In Memory of Dr. Stephen R. Covey

Franklin Covey Co. Announces the Passing of Dr. Stephen R. Covey, Renowned Author, Speaker and Consultant

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 16, 2012-- Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE:FC) today announced that Dr. Stephen R. Covey, co-founder and a former vice-chairman and director of FranklinCovey, passed away peacefully this morning due to the residual effects of a bicycle accident he suffered this past April. He was in his 80th year. In his final hours, he was surrounded by his loving wife and each of his children and their spouses.

Dr. Covey made a decision early in his life that his greatest contribution and life's work would be as a teacher. Beginning with his role as a university professor at Brigham Young University and then as an internationally-renowned author, speaker, and consultant, he has impacted the lives of countless millions worldwide. From grade school and university students, to Fortune 100 CEOs and numerous heads of state, he made teaching principle-centered leadership his life's work.

In 1996, Dr. Covey was recognized as one of Time magazine's 25 Most Influential Americans. He is the author of a number of acclaimed books, including the international bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which has sold more than 20 million copies in 40 languages throughout the world. Other bestsellers include First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, and The 8th Habit. His most recent books include The 3rd Alternative, The Leader in Me, and Everyday Greatness.

In 2002, Forbes named The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People one of the 10 most influential management books ever written. Chief Executive magazine recognized The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as one of the two most influential books of the 20th century. Dr. Covey received the Fatherhood Award from the National Fatherhood Initiative, was named Speaker of the Year, received the Sikh's International Man of Peace Award, and The National Entrepreneur of the Year Lifetime Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

In 1984, Dr. Covey made the decision to leave full-time teaching as a university professor to establish a business organization, Covey Leadership Center, that could take principle-centered leadership throughout the world. From the inception of that business, Dr. Covey's focus was always on writing and teaching, leaving the leadership and management of the business to others. In 1997, Covey Leadership Center merged with FranklinQuest, to form Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE:FC), a global performance improvement company that now operates in over 125 countries throughout the world. From the time of the merger to his retirement from the board last year, Dr. Covey devoted essentially all of his time and effort to writing and teaching.

To Stephen, more important than his professional work was his work with his family. Stephen was a devoted husband, father and grandfather and spent a considerable amount of time with his immediate and extended family, getting together for vacations, games, celebrations, birthdays, and events of all kinds, and having one-on-one time with each of his children and grandchildren, which he loved doing. Stephen truly believed that the greatest work we do is within the four walls of our own homes and was a model of a loving and committed husband and father to the end.

Bob Whitman, chairman and CEO of FranklinCovey, said, "We lost a dear friend today. Stephen was one of the world's great human beings. His impact is incalculable and his influence will continue to inspire generations to come. We extend our deepest condolences to Dr. Covey's family, his wife Sandra, their nine children and spouses, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Stephen frequently referred to them as his greatest joy, inspiration, and most significant contribution and legacy to the world."

About Franklin Covey

Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE: FC) is a global company specializing in performance improvement. We help organizations achieve results that require a change in human behavior. Our expertise is in seven areas: leadership, execution, productivity, trust, sales performance, customer loyalty and education. Franklin Covey clients have included 90 percent of the Fortune 100, more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500, thousands of small- and mid-sized businesses, as well as numerous government entities and educational institutions. Franklin Covey has more than 40 direct and licensee offices providing professional services in over 140 countries. For more information, visit www.franklincovey.com.

Source: Franklin Covey Co.

Franklin Covey Co.
Debra Lund, 801-244-4474
Debra.Lund@FranklinCovey.com

The 18th Camel or the 3rd Alternative?

It’s the first Friday of the month and you know what that means… another great post from Senior Consultant, Mark Murphy!  We hope you enjoy it and are able to look at problems as challenges.  Try looking at things from another perspective.  You'll be surprised at the solutions that you will discover!

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William Ury in his book, Getting to Yes, he tells the story of a man in the Middle East who, upon his death, left to his 3 sons 17 camels.  To the first son he left half the camels, to the second son he left a third of the camels, and to the youngest son he left a ninth of the camels.  The three sons immediately got into a lengthy and animated discussion because 17 does not easily divide by 2.  It also doesn’t divide by 3, nor does it divide by 9.  The discussion began to get somewhat heated.  So finally in desperation, the brothers consulted with a wise old woman. 

The wise old woman thought about their problem for a long time and finally came back and said to the brothers,  “Well, I don’t know if I can help you.  But at least, if you want, you can have one of my camels.”  So they had 18 camels. 

The first son took his half; half of 18 is 9.  The second son took his third; a third of 18 is 6.  And the youngest son took his ninth; a ninth of 18 is 2.  They had divided amongst themselves 17 camels.  They ended up with one camel left over.  So they gave it back to the wise old woman. 

It’s interesting how much this story resembles many of the difficult negotiations we get involved in.  They start off like the seemingly unsolvable problem of dividing 17 camels.  Somehow what we need to do is step back from the situation like the wise old woman.  Look at the situation through fresh eyes and come up with an 18^th camel. 

In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven R. Covey refers to the “18^th camel” as The 3^rd Alternative.  The 3^rd Alternative is a solution that is not your way or my way, but a higher way; a better way that we come to together.  It’s a truly synergistic solution that requires stepping back and seeing things through a fresh set of eyes like those of the wise old woman. 

One of the clients that I’ve worked with, and learned from, for many years is a large health care organization that has a unique organizational perspective - which is that any project of a certain scope or larger is required to have an employee with less than six months as a project team member.   In other words, the really big important projects require the fresh eyes of a new hire (much like the fresh eyes of the wise old woman).   In my experience the opposite is usually the norm in organizations.  The most  important projects require the most senior and “experienced” people.  This client, on the other hand,  has embraced the unique, and I think more accurate, perspective that really important issues require people that can think “outside the box”, which often comes with not knowing how things are “supposed” to be done.  It takes a diverse group of people who feel free to express their opinions to arrive at a truly synergistic solution. 

Dave Kelly, the CEO of the innovative Silicon Valley product development company IDEO, even goes so far as to say that “in a very innovative culture you can’t have the kind of hierarchy that says here’s the boss and the next person down, and the next person down, and the next person down, and so on.  Because it’s impossible that the boss is always the one that’s had the insightful experience….!  You have to hire people that don’t listen to you.” 

Or, I would say, if that’s not possible,  to at least be willing to listen to people with a fresh set of ears and attempt to view problems with a fresh set of eyes.

Mark Murphy, FranklinCovey Consultant

Copyright © 2012 - Mark Murphy

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Click on the ABC Nightline video below about IDEO.  They take innovation and The 3^rd Alternative to a whole new level! 

If you want learn more about 3^rd Alternative thinking, pick up Dr. Covey’s book! 

Check back with us next week for another leadership-related post!

Enhancing innovation one organization at a time,

John Vakidis

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