Are You Coachable?

It’s international coaching week and a great to time to consider working with a coach to empower you on your career and life journey.

Savvy coaches offer a free Discovery or Chemistry call to determine if the coach/client relationship is a good fit. It’s important for the coach to ascertain if a client is ready and willing to engage in the coaching process and devote the time, energy, and open mindset to approach the work. The prospective client must also determine if they can develop trust with their coach and if the relationship creates a psychologically safe space for challenge, growth, and development.

As a Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered certified coach, I am grateful for the community of global coaches who share resources and insight to keep my coaching impactful and cutting edge.

Brandon Mergard serves as the CEO of Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching and wrote a great piece with questions coaches should ask prospective clients to determine if they are coachable.

Whether you are a coach, or a person considering hiring a coach, these thought-provoking questions will help you navigate the coaching journey.

1. Are you open to receiving feedback, even when it is challenging to hear? This question gauges openness to receive and action feedback, a critical component of coachability.

2. Can you provide an example of a time when you acted on constructive criticism? This seeks demonstrable evidence of past behavior where feedback led to positive change.

3. How do you handle setbacks or failures? Understanding one's resilience against adversity and their capacity to learn from the friction of failure is key to coachability.

4. What are your main goals for seeking coaching, and why are they important to you? This question clarifies their motivation and commitment to the developing themselves as a leader.

5. Are you willing to experiment with new behaviors or approaches? Willingness to change and to try new things, even when it is uncomfortable, is paramount for growth.

6. How do you plan to integrate and apply what you learn in coaching to your daily work? This assesses an individual’s predisposition towards discipline in applying new skills.

7. Can you describe a situation where you had to admit you were wrong? How did you handle it? Admitting fault requires great humility, a key trait for being coachable.

8. What does accountability mean to you in the context of coaching? Accountability for action is a cornerstone of the coaching relationship and is necessary for professional growth.

9. How do you prioritize your development amidst other responsibilities? This question explores discipline and commitment to self-improvement amidst competing priorities.

10. Are you prepared to make coaching a regular part of your routine? Truly impactful coaching improves leadership skills while enhancing a leader’s ability to effectively coach their team.

These questions align with the Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching principles of courage, humility, and discipline, which are essential for a successful engagement.

Caroline Dowd-Higgins? is passionate about unlocking the art-of-the-possible in her work with individuals and organizations as a certified executive coach, a best-selling author, a dynamic speaker, and sought-after consultant. Her new book, “Your Career Advantage: Overcome Challenges to Achieve a Rewarding Work Life” is empowering people to enjoy their careers and love their lives. Caroline hosts the award winning podcast, ?Your Working Life with listeners in 34 countries. She is proud to be a certified Minority Women’s Business Enterprise. Her celebrated TEDxWOMEN talk about reframing failure is available on YouTube. Follow her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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