COACHING
IS EVERYONE
COACHABLE ?
IS EVERY SKILL
COACHABLE ?
BY SHAWN HUNTER
Given today ’ s evolving workplace , those who want to improve will have a slight edge . No questions asked . This is not only because they want to get better at their jobs , but also because they care about the impact they can cause . This is why they can be coachable to facilitate their growth , their communication , and their professionalism .
Coaching is great but not everything can be coached . At the end of the day , someone ’ s personality can ’ t be changed instantly after a coaching session . However , with consistent coaching , someone can learn to understand and adapt to improve their skills . This happens because the biggest area for coaching is the behavior . This is what people see , hear and observe .
Coaching is not a magic wand that can immediately transform a person . But coaching can change mindsets , perspectives and behaviors .
" WITH CONSISTENT COACHING , SOMEONE CAN LEARN TO UNDERSTAND AND ADAPT TO IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS ."
It can facilitate the process of growth and change , helping people be better communicators , professionals and teammates . The question is , who is coachable ? With the exception of those who don ’ t want to do the work or show no signs of improvement or progress , mostly everyone can benefit from coaching . And the next question is , what is coachable ? Well , not everything . Some parts of every person are harder to change than others . And as a coach , you need to understand where you can make a difference .
Let ’ s say you ’ re someone who values accountability and you work hard to complete projects and keep promises and stay on time . But there are others in your workgroup who don ’ t follow through and this really bugs you . Well it makes you angry and it takes the fun out of working , and you may feel uncomfortable confronting others .
You would like to do something to change the situation , so you decide to ask for a little coaching . Now , a skillful coach will not try to fix the situation for you , coaching managers know that the best results occur when people discover their own answers and their own solutions . A good coach will not try to change your values either . Values are deep-seated and unlikely to respond to change , even under stress . You can ’ t be coached out of being an accountable person , but coaching can help you manage your emotions , better understand others , and adopt some new behaviors .
Think of yourself like a bullseye target with the center ring being your DNA , the values that you adopt early in life . And as you go out in the world you discover your style , your personality . We ’ ll call that the middle ring of the bullseye . Your personality won ’ t change that much , but it can be modified and adapted , and understood in ways that allow you to better interact and work with others .
Coaching can help increase the awareness of who you are and what works for you . And the biggest arena for coaching is your behavior . That ’ s that outer ring . This is what people see , what people hear , what they observe . The interaction between the middle ring and the outer ring is often the key coaching opportunity . +
BY : SHAWN HUNTER
Shawn Hunter Founder & President of MindScaling Entrepreneur , author , idea developer . Shawn has collaborated with hundreds of business authors , executives , and researchers to create learning solutions . Shawn ’ s first company , Targeted Learning , was acquired by Skillsoft in February 2007 . He is the author of Out • Think and Small Acts of Leadership . Mindscaling . com and ShawnHunter . com
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