Jack Sparrow’s compass is undoubtedly my most favorite Pirates – Guest Experiences connection.

Introduced first in The Curse of the Black Pearl, and featured in every movie since then – with very special significance in Dead Men Tell No Tales – it is perhaps the most important part of Jack Sparrow’s “effects.”

What makes it so special?

It doesn’t work…

… at least in the normal sense of the word.

True enough, this compass does not point north. …Where does it point? It points to the thing you want most in this world.

Remember where this conversation with Jack and Elizabeth landed?

A functioning compass is an instrument used for navigation and orientation that shows direction relative to the geographic “cardinal directions” or as most people know them, the “points” of a compass. A diagram called the compass rose shows the directions north, south, east, and west on the compass face as abbreviated initials. By lining up the magnetic needle with the “N” mark,  a use can determine which direction is north, and thus any other direction he needs to know.

But Jack Sparrow’s compass does none of that!

It spins and spins around, finally coming to a stop – pointing to what the user wants most.

And that, my friends, is a powerful tool to have for your Guest Experience.

Creating a Guest Experience Compass for Your Church

Over the past few years I have created a design template for a Guest Experience Compass. It’s built from the center out, starting on your vision – which may not be what you think it is. From there, as in a typical compass design, there are cardinal points, sub-cardinal points, and various circles with actions on them. The compass in the lower right hand corner above is an example of a Guest Experience Compass.

Each of the individual items on the compass are introduced in a large group setting, and then are developed further in smaller groups or continually developed over time. The Guest Experience Compass described above has 25 items. The church it was developed for introduced the concepts in a Guest Experience Workshop consisting of large group sessions, breakout groups of staff, leaders, and team members, and then used on an ongoing basis to provide “direction” to Guest Experience teams. The groundwork done by the teams listed provided literally dozens of ideas and action plans, helping to guide and develop the church’s Guest Experience ministry for the next several years.

Would you like to create a Guest Experience Compass for your church? Especially using a compass “pointing to what you want most?”

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Previous post: The Usefulness of a Map in Your Guest Experiences – Lessons from a Pirate

This post is the fourth in a series of twelve, making the powerful connection between Guest Experiences and all things Pirates. It may seem a little strange, but I guarantee you won’t see a pirate flag, hear the word “ahoy,” or encounter any like number of references to “pirates” without connecting them to Guest Experiences!

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inspired by Walt Disney and his amazing ability to bring a story to life on the screen and in person

adapted for Guest Experiences by the Pirate Navigator

The Pirate Navigator has hung up his compass and maps, but if you’re really intrigued by the concept of how Pirates and Guest Experiences can go together, drop me a line!