Why Should You Care About Coachability?

One of the only things I’ve learned for certain in my thirty-ish years of life? Being a functional, working adult is… not easy. Just when I think I have something figured out, another curveball comes my way. New job? Great! Time to learn a bunch of new systems and figure out the precise series of buttons to push to make the ancient printer work. Promotion? Amazing! But now you're managing people, several of whom you’ve never met before. Feeling confident in your role? Fantastic! Here’s a brand new structure for your team. 

Turns out my mom was right – the only constant in life is change. This is definitely true in the workplace; most of us work in dynamic, fast-paced industries where the environment is always evolving. In fact, 77% of HR practitioners and leaders report their organization remains in a constant state of change (International Coaching Federation 2019), with goals, priorities, and strategies continuously shifting.

To navigate these ever-changing waters, I’ve learned it’s crucial to develop my coachability. 

You may ask: why should I care? What exactly are the benefits of coachability? Don’t take my word for it– read on to find out what researchers have to say. 

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Highly coachable professionals are more competitive in a dynamic marketplace 

Agility and adaptability refer to an employee’s ability to anticipate change in the current environment and then respond quickly and appropriately when change occurs. Our recent peer-reviewed research indicates highly coachable individuals are 28% more agile and adaptable when compared to those with lower levels of coachability. 

Specifically, highly coachable employees are more effective at:

• Anticipating changes in the environment 
• Taking on new tasks and strategies
• Learning new processes and systems
• Learning about and working with new colleagues 
• Performing when faced with obstacles and the need to pivot quickly

This skill set means that highly coachable employees typically adjust better and faster to company expansions, change management initiatives, and mergers and acquisitions. This heightened ability to handle lots of moving parts gives highly coachable people a significant advantage over less coachable competitors, particularly in industries where volatility and constant change is part of day-to-day operation. 

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High levels of coachability improve performance and promotability 

Coachability fuels progress toward your professional goals. A 2013 study suggests that highly coachable employees achieve greater sales and job performance. In fact, our study found that highly coachable people perform at a 10% higher level and are perceived as 30% more promotable than their less coachable peers. 

In a world where it can be difficult to differentiate yourself from the pack, developing your coachability is proven to help you stand out. This was true for Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo, who believes her willingness to act on advice played a significant role in her career success. 

“I think back with great warmth and gratitude to all my mentors, because without them I wouldn't be where I am,” Nooyi stated in a 2022 LinkedIn interview.  “Mentors in India, mentors here in the United States… They just reached out and they decided to promote me, push me, critique me constructively, help me. And before I knew it, I was moving from job to job to job… But these mentors made me. Without them, I would be stuck in some middle level job without any upward movement at all.”

For Nooyi, her meteoric rise was possible because she was open to coaching. 

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Develop Your Coachability with CCI

So, even though it’s hard out here trying to be successful grown-ups, the good news is that we’re not alone! 

Coachability Consultants can help you elevate your coachability, and that elevated coachability will help you find your way up the ranks of the working world. 

To learn more about why coachability matters, read more on our blog or sign up for our newsletter. To learn more about how to increase coachability within yourself or your organization, explore the services we offer or contact us directly.

We look forward to getting in touch and getting you started on your coachability journey.

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Sources:

International Coaching Federation. (2023b, December 12). 2023 ICF Defining New Coaching Cultures – Final Report. International Coaching Federation. https://coachingfederation.org/research/building-a-coaching-culture

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Weiss, J. A., & Merrigan, M. (2021, February 1). Employee coachability: New insights to increase employee adaptability, performance, and promotability in organizations. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring. https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/items/0fe54ff4-6d2a-40a2-bedd-28ce117595d8/1/

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Shannahan, K. L. J., Bush, A. J., & Shannahan, R. J. (2013). Are your salespeople coachable? How salesperson coachability, trait competitiveness, and transformational leadership enhance sales performance. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 41(1), 40–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-012-0302-9

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Rometty, G. (2022, July 26). 3-in-3 with Indra Nooyi: Lessons learned on family and mentors. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/3-in-3-indra-nooyi-lessons-learned-family-mentors-ginni-rometty-1e/

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