How Coachable Are You?

Who, exactly, seeks out a coach? . . . Winners who want even more out of life—Chicago Tribune

In this era of job insecurity, you may consider hiring a coach. Is the investment in coaching worth it? More to the point, how coachable are you, specifically?

What is coaching?

Coaching

is a professional service to help individuals achieve their personal or professional goals and objectives.
is a collaborative partnership built on taking action.
Provides clients with feedback, insight and guidance from a third-party objective perspective.

What a coach isn’t

A coach is not a therapist or mental health professional and does not provide mental health services.
A coach may be friendly, but their role is not to provide emotional support or coddle their clients. A coach will expect clients to seek their own personal support by relying on friends, family and their own inner strength.

When to reach out to a coach?

People hire a coach when

they are making a career transition.
starting a new business.
feeling dissatisfied or seeking personal and professional breakthroughs.

Coaches help their clients grow, learn, improve, or achieve their peak performance, personally and professionally.

Are you coachable?

Working with a coach takes commitment from you and your coach. Take a moment to consider if now is the right time. Here are some questions to ask yourself if you are considering hiring a coach.

Coachable

I am open to listening to feedback.
I am able to receive constructive criticism without taking it personally.
I am willing to objectively evaluate at my current and past performance in order to improve it.
I am ready to improve my personal/professional life
I have the time and want to invest it in myself.
I am willing to keep an open mind to new concepts even when I am not sure they will work.
I have the financial resources available to hire a coach and see coaching as a worthwhile investment in my life.
I am willing to do the work suggested by the coach.
Now is the right time for me to work with a coach. I am open to change.
I am willing to take responsibility for the results of my efforts or lack of effort.

If the answer is yes to these, you are ready for a coach! For even more clarity, review the list below of traits that are not coachable to see if you fit in any of them.

Not coachable

I always have to be right.
I am reluctant to learn new things.
I am often resistant to change.
I tend to see the glass as half-empty.
I am skeptical that new ideas and processes will work.
I have difficulty self-reflecting.
I am not sure I want to change my life or my relationships.
I find it is hard for me to respect others and their opinions when they are different from my own.
I am not fully committed to stepping outside my comfort zone or struggling if that’s what takes to improve.
I have a tendency to put other people down.

What if you’re “not coachable”?

Suppose you’re interested in coaching but your coachability self-assessment implies you’ll have some challenges based on your coachability? An HBR article on emotional intelligence and coachability admits “Clients with better people skills, more empathy, and greater self-awareness are better equipped to improve.” Yet it adds, “If you are sensitive to criticism, insecure, and worry about failure … you should be more willing to change.”

Ready to move forward?

It’s important to understand exactly what you’re getting into when you hire a career coach. First, know the distinctions and functions of a career coach. Next, be honest with yourself about your openness to coaching. Finally, find a coach that fits you best. You are investing in yourself and your career, and it’s important to have someone by your side who you trust and feel confident in their ability to guide you in your individual growth and success.

Career & Executive Coaching

Wherever you are in your career, whatever you’d like to explore, as your career partner, we’ll discover a new path forward for you. Let’s get started with a free 15-minute discovery session.

Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right—Henry Ford

Connie Dorigan, Founder and Director of Recruiting, sees the food processing industry as the link between good living and good people. As the West Coast’s most experienced and trusted food processing recruiter, she also provides Executive and Career coaching and lots of free job search tools. Once you’ve connected with Connie, you’ll always be connected. For more information please visit her website at www.dorigan.com or call 503-635-8565.

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