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Background
Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is focused on building character rather than merely attaining success in a job or task; success is transient, but character persists. It is only in the context of strong character that people can be effective in the workplace, at home, and in their communities. Effectiveness is defined as the degree to which a desired result is achieved. In radiology, as in just about any other field or discipline, there are many opportunities and potential for effectiveness.

Educational Goals / Teaching Points
Identify Covey's seven habits and describe how they can be applied to radiology in areas such as patient care, communication with providers, resident teaching, leadership, research and quality improvement.

Key Anatomic/Physiologic Issues and Imaging Findings/Techniques
The first habit described in Covey’s book is being proactive. Proactivity allows us to anticipate and address problems before they arrive, instead of purely reacting to problems when they have matured. For example, the workflow in any given radiology setting often has multiple moving parts; identifying which areas are mistake-prone can help prevent patient harm. The next habit, beginning with the end in mind, encourages the setting of both large and small goals, especially in scenarios where the possibilities are endless, for example, in the case of a junior resident beginning to study. The third habit, putting first things first, encourages the prioritization of tasks between based on their urgency and importance. After taking care of the important and urgent tasks—like clinical work and procedures—the bulk of time should be spent on important but not urgent tasks, which offer the most opportunities for growth and effectiveness. The fourth habit, having a ‘win/win’ mindset, seeks the mutual benefit of others in all decisions and agreements. In radiology leadership, this becomes especially important, as keeping all employees of a department or practice happy ultimately affects the quality of work employees are driven to put out. Habits five and six (seek first to understand than to be understood, and synergize, respectively) are closely related; understanding others deeply is a prerequisite to working together as a team. In radiology, effective communication with referring providers can often be difficult, especially, for example, when they are requesting higher turn-around times for large volumes of studies; seeking to understand the other is the first step to producing synergy. The last habit, sharpening the saw, refers to the concept of life-long learning; just like the blades of a saw are dulled over time and require sharpening, so radiologists, too, need reinforcement of clinical knowledge and noninterpretive skills.

Conclusion
Covey’s seven habits have a multitude of applications to radiology. These seven habits ultimately focus on building character, which yield effectiveness in a variety of settings, whether one is aiming to improve a residency program, conduct quality improvement projects, reduce patient error, or improve provider-radiologist communication.