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: Career Conversations

A spiral staircase with beige steps and black railings, viewed from above. The curved handrail is light brown, and the stairwell forms a circular pattern—resembling career progression—leading down to a white floor and ceiling fan.

May 5, 2021

Career Development has changed. It’s time for a meaningful 21st century definition

Career progression – redefining career development.
What does career progression mean to you? If you had to create an image to represent career progression, what would it be?

I asked that very question in a webinar for a client recently and I received the following answers:

A bunch of shiny blue balloons are gathered together in front of a white brick wall, with several white candles placed on the floor in the background.

April 1, 2021

9 Years of Celebration with Team AO

It’s been quite a year hasn’t it? But now, Spring is here, the sun has appeared and the UK is starting to come out of lockdown. There is an atmosphere of hope, and optimism. And Team AO is celebrating! 1 April 2021 is our 9th Birthday (and no, that’s not an April Fools spoof). So,

A large pencil-shaped sign on a white wall reads

February 7, 2021

7 Career Development Strategies for Future-Proofing Your Career

What will your job look like five years from now? Will it even exist in five, 10 or 20 years? And what will happen to the organisation and industry you work for? Many roles are becoming extinct, being replaced by technology while brand new roles are popping up every day. And, as I outlined in

January 27, 2021

Podcast Interview: Using Career Management to build engagement

In this episode Antoinette was interviewed by Craig Smith, owner of The Big Picture People, and host of the Engaging Internal Comms podcast. They discuss using career management to build engagement with employees.

A man in a suit stands on a ladder in an empty, expansive landscape, looking into the distance through binoculars under a cloudy sky, symbolising a search for the future of work.

November 23, 2020

Career Development: What does the future of work look like?

We often talk about the future of work. But what actually is it? Well, the future of work is actually already here. The way we work is fundamentally different from how it was 50, 30 or even 10 years ago. The world of work is more dynamic and chaotic than ever. In our parents’ or grandparents’

A group of people sit in a circle, discussing a large paper with the word

September 23, 2019

The Importance of Growth Mind-set for Career Development

Adaptability has always played a key role in workplace success. But it seems like now more than ever, our careers require us to be constantly evolving. The pace of change is accelerating. To succeed in any industry, and to be ready to take part in the next evolution of it, professionals must grow and develop.

A man in a suit leans over a reflective black table, looking intently at his own reflection.

August 27, 2019

Mirror Mirror. The importance of reflection in career conversations.

Academics have spent decades exploring the potential benefits of reflection. It is through reflecting about our concrete experiences that we learn and develop new ways of thinking. It is not a new idea. In fact, around 450 B.C. Confucius is reputed to have said: “Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may

A person in a suit writes in a notebook. Overlay graphics show

August 12, 2019

5 Benefits of Great Career Conversations

In a recent blog post I talked about why career conversations are important. One question I received in response was “Antoinette – if career conversations are so important, why don’t managers have them?” It’s a good question. Often the reason is that managers lack the skills and confidence required to conduct career conversations. They fear

Two hands hold up a cardboard sign with the words

July 24, 2019

Visualising a Culture of Career Development

In my last blog post, I talked about the power of visualisation for career development and the benefits to employees. But visualisation is not only helpful at an employee level. It can also be helpful at an organisational level. In this blog post I’d like to share my experience of helping a client visualise a

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