How you can overcome stress and increase your influence in difficult work situations

“There is a space between stimulus and reaction. In this space lies our power to choose our reaction. In our reaction lies our growth and our freedom.”

— Viktor Frankl

In this article you will learn:

1. How to understand and apply Stephen Covey's three circles model: the Circle of Concern, Circle of Influence and Circle of Control.

2. Why it is crucial to focus on the Circle of Control - what you can directly influence, such as your thoughts, actions and reactions to reduce stress.

3. How to expand your Circle of Influence to actively initiate change in your professional environment instead of being overwhelmed by external circumstances.

4. How to avoid investing energy in the Circle of Concern - areas that are out of your control.

5. Practical tips on how to remain capable of acting in difficult work situations and increase your professional success.

Challenges such as reorganizations, scarcity of resources or global crises such as the climate crisis often make us feel helpless. Especially in a professional context, it is easy to focus on everything that we cannot control and become overwhelmed. Yet the strength lies in shifting our focus to what we can actually influence, despite all the difficulties around us.

Stephen R. Covey, author of "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People", describes this very aptly in his model of the three circles: the Circle of Concern, Circle of Influence and Circle of Control.

Tunnel vision or focus? How consciously do you make decisions?

The Circle of Control: Your innermost sphere of power

The Circle of Control encompasses everything over which we have direct control: our thoughts, actions and attitudes. This is the most important area, especially in difficult situations. It gives you stability and room to maneuver and allows you to look in the mirror with a clear heart. With a little practice, you can learn to decide how you deal with problems and what steps you take to stay positive. This active choice also empowers you to see more options and consciously decide whether you want to continue in your job or make a greater impact somewhere else when it is time.

Admittedly, sometimes we seem to have forgotten our Circle of Control. This mostly happens when we allow our inner "saboteurs", the voices in our head such as our inner judge, to frighten or influence us too much and tell us how stupid we are. We then run in autopilot mode and find ourselves in a hamster wheel that we often struggle to find our way out of on our own.

Here it may be helpful to discuss the situation with a trusted person, to gain new perspectives and to recognize the options and opportunities that arise in every difficult situation. This leads from a saboteur-driven "fixed mindset" of negative emotions to a "growth mindset" of more positive emotions that no longer sees difficulties as a threat, but as an opportunity to learn and grow.

💡 Tip from practice: If you notice that external circumstances are overwhelming you, ask yourself: "What can I do about it right now?" (in my Circle of Control). This attitude helps you to remain proactive and solution-oriented.

Your Circle of Influence

The Circle of Influence: Where you can initiate change

The Circle of Influence is the circle around the Circle of Control and refers to the areas that you can influence through your actions. You do not always change things, but you are an active "change agent" with a mission and set things in motion that might not be improved for years without you. This could be optimizing work processes, improving team dynamics or building professional networks (communities). By focusing on these areas, you can initiate change by leading as an example in your environment instead of fixating on the things that are out of your control.

🌱 Example 1: You change your working methods or are reorganized as a team. This is ideal for thinking about how things could be (better) organized. What if you could shape the "new world" together instead of waiting for someone else to take the helm?

 🌱 Example 2: How do you deal with conflicts... Do you address issues, do you give direct feedback when something is upsetting and find solutions for improvements? Do you say what you need and do you proactively clarify expectations and responsibilities? What would be possible in terms of relationships, well-being and productivity in the team if there were psychological safety in your team and you strengthened each other in your development? Take the first step and see what happens...

🌱 Example 3: You can expand your impact enormously by building a professional network and cultivating relationships. Especially in times of uncertainty, it helps if you have support from peers and superiors. Invest time in relationships and building a network. How about offering a "lean coffee" (informal meeting on a topic close to your heart) or experimenting with "get-togethers" (regular meetings of a community or working group)?

A strong professional network helps you to advance things

How can you expand your sphere of influence and reduce stress?

1. Know your Circle of Control: Start with yourself - your reactions, your mindset. The more you focus on what you can really control, the more you strengthen your self-confidence and your scope for action. You will feel fresh energy, happiness and gratefulness for all you can shape actively despite everything else.
   

2. Focus on your Circle of Influence: Think about where you can proactively bring about positive change - be it through new ideas, process optimizations or by contributing your expertise. This may give you more joy and playfulness at work. In a nutshell: You are doing your best and need not regret anything if one day you decide this is no longer your place to be.
   

3. Avoid focusing on the Circle of Concern: The Circle of Concern is the circle around the other two circles and includes everything over which you have no direct influence (including management decisions). It is important not to waste your energy in this area. There is a famous prayer on this, the "serenity prayer". Make sure you find out for yourself whether something cannot be changed for the time being (accept it) or use it to convert the circumstance into an opportunity to grow.

   
   

In my work as a coach and consultant at 3C Keller, I help people in specialist and management positions to find new perspectives and become more self-determined. The combination of personal coaching and mental training enables my clients to strengthen their resilience and make targeted investments in their sphere of influence - for greater professional success and personal well-being.

Would you like to learn how you can have more impact in your professional environment? Let's talk about it and work on your goals together.