In Coaching and Mentoring, the author inspires and provokes readers by asking questions such as 'Are coaching and mentoring the same?' 'Are we obsessed with skills?' and 'What is performance?' He also delves into contemporary debates such as concerns about standards, competencies and codes of ethics, interspersed with views on power, control and politics.
Conceived by Chris Grey as an antidote to conventional textbooks, each book in the 'Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap' series takes a core area of the curriculum and turns it on its head by providing a critical and sophisticated overview of the key issues and debates in an informal, conversational and often humorous way.
An entertaining read for Undergraduate, Postgraduate and MBA students or anyone interested in looking for different ways of thinking about coaching and mentoring.
Industry Reviews
'A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about Coaching and Mentoring takes us on a journey of critically reflecting on and questioning coaching and mentoring matters....It is perfect for anyone engaging in a postgraduate qualification or practitioners who want to deepen and question the quality of their work' - Jenny Garrett Action Learning: Research & Practice 'If you are willing to question how you view your own practice as a coach or mentor then you'll find much to reflect upon in this excellent book' - Bob Thomson, University of Warwick This short very interesting book challenges coaches and mentors to think seriously about what they do and what they claim for what they do. Robert Garvey has performed a considerable service in offering this timely critique of our field. We would all benefit from reading it Professor David A. Lane Professional Development Foundation and Middlesex University, UK Garvey is a curious and impassioned thinker, committed to coaching and mentoring as emancipatory endeavors. Not afraid to be controversial in the cause of challenging accepted practices and beliefs, he raises timely questions in a feisty and informed way. In a field too often dominated by the search for competitive advantage, Garvey champions holistic qualitative research and the building of trust through openness Leni Wildflower Director, Coaching Innovations, Fielding Graduate University, USA Coaching and mentoring challenging assumptions and question patterns of thinking. In this book, Bob Garvey questions some of our basic assumptions about the nature and practice of coaching and mentoring. If pat definitions and certainty are what you need, this book will give you nightmares. But if you aspire to be a truly great coach/ mentor, it will raise valuable questions about how you define your practice David Clutterbuck Visiting Professor, Sheffield Hallam University and Oxford Brookes University, UK, Ambassador for the European Mentoring and Coaching Council In a world where coaching and mentoring are becoming increasingly popular, Robert Garvey provides a concise yet comprehensive critique of coaching and mentoring. He is bold in his challenges and constructive in his arguments and reading this book will leave those passionate about coaching and mentoring with new ideas, frameworks and arguments to move forward. He creates a discourse of coaching and mentoring for all to consider and challenges us to rethink our focus on learning, competitiveness, psychology, and competency. It is a great resource and an exceptional contribution to the field. Well done Professor Richard K. Ladyshewsky Curtin Graduate School of Business, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia This book is an engaging and critical review, packed with thought-provoking analysis based on the author's wide-ranging experience. An excellent contribution to the debate on the state of coaching and mentoring today Ian Wycherley Programme Director: MA Coaching and Mentoring Practice, Business School, Oxford Brookes University, Wheatley, UK 'My own conclusion is that this book provides useful information and highlights significant aspects for consideration. I had anticipated, from the title and the cover, which looks rather like an old-fashioned, home-made book of recipes (fake handwriting font and fake coffee cup stains on it) more of a practical, how-to-do-it book. It is certainly not that. It will, however, appeal to those with an academic interest in coaching or mentoring and to anyone considering a research study (about anything, as the ideas can be applied to much more than coaching and mentoring)' -- Julie Hay
