BUSINESS COACHING AND HOPE

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
May peace and blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad, the final messenger

I like the idea Dr Imad puts in his talk HOPE and i would like to relate it to business environment of understanding. This is going to be a bit technical of business issues, but i guess, my writing is not that technical therefore it is comprehensibly easy to understand (i wish haha)

As a business consultant and coach, I have witnessed horrific emotional condition of businessmen when their business empire colapse. Believe me, being there, during times of intense economic downturns, by just watching their tremendous stress, i felt the spark. Even now, looking at the economic crisis intensifies, some of my client didnt achieve any goal, whatever they name it, strategic goal, achievable goal, yearly goal etc..goals made by themselves, maybe because they were mired in micro managing their enterprises? Thats what i think, but not until i really sit down with them and listen to what they have to say. This is called a dynamic conversation. To be honest, sometimes, listening and just listening whining with the ahaa ahaa is really tiring. I might do day dreaming playing with my cats rather than to see a wreaked face in front of me, my bad haha..(just joking). Actually this is the best medium to test our skill in communication, we (business coaches) can challenge ourselves with the effectiveness and efficiency of communication and scale our performance.

How to deal with clients who seek our professional services during their despair time? Its a norm in anybody to lose their composure especially if they are faced with extreme difficulties and hardship, specifically with corporate issues. Who can help them in getting the 'idea' in order for them to have peace of mind and personal contentedness in order to stay focused on the greater tasks ahead of them?

As a business consultant, i know i am a person who gives consultancy, sits there and show sympathetic face for hours, actually, i dont have that patience haha...As a business coach, we sit there, with free judge mental attitude, 'big ears' to listen carefully, would provide the clients the right perspective not just in overcoming difficulties but also to help the clients in finding new opportunities amidst the crisis, the field that they themselves having knowledge and optimism to start venturing into. We dont suggest but we ask for their suggestions, suiting to their capabilities. Coach sees differently from what consultant can see. We ask the right question to be asked and we dont ask question that we have forcasted the answers. We act as if we dont know anything but show interest and enthusiasm in getting to know whats next and whats next with our 'weapons'. Interesting right? Thats why I love this job. Do you know that the science of business coaching began to bloom in late 90s as the world faced intense economic meltdown?

As in general, our role is to create the awareness among our clients on how to achieve their goal, using the pulling factors element around them. It other word, we are helping them to promote a well rounded psychological reinforcement for a better business environment. As for my case, i prefer the solution focus approach in coaching. It saves time and most of the coaching issues can be easily untangled.

Then, who solves the problem? We? ah aaa....not us. Business coaches are not angels who fulfill one's hope/wish to get it all over with. We just facilitate, and help using and applying our coaching techniques and methods to 'wake up' our clients' mind from being 'absent' to face the business chaos. Do you believe me, my coach buddy's told me that his client (he didnt disclose his client identity as its in the ethic of coaching) has kept his trade problems in his mind for more than 20 years but only voiced it out once being asked by that coach? How was that happened? with certain basic of listening tool technique, a coach would be given the trust he needs in order 'to dig' more. Trust between the 2 parties is important, and coaching presence with empathy is essential to be achieved in order to get this.

come back to my question just now..who solves the problem? the answer is the problem barrier would solves his or her problem with the help of others. Well, the others might just assist, but this is nothing close to predetermined succes written in anywhere. Therefore, with all the assistances and services rendered by consultants, counselors and coaches for example, the client need get up and start applying to his 'change management' and, put the hope and pray to Allah SWT to ease up the way for succes.

Actually, business coaching isnt just important to someone's career but also for the company and to whoever 'married' to his company haha...again, a coach doesnt lead a client to succes, but help the client in getting back to the right path to recovery. We will provoke the clients' mind or pose questions which the client may like, or dislike (normally we know the constructive questions are) as we see, that most of our client who is in despair in business, actually has lost sight of the most important strategies that will rebuild the business. They know that, but kept to them and to themselves. Its good if they were to admit it, as more ideas would surface and gradually, they would see the 'light' to get out from the the tunnel named 'great mess'.

Business coaches charge per hourly basis but setting hope and tawakkal (put effort and dua) to Allah SWT, costs zero penny.