2013. The 8th habit: From effectiveness to greatness. Simon and Schuster.
https://books.google.co.in/books?
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Covey, S.R., 2014. The 7 habits of highly effective families. St. Martin's
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Jahanshani, A.A., Hajizadeh, G.M.A., Mirdhamadi, S.A., Nawaser, K. and Khaksar, S.M.S.,
2014. Study the effects of customer service and product quality on customer satisfaction and
loyalty. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Seyed_Mohammad_Sadegh_Khaksar/publication/
235791092_Study_of_the_effects_of_customer_service_and_product_quality_on_customer_sati
sfaction_and_loyalty/links/57a096fb08ae94f454eb4c9d.pdf

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