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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 Archives

A person holds a green card reading "Future Success" with a cloud graphic, sitting at a table surrounded by papers and booklets—reflecting a strong career development culture—with another person visible in the background.

How to Build a Career Development Culture That Retains and Grows Your Talent

Over the years, I’ve worked with dozens of organisations that want to support career development but don’t quite know how. The answer lies in culture, not checklists.

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Two women, both managers, sit at a table in a bright café, smiling and talking. Sunlight streams through large windows as they discuss strategies to boost growth, creating a warm, cheerful atmosphere.

Career Conversations That Work: How Managers Can Boost Growth, Loyalty, and Performance

When I think back to my early days as a manager, I wish someone had told me how powerful career conversations could be.

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A close-up of a compass resting on the ground beside a folded, slightly blurred map in an outdoor setting, symbolising navigation or orienteering in nature and the journey towards career clarity.

Are You Creating a Culture of Career Clarity?

November is National Career Development Month – a timely reminder for individuals to reflect on their paths and for organisations to ask: Are we doing enough to support meaningful growth?

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A businessperson in a suit stacks wooden blocks in a stair shape, with "PLAN" and icons like gears, a lightbulb, and paper aeroplanes overlaid—symbolising strategy, growth, and the steps to having a great career conversation.

The 8 Stages of a Great Career Conversation

A Practical Guide for Having a Great Career Conversation for Employees, L&D Teams, and Leaders Have you ever walked into a career conversation and felt a little…unsure? Unsure what to say. Unsure what to ask. Unsure how to help someone move forward. You’re not alone. Whether you’re an employee preparing for your next career step,

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A woman in business attire writes on a document whilst a man in a suit sits beside her, smiling and gesturing, as they discuss performance appraisals with charts and graphs on the table in front of them.

Why Performance Reviews Are Not the Place for Career Conversations

Think your organisation is nailing career conversations because they’re part of the performance review? You’re not alone. I hear this all the time. A well-meaning question like “What are your career goals?” is often squeezed in at the end of a performance review meeting, tucked between a salary discussion and next quarter’s targets. But here’s

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Five people sit around a table in a bright office, discussing and smiling, with open laptops and papers in front of them as they work together to develop staff. Bookshelves filled with books and plants are in the background.

Four Ways to Develop Employees When Budgets Are Tight

Employee development is no longer a “nice-to-have.” It’s essential. Whether you’re a manager, part of an L&D team, or in senior leadership, you know that helping employees grow is key to maintaining engagement, performance, and retention. But what happens when budgets are tight? I often hear this question from clients. With limited resources, training can

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Two people in formal attire smile and hold a trophy on stage under a banner reading "Gold Winner" at the SME MK & Buckinghamshire Awards. The screen behind them displays "Best Enterprising Business Antoinette Oglethorpe," with sponsors' logos below.

Empowering Careers, Celebrating Success: What Winning Gold at the SME MK & Buckinghamshire Awards Means for Us

On the eve of our company’s 13th birthday, we received the best early present we could have hoped for: our 13th award. And not just any award. We were honoured with the GOLD award for Best Enterprising Business at the SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards. The synchronicity was almost poetic, but more than that,

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A whiteboard with the words "WHAT'S YOUR LEGACY" in bold red letters, next to a large white question mark made from a twisted object and a crumpled paper ball, inspiring reflection on your leadership legacy.

What Will Your Leadership Legacy Be?

Reflections for International Leadership Week Leadership isn’t just about the position you hold or the goals you achieve – it’s about the lasting impact you leave behind. As we celebrate International Leadership Week (ILW) and explore this year’s theme of “Lasting Legacies,” it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on the imprint we leave on our

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A card reading "IT STARTS WITH YOU" is placed on a desk with notebooks, pens, a laptop keyboard, and bulldog clips in the background, inspiring you to take charge of your career.

Take Charge of Your Career – Why It Starts with You

Career management is no longer just about climbing the corporate ladder. Traditional career paths have given way to a more dynamic and self-directed approach. While managers and organisations play a role in supporting career growth, the ultimate responsibility lies with you, the employee. As I wrote in Confident Career Conversations, “Career development starts with the employee.

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