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Antoinette Oglethorpe author of the COMPASS Journal blog, wearing a black shirt and blue jeans, sits smiling on a white sofa with magazines and papers spread out in front of her in a bright, minimalist room.

The Compass Journal: Navigating Careers & Leadership

Fresh thinking for forward-focused organisations

Explore practical insights, thought leadership, and real-world stories on career development, leadership, and the evolving world of work. Each article is designed to spark ideas and support you in creating a culture where people and performance thrive.

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Blog: Talent Development

Three people sit at a table in a modern, open-plan office with large windows, wooden cubicles, and ceiling lights, discussing career management and mentoring challenges. The space is bright and organised with mirrored panels featuring white graphic designs.

7 Career Management and Mentoring Challenges to Overcome in 2023

As we enter the third year since the pandemic started, we are seeing that the changes caused by COVID-19 are having a lasting impact in the workplace. In 2023, organisations will be more diverse, distributed and virtual than ever before. Organisations need to adapt to this changing world of work while addressing other challenges. Those

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Two people sit facing each other at a small round table with laptops open, collaborating on their career goals in a modern office space with large glass windows revealing an urban cityscape in the background.

How to Align Your Career Goals with the Needs of the Organisation

In my last blog post, I said that you need to focus on yourself and your ambitions and you need to get to know the REAL you. But, it’s not all about you. To successfully manage your career, you also need to think about the organisation and the industry in which you operate. Aligning your

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A cup of coffee, a gold wristwatch, binder clips, and an open diary with a pen rest on a light-coloured wooden desk create a focused workspace—perfect for sharing your goals and planning your morning intentions.

3 Steps to Sharing Your Goals and Aspirations with Your Manager

In today’s busy world, it’s hard to find time for career conversations. And it’s hard toknow where to start – it can be a bit daunting to talk to your manager about what you want from your career. But it’s important you do. The “career conversation” gives you the opportunity to express your career goals,help

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A man and a woman sit opposite each other at a small table with a laptop and mugs, laughing and having a great career conversation in a lively, casual modern café setting.

5 Tips for Holding a Great Career Conversation with your Manager

In our most recent blog posts, we have been looking at having career conversations with your managers.  The first of the series looked at Creating the Right Environment for a Comfortable Career Conversation with your Manager. The second looked at How to be Well-Prepared for a Career Conversation with your Manager. In this blog post,

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Two women sit opposite each other at a table by a large window, engaged in conversation about being a great mentee, with a vibrant cityscape visible in the background.

Being a Great Mentee: How to Make the Most of Your Mentoring Relationships

A little while ago I write a blog post on the 7 Characteristics of Highly Effective Mentors. But what about the mentees? They have an important role to play in making sure the mentoring relationship is effective. At the start of the year, many people will be setting their development goals and identifying mentoring as

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Are you limiting yourself by focussing too much on your job title?

Does your current job title REALLY reflect the work you do? If yes, then you can probably skip this blog post.  If not, then you should realize that organisations have a tough time with job titles because they are generic, and you are not.  You are unique. And you will have developed your job in

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A close-up, black-and-white photo of a person holding a finger to their lips in a gesture signalling silence or secrecy, subtly capturing the weight of self-doubt. The image is slightly blurred and the background is out of focus.

Silence the Impostor: How to end self-doubt and build confidence in yourself

In my last blog post, Impostor Syndrome. Are you letting it damage your career growth? I described the negative impacts that Impostor Syndrome can have on our careers.  I also promised to share some ideas to help you overcome it.  So, that’s the plan for this blog post, looking at ways to silence the impostor,

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A person with blonde hair styled in plaits covers their face with their hands outdoors, perhaps feeling impostor syndrome. They wear a black shirt, a wristwatch, and have white polished nails, with greenery and blurred people in the background.

Impostor Syndrome. Are you letting it damage your career growth?

Have you ever had the feeling that you’re going to be found out? That you don’t ‘deserve’ this, that you’re not good enough, or you don’t belong? You may be suffering from Impostor Syndrome. Regular readers will realise that a lot of my recent blog posts have related to subjects I am covering in the

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Two women wearing blazers sit on a windowsill in an office, smiling and chatting. One woman holds a laptop, possibly discussing strategies for influencing your manager. Large windows reveal a building outside.

Managing Upwards: 8 tips for influencing your manager

In my blog post, Managing Upwards: How to make progress through influencing your supervisor, I introduced the subject of managing upwards. And I emphasised the importance of ‘Seek first to understand; then to be understood.’ In my last blog post, Managing Upwards: First you need to clearly understand your Manager, I shared some ideas on

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