Have you used Steven Covey's Circles of Influence model?

The reality of change :eyes:

Have you used Steven Covey’s Circles of Influence model? How has it helped?

2 Likes

I haven’t used this, but I’m glad to come across this concept!
It’s definitely applicable to a lot of other good things, not just in leadership :blush:

1 Like

I haven’t used this model in particular, but find it very interesting (Anne Marie’s book is awesome :-D). I try and think about what’s in my control and what’s not. This I find gives me a peace of mind.

1 Like

The whole 7 habits of high effective people had a profound effect on me so I very much internalised them. It’s a difficult read at times but the principles themselves were pretty solid and common sense. But “common sense isn’t always common practice” quoting Covey himself.
The circles of influence was very much as Anne-Marie stated, making sure you focus on tasks that can bring you the best value, so you don’t burnout spending time on tasks that bring little or no value.

So the main objective is to get out of the circle of concern. Example of that for me, is when I’ve been drawn into discussions trying to convince people with a negative opinion on what QA do and trying to convince them otherwise. If their opinion was based on judgement rather than understanding, then I’m going to spend a lot of energy trying to change their mind, for very little return other than proving to myself I could change their mind and burnout. Whats the benefit?

So when I get situations that impact the team or myself I ask myself “Can I do something about this? If I can’t, can I do something about this working with someone else?” if the answer is no to both, I don’t get involved.

3 Likes

In 2016 I wrote a blog post about the Circle of Influence.

2 Likes