The Political Intelligence Audit
Independent strategic counsel for politically complex situations.
The Political Intelligence Audit is a private advisory engagement for senior professionals navigating politically complex organisational situations.
Over approximately two weeks, I conduct an independent assessment of the political landscape surrounding your situation, examining relationships, influence networks, organisational dynamics and patterns of decision-making that may be shaping what you're experiencing.
The outcome is a written Strategic Situation Report that helps you understand not only what is happening, but why it is happening, what it means and where your attention is best directed next. The Political Intelligence Audit isn't about becoming more political. It's about developing the political literacy to understand your environment more clearly, make better judgements and act with greater confidence and integrity.
Who is the Political Intelligence Audit for?
The Political Intelligence Audit is designed for senior professionals navigating politically complex situations where understanding the organisational landscape is as important as making the next decision. Clients typically come to me when they're asking questions such as:
- Why has this situation unfolded the way it has?
- Who is really influencing this decision?
- What am I missing?
- Why does the official explanation not quite fit what I'm seeing?
- How do I navigate this without compromising my integrity?
The engagement is particularly valuable when you're:
- stepping into a senior leadership role
- navigating a leadership transition or organisational restructure
- preparing for an important career decision
- working across functions, cultures or geographies
- trying to understand changing stakeholder dynamics
- experiencing organisational politics that don't seem visible on the surface
- finding that influence, rather than authority, is shaping outcomes
The Political Intelligence Audit isn't about confirming what you already believe. It's about developing a clearer understanding of the political landscape so that you can make thoughtful, well-informed decisions.
Who can engage me?
The Political Intelligence Audit is primarily available to clients who have completed an Executive Coaching engagement. By then, I already understand your leadership style, your aspirations and the organisational context in which you work. That allows us to move quickly into analysing the political landscape rather than spending time getting acquainted.
In exceptional circumstances, I also accept a small number of new clients directly into the engagement where their situation calls for an independent political assessment rather than a coaching engagement.
If you're unsure which is the better starting point, we'll discuss your situation during a confidential introductory conversation and decide together whether the Political Intelligence Audit is the right fit.
What you receive
The purpose of the Political Intelligence Audit isn't to tell you what to do. It's to help you see your situation more clearly than you can from within it. At the end of the engagement, you'll receive a personalised Strategic Situation Report, together with practical recommendations and a clearer understanding of the political landscape you're navigating. Your engagement includes:
- Structured intake and preparation
- Initial Briefing (60 to 90 minutes)
- Independent political analysis
- Strategic Situation Report
- Situation Briefing (60 minutes)
- Follow-up debrief
- Curated companion reading from the Political Literacy Hub, selected specifically for your situation
The Strategic Situation Report
Every Strategic Situation Report is prepared personally and reflects the unique context of one client, one organisation and one moment in time. While every report is different, it typically includes:
- an assessment of the political landscape surrounding your situation
- the stakeholders, influence networks and informal relationships shaping outcomes
- observations about organisational dynamics, visibility and positioning
- political risks and opportunities that deserve your attention
- themes and patterns emerging from the analysis
- practical recommendations to help guide your next steps
The report is written for you. It isn't a template, a scorecard or an AI-generated summary. It's an independent assessment based on careful analysis, professional judgement and the conversations we've had throughout the engagement.
Many clients return to their Strategic Situation Report months later as circumstances evolve and discover that it continues to provide clarity as new developments unfold.
Companion reading
The Political Literacy Hub is freely available to everyone. As part of the engagement, I'll recommend and provide articles, guides and companion booklets that are directly relevant to your situation.
Rather than leaving you to work out which resources might be useful, I curate the material based on the questions you're facing, helping you continue your thinking long after the engagement has concluded.
How the engagement works
The Political Intelligence Audit is conducted over approximately two weeks. While we'll meet three times during the engagement, much of the work happens between our conversations. That's where I analyse what you've shared, identify patterns, test assumptions and prepare your Strategic Situation Report.
