How can you identify employees with coachable traits?

In my experience with high-performing teams, coachability is the secret ingredient: The crucial questions are not whether something is coachable but rather, is it worth coaching, and is the individual open to coaching? What sets high performers apart is their unwavering 'yes' to both these questions. It's this mindset that paves the way for continuous growth and success.

Identifying coachable traits in employees involves looking for qualities such as: Openness to Feedback: Employees who willingly accept and act on feedback. Desire to Learn: Those willing to acquire new skills and knowledge. Adaptability: Individuals who embrace change and are flexible in their approach. Curiosity: Employees who ask questions, seek insights, and are eager to understand. Self-Reflection: Those who assess their performance and proactively look for improvement areas. Resilience: Individuals who bounce back from setbacks and use them as learning opportunities. Collaboration: Employees who work well in teams and value others' perspectives. Ownership: Those who take responsibility for their actions and results.

To simplify this, there are two modes. I call this "head up work, head down work." Some types of work require "head up" - sales, communications, marketing. Some require "head down" - research, editing, analytics. Not only can tasks be categorised in this way - people also show a natural affinity to one or both. Coaching is to marry the task with the person's skills, have a team that collectively have a range of skills, then get out of their way and empower them, but so they know you're there and will support/guide/intervene as you and/or they deem necessary. Spotting that someone who you generally think of as a "head up" is not displaying those characteristics can also be a useful early warning sign that they may need more support.

In my experience everyone has coachable traits, whether they recognise this and have a need/desire to grow them is another matter. As a leader with coaching experience I can spot people that have such traits but often these are wrapped up in an uncomfortable/awkward/less that helpful external manifestation. In order to effectively coach someone, the individual needs to recognise that there is an issue/untapped potential and be willing and open to address it head on. Until this base awareness is reached then it doesn’t matter what I think I see in that employee - it just won’t happen. All I can do as an employer is create an empowering environment that hopefully makes them comfortable enough begin to see where they might grow and develop.

There is a single most important prerequisite: the willingness of the person to be coached and the desire to improve. If you try to coach someone who is not willing to change, then no amount of coaching will work. In fact, if someone doesn’t want to change, there is no approach that will work, as you cannot change someone’s behavior against their will.

One thing I've found very telling: when you give someone genuine feedback, how do they respond? The most coachable people I've worked with typically respond with curiosity — they respond with questions, rather than statements. Curious people = coachable people.

A good indicator of someone’s coachability is their willingness to take responsibility for their actions. Being open to feedback is imperative for growth.

I use the word COACHABLE to assess the level of coachability of someone C - Commitment: Are they committed to making positive changes? O - Openness: Are they open to new ideas, and perspectives? A - Accountability: Are they willing to be held accountable for their goals? C - Curiosity: Are they curious and eager to learn and grow? H - Humility: Are they humble to acknowledge areas for improvement and to seek guidance? A - Action: Are they willing to take action and implement the coaching strategies? B - Boundaries: Are they able to establish and maintain clear boundaries in the coaching areas? L - Listen: Are they active listeners, receptive to feedback? E - Empathy: Are they empathetic towards themselves and others?

In a team, some situations arise wherein some team members, though juniors, stand out due to certain qualities like taking responsibility, planning, creativity, adaptability, collaborations etc. Such team members can be identified, shortlisted and further assessed to coach them into the leadership roles.

Assessing coachability should be done through personality assessments. Higher curiosity, ambition, interpersonal sensitivity, and openness to experience are key facets of a person who's receptive to coaching. Conversely, lower narcissism, volatility, and impulsivity are also linked to higher coachability. It’s a paradox that often the most coachable individuals are those who least need it—they're already on the right path and absorb coaching effectively. Meanwhile, those who might benefit the most from coaching can be resistant to it. Recognizing these facets allows for better-targeted coaching strategies, improving the chances of personal and professional growth for all employees.

The worst thing one can do is to force someone to be coached. Understand where their mind is in terms of mentorship or coaching.

