If you’ve taking the courageous step to engage with a coach, congratulations.  Now, how could you be a great “coachee”?

From ‘Becoming Coachable: Unleashing the Power of Executive Coaching…” by Marshall Goldsmith, Jacquelyn Lane, Scott Osman and How to Get the Most Out of Coaching: A Client’s Guide for Optimizing the Coaching Experience by Karen Davis and Alex Mill here are specific tips (*spoiler alert* the secret to getting the most out of coaching is to be OPEN).

BECOMING COACHABLE IN SUMMARY

The keys to being coachable, revolve around the openness framework, which consists of four tenets that are essential for a leader to truly benefit from the coaching process:

1. Open to Change:Being coachable requires a willingness to embrace change. This means recognizing that even if you are successful, there is always room for improvement and being ready to make the necessary adjustments to your behavior and mindset.
2. Open to Feedback:Feedback is a critical component of the coaching process. Being open to feedback involves actively listening to what others have to say about your performance and behavior, considering it thoughtfully, and using it as a basis for change.
3. Open to Action:Coachability also means being prepared to take action. It’s not enough to simply agree with feedback or acknowledge the need for change; you must be willing to put in the effort and take the steps required to make those changes happen.
4. Open to Accountability:Finally, being coachable means holding yourself accountable for your actions and commitments. It involves setting goals, tracking progress, and being honest with yourself and your coach about your efforts and outcomes.

This requires a commitment to the coaching process and a focus on the future, which are instrumental in unlocking success.

Specific tips include:

• Ground Rules: review the coaching agreement set out in the beginning of an engagement and do your part. Discuss anything that unclear with your coach.

• Scheduling: show up to sessions on time – prioritize them when things get hectic (versus being quick to reschedule when something else comes up).

• Sessions: make the most out of your session time by avoiding the most common coaching derailers:
  1. Not being prepared
  2. Avoiding the real issue
  3. Focusing on others
  4. Having bottomless issues
  5. Telling unnecessary stories
  6. Being on the edge of your own story (not really talking about your experience of, or role in the story)
  7. Being distracted during your sessions

• Integrations: block time before your session to do whatever you need to get into the right headspace. After your sessions, save time to reflect on what you learned and reserving time to take the actions.

• Organization: Take notes on your goals, progress, discovers and action from your coaching sessions. Come to the sessions with a list of your highest-value challenge.

• Action: Co-creating specific and measurable goals with your coach on what to do between sessions and follow through with the necessary actions.

• Attitude: Be optimistic about change and willing to accept guidance. When your coach suggests ideas that are new to you, remain open to experimenting and testing.  Catch yourself whenever you start to take things personally.

The bottom line is that coaching is a privilege and like many endeavors in life, you’ll get out of a coaching relationship what you put into it.