Become a Compass Facilitator
Create the kind of space where people can find their own way
Knowing The Compass is simple. Facilitating a space in which other people can explore it for themselves takes something more.
It means learning to listen without rushing in with an answer. To become comfortable with silence.
To ask a question - and then leave enough space for somebody to discover what they think. To recognise when to step in and when to step back.
And perhaps hardest of all, to resist the very human urge to fix.
That's what Compass Facilitator Development is about.
Live it. Learn it. Share it.
Our approach to facilitator development is experiential.
We don't believe the best way to learn to facilitate The Compass is simply to read a manual or attend a training day.
Before you facilitate a Compass Circle for somebody else, we want you to experience and use it for yourself.
The pathway therefore has three parts.
Live it
Experience The Compass through a series of facilitated Compass Circle sessions. Explore your own destination, possibilities, baby steps and trust - while experiencing what it feels like to be a participant in a well-held Circle.
Learn it
Develop and practise the skills involved in holding the space yourself.
You'll explore listening, thoughtful questioning, silence, boundaries, group dynamics and some of the situations that naturally arise when real people gather and talk honestly.
There is opportunity to practise, observe others and reflect on your own facilitation.
Share it
Begin taking The Compass into your own work, organisation or community.
You'll have practical guidance and resources to help you create your own Compass Circles, together with opportunities for reflection and ongoing development within a Compass Facilitator Community as you begin facilitating.
Who is it for?
You don't need to be a therapist, coach or experienced group facilitator.
You could be:
- working or volunteering within a charity or community organisation;
- supporting carers, families or people navigating difficult circumstances;
- working in health, social care, education or community settings;
- already facilitating groups and wanting to develop your practice;
- someone with lived experience who feels drawn to support others;
- or simply someone who recognises the value of creating spaces where people can be heard.
What matters most is a willingness to listen, reflect, practise and trust that you don't need to have somebody else's answers.
More than learning a programme
We don't want Compass Facilitators simply to learn four steps and then teach them to somebody else.
The Compass is the framework. Facilitation is the practice.
That means learning to notice what is happening in the room - and in yourself.
- When are you genuinely listening?
- When are you already preparing your response?
- When are you tempted to reassure, advise or rescue?
- When might another question help?
- And when might the most useful thing you can offer be silence?
These are skills that can reach far beyond a Compass Circle and into the way we listen and relate to people in everyday life.
On-going support
Facilitator development doesn't end when the training finishes. Reflection and practice matter.
Initial access to our Compass Facilitator Community is included as part of the pathway, providing ongoing connection, reflective practice and opportunities to continue learning alongside other facilitators.
Those who wish to can then remain part of the community for ongoing support and development.
There is no annual licence or permission-to-practise fee.
Our intention is to equip people well and then trust them to take The Compass into the places and communities where it can be useful.
Interested in becoming a Compass Facilitator?
Compass Facilitator Development will be available both to individuals and through organisations wishing to develop facilitators within their own communities.
If this sounds like something you'd like to explore, we'd love to hear from you.
You don't need to make a commitment.
Just tell us a little about yourself, the community you work with - if you have one - and why The Compass interests you.
[REGISTER YOUR INTEREST]
Interested in becoming a Compass Facilitator?
For organisations
If you're exploring Compass Circles or facilitator development on behalf of an organisation or community, you can find out more about working with us here.