The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

This section of the book moves from the personal bank account (PBA) metaphor to the relationship bank account (RBA) metaphor. Covey explains that the personal comes first because “the key to mastering relationships is first mastering yourself, at least to some degree” (132). Once we have mastered ourselves and our abilities, we can then turn to others, learning to work cooperatively and creatively, so that we can be successful in our jobs and our relationships with others.

Covey discusses six ways to create deposits into our RBA to strengthen our relationships with others. He also shows how the opposite of these actions can result in withdrawals. The first way is “Keep Promises”: Keeping our commitments to others is key to building trust. Don’t make promises you can’t keep—breaking promises is a withdrawal. Second is “Do Small Acts of Kindness”: Sometimes we don’t realize the power of our kind words and deeds. Covey shares Mark Twain’s view, “I can live three months on a good compliment” (136). With “Be Loyal,” Covey urges his readers to resist the urge to gossip, which can be destructive, and instead to be the type of person who is loyal to friends: “Remember, strong minds talk about ideas; weak minds talk about people” (140).