Circles of Influence

Step 1:

Draw up Covey's circles on a whiteboard or flipchart. Make sure that everyone in the group understands the basic theory and how you're going to use it in this workshop.

Give everyone post-its and a marker and ask them to write down:

• Things that affect this team, in a meaningful way, both internal and external

Things can be defined broadly here – members can include whatever feels relevant. One thing per post-it note. And as many as they can think of in 5-10 minutes.

Step 2:

Now ask the group to place the post-its onto the circles, one-by-one, deciding whether each thing is in the circle of influence or the circle of concern.

The rest of the group can pitch in with opinions and support at this point. It should be a collaborative effort.

Cluster any that are the same or similar. Remove duplicates.

Step 3:

Now initiate a discussion. Invite the group to reflect on an discuss the following questions:

• What observations or impressions do I/we have when looking at our circles of influence?
• What actions could I/we take to affect those things I/we CAN influence?
• How should I/we relate to those things in our circe of concern that we have little or no influence over?
• How might I/we reevaluate my/our priorities based on this reflection?

Capture any actions that come out of this discussion in a separate spot on the wall. Each action should be clearly defined with a deadline and a person responsible.