Stephen Covey
...p. (Pofeldt, 2) The Covey Leadership Center had an immediate and almost exclusive appeal to the corporate culture, partly due to its marketing strategies, but also because of the timbre of the times. (Steppens, 3-4) Corporate America was in a state of unease and flux, and workers and managers, were ripe for guidance in their search for a sense of stability in their jobs and careers. (Steppens, 3-4) The institute promised solutions to their problems, and both managers and employees were as eager to attend Covey’s program is as the corporate leaders, hoping for improved efficiency and morale of their personnel were to send them. (Steppens, 3-4) The center was a success and which in turn was merged with Franklin Quest, also a planning company. The merger brought a new name which is Franklin Covey. The Franklin Covey Company claims to have over 19,000 licensed client facilitators teaching its curriculum to over 750,000 participants annually. These figures include ninety of the Fortune 100 companies, more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500 companies, thousands of small and mid-size companies, government entities, educational institutions, communities, families, and millions of individual consumers. (Robison, 34) Franklin Covey products and services through corporate training, licensed client facilitators, one-on-one coaching, public workshops, catalogs, and more than 140 retail stores. Yearly book sales are over 1.5 million with over 15 million individuals using their planner products. Included among these participants buying Franklin Covey products are Christians, including business leaders, pastors and denominational leaders. (Robison, 35) But contrary to what one might expect, not everything went according to schedule as Covey built his own empire. During the early years, he says, his venture was plagued by cash-flow crisis: “I was humbled by the sheer size of the problems and the threat of failure and extinction”. (Coffey, 3) He soon realized that financial management wasn’t his strong suit and brought in a “complementary team” made-up of people who were good at the business side of things, including his son, Stephen M. R. Covey. (Coffey, 3-5) The firm’s problems resumed, though, after the newly formed Franklin Covey Co. went public on the NYSE (under the symbol FC). (Robison, 34) The company originally expected to earn $1.80 per share this fiscal year, says Donald A. Yacktman, president of Yacktman Asset Management Co. in Chicago. “Now they’re earning $1.50. They’ve been in a slump.” (Robison, 34) Although sales of the planners have been strong, courses by the Covey Leadership Institute have not done as well, he says: “I think there’s more competition than in the past.” (Robison, 34) Covey attributes the problems to the transition associated with the merger with Franklin Quest. (Waldrep, 3-5) AWARDS AND HONORS Dr. Covey’s awards include the first Thomas More College Medallion for continued service to humanity (1990), the 1990 Utah Symphony 50th Anniversary Award for outstanding national and international contributions, the 1991 McFeely Award from the International Management Council for significant contributions to management and education, the 1994 International Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the 1996 National Entrepreneur of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership, the Sikh’s 1998 International Man of Peace Award, and Inc Magazine’s Services Entrepreneur of the Year Award. (Pofeldt, 4) He was voted one of the 10 best resources by the Young President’s Organization (YPO) internationally. (Steppens, 69) He has also recently been recognized as one of Time magazine’s 25 Most Influential Americans, and one of Sales and Marketing Management’s top 25 power brokers. (Pofeldt, 4) Among his numerous awards, Dr. Covey has received four honorary doctorate degrees and is currently serving on the board of directors for the Point of Light Foundation. (Steppens, 69) TQM CONTRIBUTIONS Dr. Covey’s contributions to American and international management, production, and quality are numerous. He is perhaps best known as the author of the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” This book teaches the reader the timeless value of the character ethic and helps you to create your own paradigm shift. The book unlocks new levels of thinking and perception to create new areas of achievement and fulfillment. (Coffey, 2) You'll be able to concentrate your efforts to exceed your goals, renew yourself continuously both physically and mentally and gain many other benefits. (Coffey, 2) In this book Covey also tells that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness, it is a manual for performance in both arenas. This book was initially an integral part of corporate management literature, the appeal of Covey's message, as transmitted in his book, spread to people in all walks of life. The books popularity was such that magazine and newspaper editors, in their bids to increase circulation, would play on the "Seven Habits" theme in headlines and articles in much the same way that the title of Robert Pirsig's novel “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” spawned countless sophomoric imitations in the print media. (Pofeldt, 4)The books message has created a lasting impact, its sales keeping it on numerous best-seller lists for more than five years running. (Premiere, 5) Covey was the first to admit that there was nothing new in his writings in this book; indeed the very simplicity of his philosophy has accounted both for its popular acclaim, and for the not insubstantial negative criticism it has attracted in certain quarters. (Pofeldt, 4) Each "habit" presented in the book ("Be proactive," "Begin with the end in mind," "Put first things first") draws on time-tested truisms and age-old common-sense principles. (Pofeldt, 4) This book was published in 1989 and has sold more tha...