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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: Mentoring

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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A collection of open books laid out overlapping each other, displaying various pages filled with text in different typefaces and orientations. The books create a textured, literary background that evokes the spirit of positive mentoring and shared knowledge.

Inspirational Quotes About Mentoring to Empower Growth and Connection

Mentoring has shaped my life – and the lives of so many others – in quiet but powerful ways. Years ago, I was asked to mentor a bright young leader transitioning into a global role. She was smart, capable, and motivated but stuck. She didn’t need me to have all the answers. What she needed

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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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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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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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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.

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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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.

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,

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A woman giving a high five to another woman, celebrating the connection between mentors and mentees.

How to Get Mentors and Mentees Excited About Your Mentoring Programme

This blog post continues our series, A Year in the Life of an Organisation’s Mentoring Programme. Team AO are working with a worldwide organisation to implement a programme of mentoring to develop the careers of junior female scientific researchers. In this series of blog posts, I am sharing with you how we went about delivering the

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A young woman with long dark hair in a red checked shirt sits at a table by the window, focused on her laptop and notebook as she prepares for a Mentoring Programme Engagement.

How to Engage Participants in Your Mentoring Programme

My last blog post was A Year in the Life of an Organisation’s Mentoring Programme. In that post, I introduced you to the Mentoring Programme that we are developing and implementing for a client. We are working with a worldwide organisation to implement a programme of mentoring to develop the careers of junior female scientific

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