Hello PPMA members and friends

Yesterday was World Mental Health Day and the theme was ‘Workplace Mental Health’. To recognise the event, we shared some great advice on how to manage mental health at work on our social media channels. Nichola Mann a PPMA VP and Joint Acting Director of People & Governance Brentwood Borough Council and Rochford District Council finds that one of the best coping strategies she’s discovered, is using the Circles of influence, Concern and Control model and she shares more about how this works in this post.


Circle of Control

A number of years ago I took part in a Women’s development programme. One of the things that has stuck with me since that programme is the, Circles of Influence, Concern and Control model.

It really helped me to understand that worrying about things that are beyond my control will not change those things, so I channel my energy into my circles of control and influence instead.

The first and smallest circle at the centre is the circle of control, representing aspects of our life over which we have direct control. This is where we can effect change. The circle of control symbolises the areas where we can take meaningful action and make a positive difference.

The inner circle encompasses our thoughts, beliefs, emotions, interpretations, and judgments, so it is important to focus most of our attention, energy, and resources on this circle.

The second, slightly larger circle is the circle of influence, representing the connection of factors within our immediate control and those that fall outside of our area of control.

This is, quite literally, a grey zone. We may or may not have the power to expand our influence into this region to create change but we can certainly try. It is sensible to spend some of our energy in this circle, bearing in mind that we can control our efforts but not necessarily outcomes.

The third and largest, outermost circle in the diagram represents the circle of concern. This circle encompasses a broader range of external factors, challenges, and circumstances that we may care about but which are clearly beyond our control.

This circle includes the economy, climate, and weather, but also most of the actions, reactions, behaviours, and feelings of other people.

There are excellent reasons for applying this model in our own life, we cannot control the world around us, but we can control our reactions to it.

Research has also shown that individuals who focus on the circle of control are more likely to be resilient in the face of stress and difficulty, as well as managing their emotional reactions to stressful situations.

An example of how to put the theory into practice would be an upcoming job interview. You can control how well you rest beforehand, how well you prepare for the interview, what you wear, how you present yourself and how to answer the interviewer’s questions.

But you cannot control how good the other candidates are, how you may be an appropriate fit for the position, or ultimately, whether or not you get the job. Worrying about that outcome will make anyone anxious, so by accepting that the outcome is outside of your control, by contrast, you can let go of that worry and simply focus on doing your very best in preparing for and performing at the interview.

Nichola Mann, PPMA VP and Joint Acting Director of People & Governance Brentwood Borough Council and Rochford District Council