Are you sure you’re coach able? You may want to think again! At the end of this blog, I’ve included an evaluator to use to see if you have good coaching potential. I don’t want to waste your time or money–and a coach’s expertise–on a partnership that won’t work!
I’ve been coached and have been a coach most of my life (first music, then real estate). But, I don’t believe that all people can benefit from coaching. Most managers and coaches will tell you everyone needs a coach. After all, no great performers move past their ‘ceilings of achievement’ without a coach. I certainly know that as a pianist.
But, not everyone can benefit from a coach. Why? Because some people aren’t very ‘coach able’. Another way to say it is that they aren’t ready to be coached. So, before you waste your money on coaching (yes, I’m willing to say it!), let’s explore what it takes to benefit from coaching.
What It Takes to be Coach able
There are 15 questions on the coach ability evaluator, available at the end of this blog. But, in this blog and the next are 3 attributes I believe you need if you are to get the very most from any coaching experience.
How Strong is your ‘Why’?
Why do you want to be coached? How motivated are you to break through your ‘ceiling of achievement’? Why is that important? Because your coach can’t provide you with the all the ‘fire in the belly’ you’ll need to keep on keeping on (although many coaching clients expect their coach to find a motivation that’s not there…..).
How the Motivation Works
Let’s look at how motivation works. First, you have an unrealized discontent. Maybe you have been schlepping along at 5, 10, or maybe even 30 transactions a year. But, at some level, you realize you are working way beneath your potential (step #1). So, you start looking at others who started in the business about the same time as you (#2). You see they are attaining more results faster. Then, you start looking around for a coach (#3). You take a big breath, take out your checkbook, and start working with a coach (#4). It’s not easy. It means doing things you have avoided doing, changing beliefs, expanding your horizons—and just plain working hard. But, it’s worth it, because you’re seeing results (#5).
I just took myself through the motivational cycle. For years, I’ve tried to lose weight. But, I just didn’t have that ‘fire in the belly’. For some strange reason, this time, though, I found it! In February, I paid lots of money to a weight-loss program (yes, I believe that if you have appreciable ‘skin in the game’ you’re more likely to stick with it). At the same time I hired a personal trainer. Talk about baptism by fire! But, the combination of my own motivation and the environment that I placed myself in has attributed to my continued motivation—and I’ve lost 40 pounds (and have about 15 to go, but, it’s kind of a piece of cake (woops) now.
My question to you: How motivated are you? Is the environment you are in motivating to you? Challenging? Encouraging?
Want to see you will benefit from coaching==and be a good coaching client? Click here to grab my Coach Ability evaluator. In my next post, we’ll explore 2 more big determinants of coach ability.
