YOUR BUBBLE, YOUR CIRCLE, YOUR WORLD (Part 2).

In the first part of this article, we set out and explained the differences between your bubble, your circle and your world.

We presented the bubble as the smallest cell the people close to you can belong to. At most, two or three people will be part of your bubble, and you will feel no awkwardness or fear about showing yourself in your true light in front of them.

The circle holds a few more people and brings together your team or your collaborators; that is, people who play a role of importance in your mission or in your projects. They have attributes that are useful to you.
Finally, the world is all those people who admire you from a distance, who follow you or very rarely interact with you. They do not enjoy the privilege of easy access to you.
The essential question the first article answered was how to make sure we keep the good seeds.

This second instalment goes further still, because it answers the question of how to make sure we keep the good seeds in the right place.
In that comparison, we came to understand that the bubble is two or three people. The circle is a dozen or so individuals. And the world is every Mr. and Mrs. Anybody we happen to know. The number is practically unlimited.

There is one risk to which anyone who becomes aware of this and sets this sorting in motion is exposed: putting the wrong person in the wrong place.

If a person is meant to be in the bubble but you place them in the circle, you go without the personalized counsel of someone who could have offered it and guided you without judging or condemning you.

If, on the other hand, you place in the world a person who has what it takes to belong to your circle, you lose a useful skill that could have helped your business or your project.

By the opposite logic, if you take someone from the world and keep them in your circle, you will surely end up with an individual whose contribution is slight and whose presence will not really bring you very much.

And if you take an individual from the circle and make them a member of the bubble, you expose yourself to several great dangers: vulnerability, theft of your ideas, betrayal, pollution of your vital space, and so on.
In fact, the composition of the bubble is, beyond everything else, the one subject that must suffer no hesitation and that deserves the utmost seriousness. Your stability, your effectiveness, and the handling of both your successes and your failures all depend on it.

So how do we set the right people in the right places?

The answer to this question calls on your attributes as a leader and naturally turns you into a human resources officer. In other words, to place the right people in the right places, you will have no other choice but to "recruit" the people close to you. Yes indeed! The very same recruitment that calls for tests, validations and role-play scenarios.
There is nothing administrative or formal about this recruitment, but it does require attentive observation, lucid judgment and gradual learning. It is a process in which you learn who truly brings you value, who can support you, who respects your limits, and who shares your values.

Here are a few simple criteria to help you decide at which “level” to place a person:

Bubble:
• Can you show yourself vulnerable, without fear of being judged?
• Does this person keep your secrets?
• Do they stand by you in your difficult moments, with no conditions attached?
• Do you feel a deep and mutual trust?

Circle:
• Do the two of you collaborate on a regular basis?
• Does this person bring skills or resources that are useful to your projects?
• Can you trust them, even if the relationship is more professional or more reserved?
• Do you share common objectives?

World:
• Do you know each other only slightly or superficially?
• Are the interactions rare or indirect?
• Does this person admire you or follow what you do without any direct involvement?
• Is the bond undemanding, or limited to simple acquaintance?

To illustrate, I discovered for myself that several people who were initially in my circle deserved to be in the world instead, simply because trust or commitment was lacking. Conversely, an old friend I had somewhat set aside gradually became a pillar in my bubble, thanks to his steadiness and his discretion.

Managing the movement between bubble, circle and world

It is important to understand that these “placements” are not fixed. Relationships evolve, and it is normal for people to move from the world to the circle, from the circle to the bubble, or even the other way around, depending on circumstances, experiences and the trust that has been built.

But how do we manage this movement?
• From the world to the circle:
When an acquaintance begins to show a more genuine interest in your projects, suggest more regular exchanges. Test their capacity to collaborate, to listen and to contribute. If they respond well, they can join the circle.
• From the circle to the bubble:
This transition is more delicate, because it touches on intimate trust. It calls for time, for repeated proof of loyalty and for a real closeness. This passage must never be rushed, for the bubble is a fragile space.
• From the circle to the world:
If you sense that a collaborator no longer brings what he was meant to bring, or that the trust is crumbling, it can be wise to reduce the closeness. Stepping back this way can spare you conflict or disappointment.
• From the bubble to the circle or to the world:
Sometimes a betrayal or a disappointment obliges you to remove someone from the bubble. That decision is difficult but necessary in order to protect your balance. The person can then remain in the circle, or even in the world, depending on the situation.

Tending these relationships
Building a network is not a one-time act, but continuous work. You have to check the quality of your relationships regularly, express gratitude, offer your support, but also know how to say no.
• In the bubble, tend the closeness and the trust through sincere, regular exchanges.
• In the circle, maintain clear and constructive collaborations.
• In the world, cultivate a respectful presence, with no pressure and no excessive expectation.

All in all, managing your relationships, from the bubble to the world, is a subtle art that blends discernment, patience and humility. By becoming a true “human resources officer” of your social life, you maximize your chances of success, of fulfillment and of serenity.
Accept that not all relationships carry the same depth or the same role. Sort them out with kindness, but with firmness. Give the good seeds their rightful places, and you will harvest lasting fruit.

M. Z.