Employee Journey Mapping
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Understanding the circle of control in the workplace
Why circles of control matter at work
In the workplace, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the many things happening around us. From shifting deadlines to changes in company policy, not everything is within our control. This is where the concept of the circle of control comes in. It helps people focus their time and energy on what they can actually influence, rather than worrying about things outside their reach. The idea, made popular by effective people strategies and the work of experts in employee experience, is simple but powerful: understanding your circles can improve both your mental health and your effectiveness at work.
The three circles: control, influence, and concern
Imagine three circles: the innermost circle represents what you can control directly, like your reply to an email or how you spend your time. The next circle is what you can influence, such as team projects or workplace culture. The outer circle is the circle of concern—things you care about but cannot change, like economic trends or decisions made by upper management. Recognizing which circle a situation belongs to helps you focus your time and effort where it will have the most impact.
- Circle of control: Your actions, your attitude, your work habits
- Circle of influence: Relationships with colleagues, team dynamics, processes you can help improve
- Circle of concern: Company-wide changes, market shifts, other people’s choices
Why it matters for mental health and resilience
When employees spend too much time worrying about things outside their control, it can lead to stress and impact mental health. By focusing on the circle of control and the circle of influence, people can feel more empowered and less anxious. This approach is especially important for those balancing work and life responsibilities, such as caring for children or managing health concerns. Over time, understanding these circles helps build resilience and a sense of agency, both of which are key for a positive employee experience.
Common stressors outside your control
Recognizing What Lies Beyond Your Control
In the workplace, many stressors fall outside our personal circle of control. These are the things that, no matter how much time or energy we spend, we simply cannot change. Understanding the difference between what we can influence and what we cannot is a key step toward improving mental health and overall employee experience.
- Organizational changes: Company restructures, policy updates, or leadership decisions often happen without employee input. These events can create uncertainty and concern, but they are usually outside the individual’s control circle.
- Other people’s actions: Colleagues’ behaviors, management styles, or even how team members reply to feedback are part of the circle of concern, not the circle of control. Trying to change others directly can lead to frustration and wasted effort.
- External events: Economic shifts, industry trends, or even global events like those that happened in October of recent years, impact work life but are far beyond anyone’s influence at the individual level.
- Workload fluctuations: Sometimes, project demands or client requests spike unexpectedly. While you can manage your response, the root cause often sits outside your direct control.
When employees spend time and energy on things outside their control, it can negatively affect mental health and lead to burnout. The key is to recognize these stressors and focus on the innermost circle—where your actions can make a difference. This approach is supported by the concept of the three circles: the circle of control, the circle of influence, and the circle of concern, as described in frameworks like those from highly effective people and workplace wellbeing research.
Leaders and organizations can help by acknowledging these realities and supporting employees in identifying where their influence lies. For more insights on how HR professionals play a role in shaping a positive employee experience, you can read this article on the impact of HR professionals.
By accepting what we cannot control and focusing on what we can, employees can build resilience and spend their time and effort more effectively. This mindset shift is crucial for both personal wellbeing and organizational success.
Focusing energy on what you can influence
Directing Your Time and Energy Where It Matters
When it comes to employee experience, one of the most powerful strategies is to focus your time and energy on the things you can actually control. This is at the heart of the circle of control concept, a model that helps people separate what they can influence from what is simply a concern. The idea, popularized by highly effective people and rooted in the teachings of Stephen Covey, divides life’s challenges into three circles: the innermost circle of control, the circle of influence, and the outer circle of concern.
Many employees spend a lot of time worrying about things outside their control, like company-wide decisions, economic shifts, or even how others reply to emails. While these concerns are valid, investing too much time and effort in them can drain mental health and reduce effectiveness at work. Instead, focusing on your own actions, your work quality, and how you communicate with colleagues can help you feel more empowered and less stressed.
- Circle of control: These are the things you can directly manage, such as your attitude, your work habits, and how you respond to challenges.
- Circle of influence: These are areas where you can have some impact, like team dynamics or project outcomes, by offering ideas or support.
- Circle of concern: These include broader issues, like organizational changes or market trends, which you can’t control but may affect your work life.
By learning to recognize which circle a stressor belongs to, you can make more intentional choices about where to spend your time and energy. For example, if you’re worried about a policy change coming in October, ask yourself: is this something I can control, or just a concern? If it’s outside your control, focus on how you will adapt and what you can influence within your team or workflow.
