Compass Points
Compass Points is a thinking routine from Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for examining an idea or proposal from four directions before judging it. E stands for what is exciting, W for what is worrisome, N for what the group needs to know, and S for the stance or suggestion for moving forward. It should not be confused with the North, South, East, West working-styles protocol of the National School Reform Faculty, which is also called Compass Points.
Facilitation script
- 1
Present the proposal briefly, check that everyone means the same thing by it, and explain the four compass points.
3 min - 2
E: silent writing on what is exciting, then post and read out the notes without debate.
6 min - 3
W: silent writing on worries, then post and read out. Do not answer the concerns yet.
6 min - 4
N: collect questions and missing information. Merge duplicates as you post them.
6 min - 5
S: each person writes a stance or a suggestion for the next step and posts it.
6 min - 6
Review the whole compass, name what stands out, assign owners to the key questions and agree when the group will decide.
8 min
Tips
Begin with E as the source recommends, so that the proposal gets a fair hearing before the concerns arrive.
Have people write on sticky notes before speaking at each point, otherwise the first voice sets the tone.
Treat the N list as work to be assigned, since a decision often becomes easy once two or three of those questions are answered.
Common pitfalls
Starting with W. The room fills with objections, supporters go quiet and the E round turns into a defence of the proposal
Letting the proposal owner answer each worry as it is posted. The collection turns into a debate and later points are never reached
Treating S as a vote. Stances given before the open questions are answered are provisional, and counting them locks people in too early
Leaving the N questions without owners, so the same unknowns block the decision at the next meeting
Describing the proposal vaguely. People then react to different versions of it and the four lists cannot be compared
Variations
With large groups, put the four flipcharts in the corners and rotate small groups through them, each adding to what is already there. For a quick version in a regular meeting, give each direction three minutes on a whiteboard. Online, use four quadrants on a shared board with silent writing per quadrant. Asking for S once at the start and again at the end shows how positions shifted during the discussion.
Where it fits
When to use it
A proposal is on the table and the group is about to react with quick opinions for or against
Supporters and sceptics talk past each other and each side needs to hear the other's points written down
A change is being announced and you want to collect concerns and questions in an orderly way
It is unclear whether the group has enough information to decide at all
You have 30 minutes and no time for a fuller analysis
When not to use it
The decision has already been made and input will not change it. Collect implementation concerns openly instead of staging an evaluation
The group must choose between several options. Compass Points looks at one proposal at a time, so use a decision matrix or Dot Voting
You need formal consent with degrees of support. Gradients of Agreement measures that more precisely
The plan is settled and the task is to find failure risks. A Premortem goes deeper on what could go wrong
The working-styles exercise is what the team asked for. That is the separate National School Reform Faculty protocol of the same name
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Compass Points?▾
Compass Points is a thinking routine developed at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education. A group looks at a proposal from four angles: what is exciting, what is worrisome, what it needs to know, and what stance or suggestion people have for moving forward. It slows down snap judgements and gives enthusiasm and concern equal space.
What do E, W, N and S stand for?▾
E is Excited, W is Worrisome, N is Need to know and S is Stance or Suggestion for moving forward. The letters are a memory aid placed on a drawn compass. The routine is usually run in that order, beginning with E.
Is this the same as the North, South, East, West team exercise?▾
No. The National School Reform Faculty has a protocol also called Compass Points in which team members sort themselves by working style. The Project Zero routine described here evaluates an idea or proposal and has nothing to do with personal styles.
How long does Compass Points take?▾
About 20 to 40 minutes for one proposal, depending on group size. Allow roughly five to six minutes per direction and a closing review. The source page gives no fixed duration.
How is it different from Six Thinking Hats?▾
Both separate kinds of thinking so they do not collide. Six Thinking Hats has six modes, including facts, feelings and new ideas, and needs more explanation and time. Compass Points has four simple prompts and a built-in list of open questions, which makes it quicker to run with a group that has never used either.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education.