How do you know if you are coachable?
Can you tell if you are a coachable person? Do coachable people really do better at work and in business?
Here is something to consider. Even the best athletes and top executives in the world benefit from coaching, whether formally or informally. Being coachable is a sign of confidence in one’s ability to consistently grow in ways that matter professionally and personally.
Here are the top traits of a coachable person:
• Thirst for lifelong learning and inquisitive nature
• Innate belief that you don’t have all the answers • Commitment to listening deeply to peers, leaders, mentors, and customers • Humility to admit and address mistakes
• Bias to taking meaningful action on top priorities • Discernment to know the top priorities
Benefits of Being Coachable
It begins with being employable. A smart interviewer or hiring manager can recognize an attitude of being coachable, coupled with the willingness to take on responsibility. Recent graduates will find the path to their first job goes more smoothly when they can demonstrate this attitude.
From there, coachable people find that they are promotable because they act on constructive and challenging feedback. Oftentimes, they become leadership material. Even the best leaders find that being coachable can help them become even better leaders, inspiring employees to be more engaged and productive.
Seek Advice from People You Admire
Ask yourself how top athletes view their career and the outside advice they receive regularly from their coach. The savviest elite athletes take a CEO view of their career. That is, they are in charge of making smart, strategic decisions about managing their physical talents and hence, their career. They look to their coach, or coaches, to leverage their strengths, ensure longevity, and help address blind spots.
All the great advice in the world from a cadre of smart coaches is for nothing if the athlete ( or professional) fails to listen and take constructive action.
As the legendary UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden famously said: “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
What You Can Learn from Weaknesses
Whether you are just starting out, or are the leader in charge, you may be familiar with this interview question: “What is your greatest weakness?”
I believe the interviewer is looking for three things when they ask this question: 1. Self- awareness ( Do you accept feedback?)
2. Responsibility ( Do you act on feedback?)
3. Progress ( What improvements have you made? This is evidence that you are coachable.)
The coachable person listens, reflects and takes action judiciously. That is, they sift through feedback for the best nuggets. Next, they make intelligent decisions about what matters in the long- term. Coachable people consistently ask themselves which improvements will net the greatest gains.
A final thought for you to consider: Be gentle with yourself and focus on excellence, instead of perfection. That way, you can enjoy the journey and the rewards along the way.
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Kathleen Winsor- Games is the VP of Organizational Excellence for Achievement Dynamics in Denver, Colorado. She helps business owners and leaders build world- class cultures and teams. Call 303- 331- 3401 or email to kathleen. winsor- games@ sandler. com.