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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 Archives

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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Two men in business suits stand by a large window in a modern office, smiling and looking at a mobile phone together—perhaps sharing tips on how to better understand your manager. An empty meeting table and chairs are in the foreground.

Managing Upwards: First you need to clearly understand your Manager

Managing upwards is one of the most valuable – yet often overlooked – career skills you can develop. It’s not about trying to curry favour or play politics. It’s about building a productive, respectful relationship with your manager so that you can both succeed. The starting point? As Stephen Covey famously said, “Seek first to

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Four people clasp each other's wrists, forming a connected circle with their hands, symbolising teamwork, trustworthiness, and unity. The background is blurred with office documents and supplies visible.

How to Build Trust at Work: Practical Strategies to Strengthen Your Leadership and Relationships

In today’s world of hybrid teams, burnout, and generational divides, trust isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s a career necessity. Whether you’re a leader managing remote teams, an HR professional designing development programmes, or an employee navigating your own career path, trust is the glue that holds it all together. It’s also one of the

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Winning Awards Podcast

In this episode, of the Winning Awards with Donna O’Toole podcast, Donna interviews Antoinette. Following Antoinette’s multiple award wins, she shares insights on the difference awards can make to your career and how to use awards raise your profile in your industry.

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Antoinette Oglethorpe wins Silver Award for Service Excellence in National Business Women’s Awards

We did it! We won the Silver Award for Service Excellence at the National Business Women’s Awards. After, a series of delays caused by the pandemic, it was such an honour to celebrate with the other finalists at the gala dinner held at the Hilton Hotel, Wembley. It was especially nice to be able to

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Logo for the SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards 2021, celebrating the finalists at the SME MK & Buckinghamshire Awards.

Antoinette Oglethorpe Ltd named as finalists at the SME MK & Buckinghamshire Awards 2021

I am delighted to announce that we have been named as a finalist at the SME MK & Buckinghamshire Awards 2021, in the ‘Service Excellence’ category. The SME MK & Buckinghamshire Awards 2021 recognises businesses from across the county who are demonstrating excellence in their sector. The ‘Service Excellence’ category in particular, acknowledges those companies

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7 Actions You Can Take to Deepen Your Self-Awareness

In my last blog post, I talked about why deepening self-awareness is critical for career growth and success. Deepening your self-awareness is a lifelong effort. Researcher and author Tasha Eurich uncovered a disturbing statistic. Her multi-year study showed that 95% of us think we are quite self-aware, but only about 10-15% of us actually are.

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Why Deeper Self-Awareness is Critical for Career Growth and Success

When I reflect on the pivotal moments in my own career, one thing consistently stands out. It wasn’t a promotion.It wasn’t a training course.It was a conversation – one where I finally understood how I was getting in my own way. Up until then, I’d been described as “calm under pressure.” But what I didn’t realise was

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Want to future-proof your career? Adaptability is the number one power skill

Charles Darwin’s words still very much ring true. “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, it is the one that is most adaptable to change.” If 2020 has shown us anything, it’s that the environment in which we now work is incredibly unpredictable; things change fast. So, employees

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