When it comes to addressing barriers to choachability, you have to answer one question for yourself: What's the purpose of your coaching efforts? Do you want to be coaching for the sake of coaching? Or do you want your choachee to learn and develop? In the latter case, you can certainly help overcome insecurity or fear. But complacency or resistance are different. If someone does not want to evolve, that's ultimately their very own decision. And it can be quite painful to watch, when someone has all the potential in the world but does not want to move at all. You can see all the marvelous things they COULD achieve, but they can't. You can try to show them and open the door wide, but they have to walk through it themselves.

4 main barriers that can hinder coachability: - Responsiveness to feedback: being coachable means valuing feedback, even when it's tough to hear. It's about recognizing the gaps between how we see ourselves and how others see us. - The will to change: coachable people have this self-motivation; they genuinely want to change, which is crucial for any coaching to be effective. - Going against your nature: real change often means fighting your natural tendencies. This takes a lot of effort. Those who are coachable are prepared to put in this effort and work against their ingrained patterns of behavior. - Long-term persistence: the ability to stick with changes over the long haul sets coachable individuals apart.

To break down barriers to coachability, start with trust ??. Engage in open dialogues where employees can voice concerns without fear of repercussion. Make it clear that mistakes are part of the growth process. Recognize small wins ?? to build confidence, and frame feedback in a constructive, forward-looking manner. Empower them with resources and autonomy to take charge of their development. A culture of growth is nurtured one conversation at a time.

Do not provide feedback unless they ask for it, as that is a symptom of whether they trust you. Then, ask which area they want to improve, as any other feedback will neither be considered nor applied.

A coachee is responsible for their developmental growth and a coach facilitates the growth process in partnership with the coachee. Everyone has the capacity to be coachable in their own time. The process is not one that can be rushed and success is measured by the coachee, not by others.

If you want coachable skills in your team, start smart—hire people who’ve already got them. It’s that simple. Choose the ones who don’t just take feedback but chase it down. Find those who don’t just handle change; they’re hungry for it. Get the self-starters who are all about getting better every single day. Don’t waste time and energy trying to fix people later. Prevention is the best cure.

Identificar indivíduos "coachable" é fundamental para o desenvolvimento da equipe. ?? Perspectiva: Funcionários "coachable" s?o adaptáveis e abertos ao aprendizado, tornando-se assets valiosos. ?? Receptividade ao Feedback ??: Observe quem aceita críticas construtivas sem resistência e age sobre elas. Curiosidade e Perguntas ??: Aqueles que buscam feedback ativamente e fazem perguntas mostram desejo de crescer. Adapta??o e Crescimento ??: Monitore a evolu??o após treinamentos. Aqueles que aplicam novos aprendizados rapidamente s?o altamente "coachable". Reconhecer esses tra?os permite investimentos certeiros em desenvolvimento! ???? Um grande #AbracoDe20Segundos ??

A challenging part about developing soft skills is in creating SMART goals around these professional traits as they can be difficult to measure or track. A helpful strategy could be for the coach and coachee to discuss how a select skill will be deployed in different situations and have the coachee reflect on their experience/performance following that situation.

This is an interesting topic - developing trust is key to help someone develop a "coachable" mindset. Once you develop trust, share your stories - how being coached helps. You don't need to slap on the word "coach" to coach someone - you can help them with whatever they may need.

Be sure to check in on how your coaching is being received - and model active listening by acting on the feedback. You can talk about a culture of continuous improvement and growth mindset and active feedback until your red in the face, but if you don’t demonstrate your commitment to those principles in your relationship with your reports, you’ll have a hard time building the trust necessary for effective coaching.

Das COACH Modell hat sich in der Coaching-Praxis immer wieder als wertvoll erwiesen. Dabei folgt der Coaching Prozess einer klaren Struktur. Von der Herstellung eines guten Kontakts zum Coachee (Contact), über die Identifikation der Fragestellung (Orientation) und die Analyse s?mtlicher relevater Informationen zum Problem (Analysis), bis zur Erarbeitung konkreter Handlungsstrategien (Change) und einem motivierenden Abschluss (Harbour). Der Coach steuert dabei den Prozess und leitet den Coachee von einer Phase zur n?chsten. Der Inhalt kommt dagegen vom Coachee.

