About the FranklinCovey Compass Planning System

The Franklin Covey company sells day planners and accessories. It also provides training for making the most effective use of your time and your life. The compass system is one of the techniques taught at Franklin Covey seminars.

Concept

• The idea behind the compass system is to set an overall life direction rather than rushing about from task to task without a plan. The idea is to follow the compass rather than the clock. The compass sets a course for primary goals, whereas the clock tells how quickly tasks are getting done.

Clock Driven

• People who are clock-driven often ask, "How long will this take?" or "How can I organize my desk?" without asking the bigger questions. Stephen Covey, one of Franklin Covey's founders, says, "It doesn't matter how fast you are going if you are headed in the wrong direction."

Compass Driven

• Using the compass as a guide means setting a course for life in business, in family, in community and in other roles. Following an overall mission statement, determining the big goals that are most important, then setting smaller goals and tasks in order to work toward the primary goals are components of the Franklin Covey program.