Longing for Coaching
Longing for Coaching
Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, said: “Everyone needs a coach.” A simple yet comprehensive sentence. If we look around us, we will realize that everyone needs coaching. For instance, students need coaching to help them choose the right major and assist them to discover the best ways of dealing with academic projects. Even job seekers need coaching to know how to pass different stages of employment, how to prepare CVs, and how to unleash secrets of interviews. In addition, all employees would benefit from coaching to solve their professional problems, enhance their performance and increase their productivity. On the other hand, employers would gain a lot from coaching as it assists them to develop work environment, maintain human resources, enhance performance and scale up business. Coaching is also beneficial for couples as it helps them to understand each other, so they could effectively solve any family issues and tackle challenges of raising children which would result in a stable environment allowing couples to financially plan for their future. In fact, all teachers, engineers, doctors, media professionals and ministers...etc. need the benefits of coaching. So, what is Coaching?
Coaching is a science closely related to human resources. It has started in Oxford University since 1830, and now it is one of the secrets of success in the European and American societies. Coaching is actually defined as seeking help from an influencing and specialized person in mentoring human resources for the purpose of achieving goals, solving problems, effective time management, relieving life stress, finding work-life balance, discovering development aspects including relationship development and any other matters that could bridge the gap between our ambitions and reality. Coaching is considered an inspiring cooperative solution that depends on both parties as the inputs of one party is interrelated with the mentoring provided by the other one. In fact, coaching starts with the coach (mentor) meeting the individual in need of mentoring either face to face or over the phone where they specify the desired goals and set a plan accordingly. Afterwards, implementation phase starts followed by follow-ups, finding out solutions, assessing results and providing alternatives.
Coaching is not limited to practical aspects as it can be applied to all individuals and entities in any society. Thus, there are several types of coaching including but not limited to Business Coaching (for business and individual development), Life Coaching (for setting life lasting goals), Sport Coaching (the most common type), Student Coaching, Health Coaching (for general health), Financial Coaching (for efficient spending and development of investment channels), Career Coaching (for career development and finding ways of solving career problems). Indeed, it is expected that other types of coaching will emerge from this flourishing science. Hence, coaching is essential for everyone. Those claiming that they do not need coaching are actually those who need it the most. Coaches are not consultants or trainers, but they are influencers who effectively listen to us and master reading body language. Furthermore, those influencers choose perfect questions to clarify goals or causes of problems. More importantly, they have great abilities, resulting from their accumulated experience, enabling them to suggest optimal solutions to achieve our goals. It is worth noting that coaches all over the world earn approximately SR 8 billion such as Brian Tracy, Michael Gerber and others. Unfortunately, coaches in Saudi Arabia are rare.
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example” (Holy Quran, 33:21). As Muslims, we look up to our Prophet, Mohammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), as our role model, mentor and best influencer. Clearly, coaching has been part of the teachings of Islam for a long time. Finally, if we could not establish an association or commission for coaching, I suggest including coaching as a university major. In sum, “Advice is ever in want” (Harun al-Rashid, an Abbasid Caliph).