In our book, How to Get the Most Out of Coaching, A Client’s Guide for Optimizing the Coaching Experience, we dedicate an entire chapter to what it means to be coachable and how you can become more coachable in your coaching sessions. Coachability is a set of traits and habits that enable you to achieve your goals and overcome challenges much faster.
Here are the top 10 traits we’ve found for successful coachability:
1. Action Oriented – The people who gain the most from coaching are those with a growth mindset that fuels them to take immediate action.
2. Willingness to Accept Guidance – If you give new ideas a chance, you might be surprised at how impactful they could be in your life.
3. Openness to Experimentation and Testing – The people who get the most out of coaching are open to diving in and trying new things to see what works.
4. Self-Awareness – Truly understanding yourself and your behavior patterns allows you to see how your thoughts, words, and actions affect the people around you.
5. Strong Opinions – Take a stand for what you believe. If you disagree with a recommendation, let your coach know that the suggestion just isn’t resonating with you.
6. Curiosity – Having an interest in learning and trying new things translates well to coaching, as it gives you room for new ideas.
7. Optimism – If you can keep an optimistic outlook, you’ll be better able to sustain your happiness while you work toward your goals.
8. Sense of Humor – Don’t be afraid to poke fun at yourself, joke with your coach, or take a jovial approach to your sessions.
9. Integrity – Be your word. Do what you say you’ll do. If you make a mistake or have a part in creating a messy situation, step up to fix things.
10. Commitment to the Process – If you really want coaching to change your life, committing to the process—and your action items—is essential.
You may not have all of these characteristics from the get-go. That’s okay, your coach will work with you on developing these traits and habits during your coaching. But it’s good to understand what will enhance your ability to become more coachable—so the work you put in will work.
The purpose of coaching is to assist you in making important transformations in your life. If you aren’t willing to accept guidance, take action, commit, and employ the other coachability traits highlighted here, you will continue on your default path, rather than your chosen path. That’s why it’s so important to focus on enhancing these traits over time. Start by leaning on your strengths. As you work with your coach, you will see more of these skills emerge in the way you think and show up.
FREE SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL:
Sign-up below for our self-assessment tool for measuring your coachability before and during your coaching engagement. Set aside 30 minutes of your time to reap the benefits of this exercise, and you will show up more powerfully for your sessions.
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