The Compass Solution: A Guide to Winning Your Career

by Tim Cole

Most people will spend—at minimum—100,000 hours building a career. This represents the greatest financial investment of their life. Unfortunately, a great many consider that investment with the same degree of critical thinking as they might the purchase of a lottery ticket—effectively gambling away their future. The Compass Solution was written for those who want to win their career, not just endure it. This is the definitive guide to successful career navigation. A practical resource that balances personal experience with proven theory. A guide for both the newcomer struggling to get started, and the veteran lost and effectively wandering. This book will introduce you to the four cardinal points of The Compass. These are the basic principles you can use to change your career trajectory; explained in practical terms and brought to life with personal stories. But The Compass Solution is more than just a career survival guide. The latter half of the book focuses on three keys that can accelerate your climb. Master them and you will move far beyond the masses. The clock is ticking on your 100,000 hour narrative. The decisions you make today will dictate the outcome. This is the ONE guidebook that can actually help you write YOUR career story with a happy ending. A lifetime of experience in one book, sharing the secrets most never learn. Why gamble your future when you don’t have to?

280 pages, Paperback

Published August 21, 2017

Reviews

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading business books for over 30 years now. Back when I was in high school and did an in house leadership development course at MacDonald's to borrowing my dad's copy of The One Minute Manager just after it had come out. There are some authors I have enjoyed like Spencer Johnson, Robin Sharma and John Maxwell to some I have loved Patrick Lencioni and Matthew Kelly. To be honest with only this one book to sample Cole falls in the middle. It will be interesting to see what other offerings Cole comes out with over the next few years. Now don't get me wrong. This is a very good book and I can easily recommend it. In fact I sent personal recommendations to about a dozen people while reading it or shortly after finishing reading it. This book was a good read, and for me a timely read. I am just a year into a new job after being at a company for 7 years that to be honest I never thought I would leave.

The book follows a pretty simple formula. Each section of the book begins with a quote and then it has a brief introduction. Then each chapter begins with a quote, from a wide range of sources, then the main teaching point or points of the chapter. Then each chapters ends with a boxed section called Straight Talk. For example the chapter 'Present And Accounted For' begins with this quote:
"If you are depressed, you are living in the past.
If you are anxious, you are living in the future.
If you are at peace, you are living in the present."
~Laozi
And the Straight Talk at the end of that chapter is:
"The ability to live purposefully-to focus on the present-is a challenge. Our natural tendency is often to dwell on past successes (or failures) or fixate on the uncertainty of the future. But the only thing we can fully influence is this moment. Allowing the shadows of the past or the imaginings of the future to compromise the precious present is a malady that impacts all of us from time to time.

Sometimes the best course of action is remarkably simple.

Fly away."

The sections in this book are:
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
PART ONE: THE COMPASS
TRUE NORTH: PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Brand You
Owning vs Renting
A Different Drummer
Burnout & Balance-Work Better, Not Harder
Burnout & Balance-Part 2: Going Pro
Free Agency
Walking Away
PEOPLE
We're All One Big, Happy Family...
Remember Your Waiters and Waitresses
The Dance of the Toadies
EMUs
The Bad Boss
Tornado Warning
The Glass Jaw Syndrome
Enemy Mine
PROCESS
The Game
Doppler Down
A Cure for Corporate ADD
The Core Analytics
Every Time You Sit Down
The Meeting Maze
Thank You, MAM
Career Infarcts
PERSPECTIVE
The Tale of the Two Charlies
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Adversity and Resilience
It Ain't Fair But It's There
Pivotal Moments
Another Brick in the Wall
Mea Culpa
Boris
Present and Accounted For
PART TWO: THE KEY CHAIN
LEADERSHIP
Lead, Follow, or Get the Hell Out of the Way
The Power to Inspire
Put Me in Coach
Fifth Floor Please
Why Being Efficient Isn't Enough
The Meeting Room Test
R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
The Five
Star Light, Star Bright
Why, Tell Me Why
COMMUNICATION
Everyone Is In Sales
The Importance of Questions
The Power of Story
The Power of Story Part Two
The Magic of Audience Engagement
Gamblers, Cops, and Con Men
I Think I Got Something to Say
The Principle of Higher Ground
LEARNING
Looking Beyond
Nifty Shades of Gray
Investment Advice
After Action Reviews
No One Makes It On Their Own
CLOSING THOUGHTS

Part of the description for this book is:
"Most people will spend-at minimum-100,000 hours building a career. This represents the greatest financial investment of their life. Unfortunately, a great many consider that investment with the same degree of critical thinking as they might the purchase of a lottery ticket-effectively gambling away their future. The Compass Solution was written for those who want to win their career, not just endure it. This is the definitive guide to successful career navigation."

And it really does deliver on that. If you are just finishing university and entering the work force this book will be an excellent resource. Read it and put it in your day timer to read it again in a year or two. If you have already had a long career or even multiple careers then this book might give you some greater insight into patterns in your work life, and some guidance to help you navigate the workplace to find yourself where you would rather be.

I know that I will likely circle back and reread this book in 2 or three years. In part as a refresher, in part to make sure I have applied what I have learned. And to be honest wanting to read a book again is one of the highest praises I can give it. Unless you are living off a hugs nest egg or trust fun, this book definitely has some sound advice to offer you. No matter what stage you are at in your working life. So give it a true the 2 or 3 hours it takes to read this book is a drop in the hat of the 100,000 you will spend working, why not learn now and maximize those hours you have remaining?

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.

[David McClendon, Sr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wished you could go back and talk to your younger self and tell yourself the right thing to do in situations that were new to your younger self?

Well, since Tim Cole can’t do that, he wrote The Compass Solution: A Guide to Winning Your Career as the next best thing.

Cole mentors those younger than himself on how to survive the corporate world. He explains leadership and management and the difference between the two.

He gives a host of great books to read to help younger people navigate the corporate world they are woefully unprepared for after college.

This is the type of book we wish had been available when we were first starting out in the world. This would have come in handy back when we were wet behind the ears.

Cole managed to survive employment with the the same company for over thirty years. Part of this was dumb luck. Part of it, though, was very astute planning and learning from past mistakes.

Cole provides very sage advice and a dose of common sense which is not so common these days. This would make a great gift for a soon-to-be college graduate.
The Compass Solution is a great read. We give it all five stars. The advice in this book could be very helpful for anyone who is first entering a career.


We were sent a complimentary copy of this book. We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of this book is a bit inaccurate, for when we think of compass, we think of a single direction and a focus on that direction. If there is a single direction in this book, it is finding your way to success. However, there are many different paths and tactics put forward by Cole. Hence it is better to use the word “solutions.”
Few readers will encounter a section and utter a virtual “Wow!” The tactics put forward by Cole have all appeared in other publications. For example, the sections on effective storytelling as a management and sales tool mimic what many others have said. Cole uses anecdotes and short stories to make his points. Another frequently stated tactic that appears in the book is taking the time to educate yourself. How you must find the time, even if it seems like you cannot.
There is no hard reading here, just sound advice well stated, and the most important point is that it will work. All that is needed is the belief and commitment.