In a perfect world, good coaching would lead to good results.
Every great sporting coach would lead his team to a championship, and every great executive coach would turn out world-class leaders. In the real world, however, no matter how talented a coach may be, the result of any coaching effort depends in large part on the coached. “My favourite example is Australian football,” said Mr George Sawiris, founder and principal consultant of 363 CORE Learning.
"They say for every ten top-class athletes, defined in terms of their physical abilities, only about one makes it. The difference is that they're coachable. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you won't listen to coaching and demonstrate true grit you're not in the game.” - George Sawiris
So What?
The good news is that the “uncoachables” are easier than you think to spot.
How do you know when someone is uncoachable?
How do you detect a lost cause?
Now What?
The idea at work...Here are 8 indicators to tell you if someone is coachable or a lost cause -
1. Can they keep their cool under pressure?
When you confront them with bad news, do they keep their cool, or do they act excitable, explosive, defensive or paranoid? “People who are cool-headed are much more able to take feedback on board,” said George.
2. Do they accept responsibility?
Do they distort reality in their favour, or do they accept their mistake? People who distort reality in their favour of course have the advantage that they may think of themself as smart. They don't assume any responsibility. People who are more accepting, they are more coachable because they would not just listen, but also actually assume responsibility for what happens.
3. Are they responsive to feedback during a critical conversation?
Some people have the mental strength (or true grit) and are responsive to feedback, while others resist, deny wrongdoing, or pretend to comply while remaining privately resentful. Being responsive to feedback makes a person easy to coach. A person who resents negative feedback will most likely continue their bad habits no matter how many times they’re corrected.
4. Are they willing to make the crucial changes?
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Change is really hard, so if there’s not willingness on the part of the coached, there is unlikely to be any real progress.
5. Doesn’t think they have a problem.
This successful adult has no interest in changing. Their behaviour is working fine for them. If they don’t care to change, you are wasting your time! Let me give you an example of a nice woman who didn’t think she had a problem. My sister in-law, a lovely woman and much-admired school teacher, was so dedicated to her craft that she didn’t draw the line between inside and outside the classroom. She talked to all of us, including my father, in the same slow, patient manner, using the same simple vocabulary that she used with her seven-year-olds every day. One day as she graciously and methodically corrected his grammar for the millionth time, he looked at her, sighed, and said, “Honey, I’m 70 years old. Let it go.” My father had absolutely no interest in changing. He didn’t perceive a problem. So no matter how much, how hard, or how diligently she coached, he wasn’t going to change.
6. Are they pursuing the wrong strategy for the organisation?
If this guy is already going in the wrong direction, all you’re going to do with your coaching is help him get there faster.
7. Are they in the wrong job?
Sometimes people feel that they’re in the wrong job with the wrong company. They may believe they’re meant to be doing something else or that their skills are being misused. Here’s a good way to determine if you’re working with one of these people. Ask them, “If we shut down the company today, would you be relieved, surprised, or sad?” If you hear ‘relieved,’ you’ve got yourself a live one. Send them packing. You can’t change the behaviour of unhappy people so that they become happy: You can only fix behaviour that’s making people around them unhappy.
8. Do they think everyone else is the problem?
A long time ago I had a client who, after a few high-profile employee departures, was concerned about employee morale. He had a fun, successful company and people liked the work, but feedback said that the boss played favourites in the way he compensated people. When I reported this feedback to my client, he completely surprised me. He said he agreed with the charge and thought he was right to do so. First off, I’m not a compensation strategist and so I wasn’t equipped to deal with this problem, but then he surprised me again. He hadn’t called me to help him change; he wanted me to fix his employees. It’s times like these that I find the nearest exit. It’s hard to help people who don’t think they have a problem. It’s impossible to fix people who think someone else is the problem.
Even if you are the best coach in the world, if the person you are coaching shouldn’t be coached, the coaching isn’t going to work. My suggestion in cases like these… Save time, skip the heroic measures, and move on. These are arguments you can’t ever win.
Have you ever tried to coach someone who was “uncoachable”?
Send me your comments. I’d love to read them! - George K Sawiris AFAMI
Recommended: Do It.
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