Becoming a more coachable employee is a hot topic right now. Many employees are looking for ways to ensure they are coachable to improve the value they can add to their company and reach their professional goals. With the end of the year approaching quickly, now is an excellent time to position yourself for career success in 2021. So, here is what you can do to be a more coachable employee.
What is coachability
To become a more coachable employee, you first need to understand what coachability is. Coachability is essentially being someone that is “Receptive to feedback, to receiving constructive criticism, and will use that feedback and constructive criticism to improve her or his workplace performance.”
Employees that are not coachable often deflect, fail to accept responsibility, make excuses, and, ultimately, have a bad attitude. Thus, being coachable is all about your attitude and being open-minded.
Have an open mind
If you genuinely want to become coachable, you must keep an open mind. And to do that, you must agree to be coachable. A manager or someone else you work with cannot just force you into it – you must want to be coached. That means you and your mentor or manager have to agree on what and how you will be taught. If you are forced into a coaching situation, you will likely disregard whatever they are trying to teach you. It has to be sincere from both parties if you want to be a more coachable employee.
Step outside your comfort zone
To be coachable is to be willing to be uncomfortable at times. If you really want to pursue a goal or learn something new, you must be ready to step outside your comfort zone. Learning something new isn’t supposed to be easy or comfortable, and you must be willing to push yourself to become more coachable.
Actor Dan Stevens sums this up really well: “The comfort zone is the great enemy to creativity; moving beyond it necessitates intuition, which in turn configures new perspectives and conquers fears.”
Therefore, if you are serious about being a more coachable employee and growing as a professional, you must be willing to leave that bubble of comfort and strive for greatness.
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