Coaching, Mentoring and Organisational Politics

All organizations are political environments. Politics is present in all the major processes, including resource allocation, succession planning and equal opportunities. Yet being political is often regarded as a negative trait, associated with lack of authenticity, unethical behaviour and sociopathy. For employees, managing politics is a core skill. For coaches and mentors, there is the constant dilemma of how to help a client thrive in a political environment while retaining their authenticity. A critical distinction is between being politically aware or astute and being political or "playing politics". This book aims to set out practical ways in which coaches and mentors can both maintain their own integrity and support their clients in doing the same, in politicised environments. It will draw on the experiences of coaches and mentors, leaders and managers in organisations around the world, and coach supervisors.