Business columnist Andy Burrows explains the difference between your Circle of Influence and Circle of Concern — and how to focus on making positive changes to one while reducing negative thoughts in the other.
The fact that the past 12 months have been some of the hardest and most stressful times for builders comes as no surprise.
Labour shortages, supply line disruptions, a high rate of inflation and Covid lockdowns have contributed to project delays and a squeeze on profits.
Furthermore, the banks have factored many of these events into their risk equation and made lending tighter for home buyers, further adding to the uncertainty.
And don’t even mention a war in Europe and consenting delays!
With all this going on, I am surprised there are not more building company owners curled up in a corner quietly whimpering to themselves.
Resilient bunch
But builders are generally a resilient bunch, and continue to fight on.
However, the danger is that with all the challenges, frustrations and worries out there, you become focused on the big macro issues in the world and lose sight of what you should be focusing on — namely your business and family.
A well-known business author, Stephen Covey, talked about there being two circles surrounding you — a smaller one around you, which he called your Circle of Influence, and a bigger one outside, that one being called your Circle of Concern.
Things such as a war in Europe, pandemics and government regulations and polices are all things that you may be concerned or worried about, but have little or no control over.
If too many of these things are in your Circle of Concern and take up too much of your thinking time, the effect is to push in on your Circle of Influence and to make it feel smaller.
That then causes you to feel you have less and less control in your life, and will result in higher levels of anxiety and stress.
People who tend to be more “reactive” often put more energy into this circle.
Things that go into your Circle of Influence are those things you do have control over.
This is where people who are more “proactive” tend to put their energies.
Often, it is how you choose to respond practically to a challenge that provides energy in your Circle of Influence.
A few things that could be added to your Circle of Influence include:
• Improving your business knowledge.
• Putting a plan together and taking proactive and continued steps to putting that plan into action.
• Changing your recruitment processes if you are struggling to find people.
• Improving your staff retention strategies to keep hold of your best people.
• Changing your marketing activities to increase lead flow.
All these actions and others are within your control, and by focusing more positive energy here you will be able to expand your Circle of Influence and, effectively, push out some of the negative worries in your Circle of Concern.
The human mind can usually only focus on one thought at a time. You can choose whether that thought is a positive one or a negative one.
When you next catch yourself worrying or complaining about an issue you have little direct control over, ask yourself, “will worrying about this issue make my situation improve?”
The answer is invariably “no”.
Positive changes
Instead, ask yourself, “what can I (or we) do to make the best out of this situation, and what do we need to change to do that?”
By focusing on making positive changes at the edge of your Circle of Influence, you will make it expand and reduce the negative thoughts in your Circle of Concern.
Contact me at [email protected] if you want help on expanding your Circle of Influence in your business.