Stage One
Initial Briefing
The engagement begins with a structured intake questionnaire, followed by a 60 to 90-minute briefing conversation. This isn't a coaching session. It's an opportunity for me to understand your role, the situation you're navigating, the organisational context and the questions you haven't yet been able to answer. Together, we'll explore the people involved, the decisions that have been made, the history that matters and the organisational dynamics that may be influencing events. My role at this stage isn't to offer solutions. It's to gather the information needed for careful analysis.
Stage Two
Analysis
This is where the engagement really begins. Over the following days, I analyse everything you've shared, looking beyond the visible events to understand the political system surrounding them. Depending on your situation, this may include examining:
- formal and informal power structures
- stakeholder relationships
- competing priorities
- influence networks
- visibility and reputation
- organisational history
- decision-making patterns
- political risks and opportunities
This isn't a checklist. It's an exercise in independent judgement, drawing together organisational experience, political literacy and careful analysis.
Stage Three
Situation Briefing
Once the analysis is complete, we'll meet for a 60-minute Situation Briefing. I'll walk you through my findings, explain how I've reached my conclusions and discuss the recommendations emerging from the analysis. Within 48 hours, you'll receive your written Strategic Situation Report. We'll then schedule a short follow-up conversation after you've had time to reflect on the report, ask questions and consider your next steps. The Strategic Situation Report is yours to keep and return to as your situation evolves.
Fee
Clients based in India
₹1,25,000
International clients
US$3,500
The fee includes:
- Structured intake and preparation
- Initial Briefing (60 to 90 minutes)
- Independent political analysis
- Strategic Situation Report
- Situation Briefing (60 minutes)
- Follow-up debrief
- Curated companion reading from the Political Literacy Hub, selected specifically for your situation
Payment is made in full before the engagement begins.
Confidentiality
The Political Intelligence Audit often involves conversations about senior leaders, organisational politics and decisions that haven't yet entered the public domain. Confidentiality is therefore fundamental to the engagement. Everything you share with me remains strictly confidential. Your Strategic Situation Report belongs entirely to you. I don't report to your employer, your HR team or any third party. I don't record our conversations or use AI tools to transcribe, analyse or summarise them. I don't discuss client situations publicly.
That includes conferences, keynote presentations, podcasts, newsletters, articles, interviews and social media. Even when details could be anonymised, I don't use client situations as case studies or examples without your explicit permission. Senior professionals need a place where they can think freely. I take that responsibility seriously.
A deliberately limited practice
Every Political Intelligence Audit involves significant thinking between our conversations. The conversations themselves are only a small part of the work. The real value lies in the analysis, synthesis and independent judgement that go into preparing your Strategic Situation Report. To maintain that standard, I deliberately limit the number of Political Intelligence Audits I undertake to 10 engagements each year. Most of those engagements are with existing Executive Coaching clients.
Where capacity allows, I also accept a very small number of new clients whose situations are particularly well suited to an independent political assessment. This isn't intended to create scarcity. It's simply a reflection of how I choose to practise.
Begin a confidential conversation
Every politically complex situation is different. Before deciding whether the Political Intelligence Audit is right for you, we'll begin with a confidential conversation about the circumstances you're navigating and what you're hoping to understand. Sometimes the Audit is the right engagement. Sometimes Executive Coaching provides a better starting point. And occasionally, I'll recommend a different course of action altogether. If we decide to work together, I'll invite you to begin the Political Intelligence Audit. If I believe another approach would serve you better, I'll tell you.
My responsibility is to help you make the right decision, whether or not that involves working with me.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you mean by political intelligence?
Political intelligence is the ability to understand how decisions are really made within organisations.
It involves recognising formal authority alongside informal influence, understanding the relationships that shape outcomes, anticipating how different stakeholders are likely to respond and making thoughtful decisions without compromising your integrity.
Political intelligence isn't about manipulation, office games or learning how to "play politics".
It's about seeing the organisational system clearly enough to navigate it wisely.
How is the Political Intelligence Audit different from Executive Coaching?
Executive Coaching focuses primarily on you: your leadership, your thinking, your decisions and your development.
