A typical hurdle my clients face at the beginning of our coaching engagements is having to acknowledge that all their experience, skills, abilities, and knowledge accumulated thus far only reflect their past.
There is usually trepidation when I direct them to look ahead, to their professional future, to higher goals, to new objectives. There is usually hesitancy. Many times, a blank stare takes over their face.
It seems as if the self-assurance, the confidence, the bravado they exhibited when listing their accomplishments, experience, and professional standing, just dissipates into thin air, replaced by the trepidation I mentioned before.
That is the sweet spot when coachability can be determined when a professional sees the limiting value of their “past” experiences and begins to contemplate the potential in acquiring new knowledge, experiences, abilities, skills, and a new future.
When a professional individual acknowledges the limitations of past experiences, recognizes the potential and value of new learnings, and takes the plunge into a sea of possibilities and opportunities, it is a critical and important step that they are taking.
When Michael Jordan was asked what his best ability was, he replied:
“I was coachable. I was a sponge and aggressive to learn.”
In the title of my book CoachAbility, I ask the question:
“Are you in the state or condition to be coached?”
What would be your answer?