The Self-Unfolding Compass is a canvas that visualizes key aspects of self-development and responsibility within a spatiotemporal context. It connects the past, present, and future with the social and material dimensions surrounding us, offering guidance for personal or organizational advancement.
At its core is the individual person or organization. From this center, influences and opportunities for shaping extend outward:
Time (Vertical Axis):
- Past (Bottom): What has shaped us? What experiences and missions guide us
- Future (Top): What visions and goals do we have? What are our near and distant horizons?
Space (Horizontal Axis):
- Environment (Left): What are our natural, technical, and financial resources? What are we lacking?
- Surroundings (Right): Who is close to us, who challenges us? What shapes our social relationships?
Additionally, there are three horizons (circles):
- Intra / Immediate Sphere: Directly accessible resources and close relationships.
- Extra / Intermediate Area: Potential that can be unlocked.
- Inter / Distant Horizon: Far away, beyond our sphere of influence, or ev en still unknown to us.
Reflect on what can be learned from the past and what goals are realistic. Mark material resources (e.g., nature, technology, finances) on the left side and interpersonal factors (e.g., community, society) on the right. Use color codes (e.g., green for strengths, red for weaknesses) to assess the current status.
The compass helps to recognize responsibility – towards the past, the future, the environment, and the community. It highlights blind spots and supports sustainable and conscious actions.
It was developed particularly for personal coaching to reveal the limits and opportunities of one’s own biography and translate them into specific action options. At the same time, it can also be used for comprehensive intervention and social space analysis of a project – including power dynamics, influencing factors, and mapping context-specific development fields.
You can find the German Canvas here.
You can find the English Canvas here.
You can find the Spanish Canvas here.