The Political Intelligence Audit focuses on the organisational system surrounding you.
Rather than exploring how you might grow as a leader, we examine the relationships, influence networks, incentives and organisational dynamics that may be shaping the situation you're facing.
The two engagements complement one another, but they answer different questions. Executive Coaching asks how you can lead more effectively. The Political Intelligence Audit asks what is happening here, and why.
How is this different from consulting?
Traditional consulting typically offers recommendations on organisational strategy, structure or operations.
The Political Intelligence Audit is an independent assessment of your political environment.
My role isn't to redesign your organisation or advise your employer. It's to help you understand the political dynamics surrounding your situation so that you can make better-informed decisions.
The advice I offer is personal, contextual and specific to the circumstances you're navigating.
Will you tell me what to do?
No.
My role isn't to make decisions on your behalf.
I'll offer an independent assessment of your situation, explain how I've reached my conclusions and recommend possible courses of action.
The decisions remain yours. Most clients find that greater clarity naturally leads to greater confidence in the choices they make.
Can you speak to people in my organisation?
No.
The Political Intelligence Audit is based entirely on the information you choose to share with me, together with my analysis and independent judgement.
I don't interview colleagues, contact stakeholders or seek information from your organisation.
Maintaining my independence is an important part of the engagement.
How much preparation is required?
You'll complete a structured intake questionnaire before our Initial Briefing.
The questionnaire helps me understand your role, the organisational context and the questions you'd like the engagement to explore.
Beyond that, very little preparation is required. Our conversations are designed to uncover what matters most without asking you to produce extensive documentation.
What if my situation changes during the engagement?
That's entirely normal.
Organisations don't pause while we're working together.
If significant developments occur during the engagement, we'll incorporate them into the analysis wherever appropriate.
The goal is to ensure that the Strategic Situation Report reflects your situation as it exists, not simply as it did when we first spoke.
Will I receive ongoing advice after the Audit?
The engagement includes a follow-up conversation after you've received your Strategic Situation Report.
That conversation gives you an opportunity to ask questions, test your thinking and discuss any immediate developments.
If, after that, you feel you'd benefit from continued strategic reflection, we can discuss whether Journey Coaching or Executive Coaching would be the most appropriate next step.
There is no expectation that you continue beyond the Audit.
Can my employer pay for the engagement?
Yes.
Some clients engage me personally, while others have the engagement funded by their organisation as part of their leadership development or executive support.
Regardless of who pays the fee, the engagement remains confidential between us unless we explicitly agree otherwise in advance.
Is the Political Intelligence Audit legal, HR or investigative advice?
No.
The Political Intelligence Audit isn't a legal opinion, an HR investigation or a workplace grievance process.
It doesn't determine who is right or wrong, establish facts for disciplinary purposes or replace professional legal, employment or financial advice.
It's an independent strategic assessment designed to help you better understand the political and organisational dynamics surrounding your situation so that you can make more informed decisions.
Where appropriate, I'll recommend seeking specialist advice alongside the engagement.
How do I know whether I'm a good fit?
The Political Intelligence Audit is designed for thoughtful professionals who want to understand their organisational environment more clearly before making important decisions.
It isn't intended for gathering evidence against colleagues, validating assumptions or providing tactical advice on office politics.
The most productive engagements begin with curiosity rather than certainty.
If you're looking for an independent perspective, are willing to examine your situation honestly and value thoughtful judgement over quick answers, you're likely to benefit from the engagement.
If I'm not the right person to help, or if I believe another approach would serve you better, I'll tell you.
Why do you limit the Political Intelligence Audit to 10 engagements each year?
Every Political Intelligence Audit involves significant thinking between our conversations.
The visible parts of the engagement are only a small part of the work. The real value lies in the analysis, synthesis and independent judgement that go into preparing your Strategic Situation Report.
Limiting the number of engagements I accept each year allows me to give every client the time, attention and intellectual rigour their situation deserves.
This isn't intended to create scarcity. It's simply a reflection of how I choose to practise.
Independent judgement. Complete confidentiality. Thoughtful counsel for politically complex situations.