I have recently been talking a lot about politics - both conventional politics and office politics. And whilst people may be feeling a little disenfranchised and disconnected from party politics they are certainly obsessed with office politics.
No one likes to think of themselves as playing the political game (do they?) but most of us play it to a greater or lesser extent and with more or less success.
I am certainly political. I manage my messages, I manage my image and I manage my reputation as far as I can. Obviously you can't control what people think of you or what they say about you but you can influence it and I use that influence where it is important to me.
Why? Not because of vanity or the need to deceive or manipulate but simply because there are certain things I believe are important and certain changes I want to see and I feel the best way to bring about those changes is to communicate in a way that is most likely to bring about the end I desire or believe is right according to my values.
That sometimes means holding back on my opinion or saying something which makes people feel close to me. The bottom line is that I never say anything which I don't believe and I never knowingly betray a trust. I am a person of my word and I certainly feel I am genuine.
It could be argued that unless you express every opinion you have and every feeling you experience you are being political. But as a coach, I cannot always express my opinion or give voice to my feelings. They are irrelevant and constantly changing. I would always be interrupting my clients saying "I agree with that. I don't agree with that. Oh, now I agree. Now I am uncomfortable. Now I am fine". The client would rightly be saying "Let me speak, will you?!"
And that is true in situations outside of coaching too. When you listen to a friend without interjecting your opinions, when you support someone at a talent show, even when they haven't got much talent, when you tell someone "I know you can do this" even when you have doubts...all of that could be political. You are manipulating them and manipulating the message. But your motivation is positive - you want to encourage or enable because you think this brings out the best in others.
Very few people practise politics because they want to be a baddie. They do it because they want to bring about an outcome they believe in. They may be clumsy and you may not agree with their motivations. But be honest with yourself - don't you play the game too?
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