This shift in focus doesn’t just help with productivity—it also supports mental health. When employees concentrate on their circle of control, they often feel more resilient and less overwhelmed. This approach is especially important for people balancing work and life, such as those with children or caregiving responsibilities. It’s about accepting what you can’t change and putting your effort into what you can.
For a deeper dive into how planned outcomes connect to your circles of control and influence, check out this resource on planned outcomes in employee experience.
How leaders can support employee circles of control
Empowering Teams to Focus on Their Circle of Influence
Leaders play a crucial role in shaping how people feel about their work and life. When employees understand their circle of control, they can focus their time and energy on things they can actually influence. But this mindset shift often needs support from management.- Encourage open conversations: Create a safe space for employees to share what’s in their circle of concern versus their circle of influence. This helps people clarify what they can control and where they need help.
- Model the right behaviors: Leaders who focus on their own circle of control set a powerful example. When managers respond calmly to challenges and spend time on solutions, teams are more likely to do the same.
- Provide resources for mental health: Stress often comes from trying to control things outside our circles. Offering mental health support and training on resilience can help employees accept what they can’t change and focus on what they can.
- Clarify roles and expectations: When people know exactly what’s expected, they can better identify their innermost circle of control. This clarity reduces anxiety and helps employees feel more effective.
- Recognize and celebrate influence: Acknowledge when employees make positive changes within their circles. This builds confidence and reinforces the value of focusing on things within their control.
Building resilience through acceptance
Accepting What You Can’t Control to Strengthen Wellbeing
In the workplace, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by things outside your control. Deadlines shift, people make unexpected decisions, and changes come from higher up. When you spend time and energy worrying about these external factors, your mental health can suffer. That’s where acceptance comes in as a powerful tool for resilience.
Resilience isn’t about ignoring problems or pretending challenges don’t exist. Instead, it’s about recognizing the difference between your circle of control, your circle of influence, and your circle of concern. This idea, popularized by highly effective people and thinkers like Stephen Covey, helps you focus on what you can actually change, rather than what you simply worry about.
- Circle of control: These are the things you can directly change—your reply to a difficult email, how you organize your time, or the way you approach your work.
- Circle of influence: These are things you can’t control directly, but you can influence—like team dynamics or project outcomes.
- Circle of concern: These are things you care about but can’t control or influence—such as company-wide decisions or the global economy.
Building resilience means accepting that some things will always be outside your control. By letting go of the need to control everything, you free up mental energy to focus on your innermost circle—where your actions make a real difference. This shift can help reduce stress and improve your overall mental health at work and in life.
For example, if you’re concerned about changes in company policy, acknowledge your concern but focus your time and effort on how you adapt and support your team. This approach not only helps you feel more effective but also sets a positive example for others.
Ultimately, embracing acceptance doesn’t mean giving up. It means choosing where to invest your energy for the greatest impact—on the things you can control and influence. This mindset is key for building resilience and sustaining wellbeing in today’s fast-changing work environment.
Real-life examples of positive change
Stories of Change: Circles of Control in Action
Real-life examples show how understanding the circle of control can make a difference in employee experience and mental health. Here are a few scenarios that highlight the impact of focusing on what you can influence, rather than spending time and energy on things outside your control.- Managing workload during peak periods: In a busy october, a team faced tight deadlines and high expectations. Instead of worrying about external pressures, they focused on their innermost circle—prioritizing tasks they could control and communicating clearly with colleagues. This approach reduced stress and improved collaboration, showing how effective people use their time and effort wisely.
- Supporting children and family responsibilities: Many employees struggle to balance work and life, especially when children need attention. By identifying which things they could control—like setting boundaries and requesting flexible hours—they improved their mental health and felt more empowered at work. This aligns with the concept of the three circles: control, influence, and concern.
- Responding to organizational change: During a company restructure, some people felt anxious about changes they couldn’t influence. Those who focused on their circle of influence—such as adapting their skills and offering constructive feedback—found the transition smoother. They didn’t spend time worrying about the broader concern circle, which helped maintain their motivation and engagement.
- Building resilience through acceptance: Employees who accepted that some things are simply outside their control, like market trends or leadership decisions, reported better mental health. By shifting their focus to what they could control, they built resilience and a sense of agency in their daily work.
