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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: Career Development

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.

October 30, 2021

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

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.

October 30, 2021

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

August 19, 2021

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.

A large, vintage-style question mark sign with exposed light bulbs lies on its side against a dark background. The glowing bulbs evoke self-awareness for career success, casting a warm, inviting light.

August 18, 2021

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

June 23, 2021

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

Aerial view of intersecting country roads dividing green and dark farmland, with a few scattered trees casting long shadows—symbolising a career development journey through varied landscapes.

May 11, 2021

Your Career Development Journey. Consider These Six Different Routes You Can Take

In my last blog post, ‘Career Development has changed. It’s time for a meaningful 21st century definition‘, I talked about how the world of work has changed. If ladders still exist, they are harder to climb. Here we explore other ways to take your career development journey. People still move upwards in a career. In

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 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.

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