The Circle of Concern represents everything that matters to us and was created by Stephen Convey. Within the Circle of Concern lies the Circle of Control. Control relates to what we can directly make happen as a result of our choices, regardless of the agreement of others. As such, our Circle of Control can only relate to ourselves and to our conscious choice.

Control = Awareness + Choice

When we become aware of our unconscious habits, we can consciously let go of the ones that are unhelpful and start to create new and more valuable ones. In doing so we can align our behaviours with our values and beliefs and ultimately be more authentic.

Given human beings are social beings, as an individual we impact our Circle of Concern through others. This is our Circle of Influence and is related to the quality of our relationships and the quality of the conversations that happen within those relationships. This circle is impacted by our ability to build our influence and authority with others. The more we play in this space the more we inspire, motivate, have an impact on our Circle of Concern.

Ultimately there is only one thing that you can control and that is…YOU. You may be able to influence what is happening around you however you can only control what you can Say, Think, Feel and Do.

Go through this model in your one on ones with your team members, to help them through situations where they are stuck. You can now help them to identify if they areinvesting their energy into the wrong circle.

Activity: Questions to ask

1. Reflect on a current challenge you are facing or outcome you are struggling to achieve.
2. What they you currently trying to do to resolve it? Would those attempts sit under the left or right top column (in circle of control or outside circle of control)
3. Finally come up with a few ideas of what you might try next. Do they fit in the bottom left or right column?