The Manager’s Compass

A stylized compass rose logo with a dark blue and black color scheme, featuring eight points and a circular outline.

Welcome to The Manager’s Compass. This is where Leadership Cartography becomes practical. Each post helps you name what is happening, understand what it is signaling, and choose one next move that steadies your leadership.

We map the terrain. You choose the route.

New here? Take the Explorer and discover which terrain you navigate best.

How to Have Difficult Conversations with Employees: A 6-Step Framework for New Managers
Management Tools Catherine Insler Management Tools Catherine Insler

How to Have Difficult Conversations with Employees: A 6-Step Framework for New Managers

Most managers avoid difficult conversations until they become impossible to ignore. Whether it’s addressing missed deadlines, performance issues, or team conflicts, these conversations feel heavy and unpredictable. But here’s what most leadership training gets wrong: difficult conversations aren’t about being tough—they’re about having a clear framework when the territory gets messy. Learn the 6-step method that transforms confrontations into productive dialogues.

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Stop reacting to pressure. Start mapping your next move

Friction is a signal

Every manager navigates a different terrain. Identifying your leadership style is the first step to reading the signals and finding your steady next move.

Clarity requires a map

Browse over 70 digital toolkits built for modern leadership challenges. From difficult conversation scripts to promotion readiness, find the exact map you need for your current terrain.

Progress requires a reset.

Stop managing by accident. Access high-impact tactical maps in the Map Makers Room designed to be implemented this week to steady your team and restore coordination.