In my experience, everyone's learning curve is different. People with a positive attitude and a growth mindset are more likely to be coachable. They see challenges as opportunities for growth and are open to continuous improvement.

I like using coaching models but don't necessarily rely on these as, after a while, these may come across as box-ticking exercises (especially if done on specific dates/times). Coaching is a live event which must be delivered through numerous channels on the spot, publicly, individually, through 1:2:1's, etc. Being consistent with this is important. You're either invested in the individual or not, no halfway.

After identifying and nurturing coachable traits in your employees, it's imperative to maintain ongoing coaching to support their goal attainment and capability enhancement. Coaching is an ongoing process, necessitating consistent communication, feedback, and follow-up. Employing structured coaching models like GROW, SMART, or COACH can help organize coaching sessions, ensuring they are both effective and impactful. This continual approach reinforces learning and development, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

You can get feedback in real-time, at the end of the coaching moment, to understand what resonated and then define how you might measure the outcome or success of the employee's commitments. You can also use increase in performance ratings, employee engagement surveys, and business outcomes as aggregate ways of how coaching is helping achieve business outcomes.

Evaluating coaching outcomes necessitates a blend of quantitative and qualitative analysis. It's crucial to measure tangible improvements while also capturing the personal experiences and narratives of the coached employees. In my experience, this multi-faceted evaluation not only assesses the effectiveness of the coaching provided but also sheds light on areas of improvement, ensuring that the coaching process remains a dynamic and beneficial endeavor for both the leader and the employees involved. This evaluative step is crucial in refining the coaching approach, ensuring it remains aligned with the evolving needs and goals of the employees and the organization.

Measure progress and celebrate improvements, no matter how small. It's like tracking fitness goals – every step forward deserves recognition.

Foster Peer Coaching: Encourage employees to coach each other. This not only helps in reinforcing learning but also builds a collaborative culture where employees feel invested in each other's growth. Create Coaching Opportunities: Assign projects that naturally embed learning and coaching opportunities. For example, cross-functional projects can expose employees to new areas and encourage them to seek and give coaching. Set a Top-Down Example: Leaders should model coachability by seeking feedback on their own performance and showing a commitment to personal growth. When leaders are coachable, they set a cultural tone that permeates the organization.

Identifying employees with coachable traits is crucial for developing a growth-focused workplace. Here's one critical indicator to help you spot such individuals. Coachable employees are Team Players. They work effectively within teams and seek collaborative solutions. This collaborative spirit extends to how they approach coaching, viewing it as a group effort to improve the organization.

A few years back, I pinged one of my young team members, “Hey, can we have a working session to create a proposal that I need to present tomorrow?” “We can do it at 11 pm”, he said “Can it be a little earlier?”, I asked “Sorry, I can join only at 11 pm” We started working and I was feeling sleepy around midnight “Can you coach me on how you manage to work all through the night”, I asked him “Drink a glass of hot milk. Walk for 5 minutes and you will be awake all night”, he said I followed his advise and we completed the task around 2 am The next day, I thanked him for helping me to be awake “You are very coachable”, he said “Tell me more”, I probed “You asked me for help. That means you are coachable” Bang!!! I got the answer.

To identify employees with coachable traits, follow these steps: Define Coachability: Specify desired traits and behaviors. Assess Current Coachability: Evaluate employees against defined criteria. Address Barriers: Identify and remove obstacles to coachability. Develop Coachable Skills: Provide training for traits like active listening. Ongoing Coaching: Continuously offer feedback and support. Evaluate Outcomes: Measure improvements in coachability and performance. These steps enable the identification and nurturing of coachable traits, promoting a culture of growth and development in the workforce.

In my experience, it's an excellent improvement to hire an external coach that works with your team members. After starting it initially within the team, you can have the experts work with your people to develop their skills.