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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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Career Conversations

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 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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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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Four people sit and one stands around a table covered in notebooks, folders, and sticky notes, collaborating and discussing work. Laptops and pens are visible, showing their dedication to group study or team projects focused on operational excellence.

Realise the Potential of Your Workforce: Balancing Career Development with Operational Excellence

Running lean has become the norm for many large organisations, particularly in the current challenging economic climate. While this operational efficiency brings cost benefits, it can also pose a significant challenge. As one of our readers recently asked: how do you balance the need for career development with the relentless demands of day-to-day operations? The

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Two people sit at a table in a bright office, smiling and talking whilst looking at a laptop. Papers and a notebook are spread out in front of them as they share career conversation tips beneath a large hanging lamp.

8 Proven Career Conversations Tips for Employee Career Growth

Are you confident about having carer conversations? Discover 8 career conversations tips, in this blog, to help them go well and develop your people. Who do you talk to about your career? Think about some of the big decisions you’ve made over the years.  I’m guessing that during those periods you will have benefitted from

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Tall glass skyscrapers reflecting sunlight and blue sky with clouds, viewed from below. Bright sunlight shines between the buildings, symbolising career development in a modern urban cityscape.

How to Create a Culture of Growth and Career Development

Employee engagement and organisation culture are so intertwined that it is difficult to mention one without the other.  And career development is the glue that binds the two together.  If an organisation wants to engage its employees, the culture needs to support their professional growth. Develop talent or risk losing it Employee engagement is an

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Role of a Mentor: How to Give Advice

A common question we get asked in our masterclasses is “How do I provide insight without direction? I want to help.  I know they’re coming to me for advice.  But I don’t want to tell them what to do?” And quite right too. This Huffington Post article says it well.  “While mentors can offer valuable

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Two people stand indoors, facing each other and having a conversation. One is a woman in a light blue blouse, the other a man in a light blue shirt and tie. They appear engaged in discussing career development questions to ask employees.

Practical Career Development Questions to Ask Employees

Are you looking for career development questions to ask employees and develop your best people?  If so, you’re not alone.  The most frequently asked questions in our Confident Career Conversations Workshops relate to tools.  Questions like: “What effective tools could I use in my career conversations?” “Are there any particular tools you use that lead

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A woman wearing a yellow jacket sits at a desk, holding her glasses in one hand and rubbing her eyes with the other, appearing tired—perhaps reflecting on talent development mistakes in an office setting.

My Biggest Talent Development Mistake

Talent Development Mistakes  – Have you ever made them? I have a confession to make. Even with decades of talent development experience, I have, in the past, let my own employees down. Talent Development Mistakes | How Career Conversations can Help I’ll never forget the time one of my best employees, Roby, asked to see me. 

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