Kompass Blog

Updated January 2024

Issues around predatory behavior, illegal conduct, and toxic work environments have been in the spotlight for the past while.

But the truth is, it's always been important to comply with workplace legislation and foster positive professional relationships...not just to avoid lawsuits, but to ensure work teams can grow and thrive.

These are the goals of an effective human resources strategy. And if you've recently moved into a supervisor or manager role, they are the most important objectives on your new to-do list.

But we're guessing you've received little or no HR training on how to actually build and sustain a thriving team. What new skills will you need to make a smooth transition?

These are the five human resources skills every new manager needs—but few actually have.

Hayley MacPhail has 20 years experience as a mediator and educator. She specializes in Family Mediation, and teaches an online mediation course at Kompass Professional Development.

If you're considering becoming a mediator (or just want to improve your conflict resolution skills), selecting the right training program can be a major challenge. There are so many options out there.

Updated January 2023

Although strides have been made to raise awareness and reduce stigma around mental illness, the issue remains shrouded in shame and secrecy.

Research clearly shows that millions of people across the globe are suffering from poor mental health. Yet health care providers and front-line community workers still lack training in how to identify and assist those in need.

And despite the prevalence of mental illness, there is a wide array of poisonous myths regarding the nature of mental health disorders—and the people who are afflicted by them.

Do you have questions about which mental illnesses are most common, their key characteristics, and treatment options?

If you work closely with the public, there is little doubt that you have encountered people suffering from one (or more) of the following five mental health issues.

This list isn't definitive, but it offers a good summary of attributes, statistics, and warning signs associated with these very common mental illnesses.

Updated January 2023

Updated December 2022

Updated January 2023

If you work in a community-serving role, you've probably faced situations where you suspected someone was suffering from poor mental health—but you weren't sure what questions to ask or how to intervene.

What signals should you be looking for? When do you take action? What are some clear, universal signs that someone is at-risk and needs support?

These questions are particularly salient for people who work with youth and young adults.

Early intervention can help reduce the severity of a mental illness, and in some cases, delay or prevent its development altogether. Mental health training and awareness are key.

Obviously, a complete mental health assessment is required to make an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

But as a first step, community-serving professionals can be on alert for symptoms, encourage open discussions, and identify where an assessment and further support may be needed.

These are five of the most common signs of poor mental health. One symptom alone may not indicate a serious problem, but combined, they signal a clear call for help.

Updated December 2022

If you're considering a career in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), you're probably familiar with practices like mediation and arbitration, which people use to resolve disputes out of court.

Given the time, expense, and sheer stress of litigation, it's no surprise that the field of ADR is growing rapidly. But if you're looking to capitalize on this momentum and start a career in arbitration, where do you begin?

How do you select a reputable program, and what are your career options as an arbitrator?

These are just some of the questions we get from prospective students who are considering arbitration training. And who better to answer them than David Merrigan? He's a highly experienced arbitrator who also developed our arbitration certificate.

So let's get started. Here are David's answers to your most frequently asked questions, along with some valuable advice to start your career.

Updated January 2024

Hiring is one of your most important tasks as a new manager. You must find candidates with the right skillset, right attitude, and right fit for your team. It's a tall order.

Especially when you consider that many managers are under time pressure to fill vacant roles and don't have much space in their schedules for interviews.

Not to mention, if you're a new leader, you probably haven't done a lot of hiring and have only a vague sense of what an effective process looks like.

This is just one of the many ways companies let down their new managers. It's well known that training in this area is seriously lacking.

One study from consulting firm, West Monroe, reveals that an astounding 59 per cent of new managers get no training whatsoever upon transitioning into a leadership role.

Research shows a single bad hire can cost a company $25,000 or more. In a recent survey by Career Builder, 25 per cent of businesses said the damage could run upward of $50,000 per bad hire. 

So, if you're new to management and facing your first round of hiring, what can you do to minimize errors and find the absolute best fit for each role?

Take a page from the human resources playbook. Follow these five steps for a more efficient hiring process.

Updated December 2022

Caring effectively and compassionately for seniors is an issue that touches every single one of us. Either we have a loved one who needs care, or we ourselves are facing the facts of growing old.

With populations of seniors skyrocketing across the globe, elder care is one of the most important health care and policy issues of our time. Demand is high for gerontology professionals, particularly front-line people who give direct support to aging community members.

But working in this field comes with a very special set of challenges. Older patients have unique needs—needs that often go unnoticed by health care providers and unfulfilled by local resources.

Working closely with the elderly can be incredibly rewarding, but you will need to develop a special skillset to succeed in this career. Take a look at some of the top challenges facing today's senior caregivers, and how gerontology training can help.

Updated January 2023

In recent years, there's been a major shift away from traditional litigation toward alternative dispute resolution (ADR) techniques such as mediation.

Mediation is generally less costly, stressful, and time-consuming than litigation—and offers a much higher degree of flexibility and personalization for clients.

However, in order to be effective, mediation must be a carefully structured, expertly led exercise. Lose control of the process, and negotiations will quickly devolve into chaos.

Formal mediation training teaches aspiring mediators a wide range of techniques they can use to resolve disputes. But even the most successful students and professional mediators occasionally fall into traps.

From losing neutrality to failing to contain and redirect destructive behaviours—these are five of the most common pitfalls you'll face as a mediator.