Are You Coachable? By Michael Rutherford

Are you coachable?
by Michael Rutherford, 2003

Over the past 30 days I have had the occasion to run into some former students. While I pride myself on a high success rate, these two individuals are pulling down my statistics! Both of these students failed miserably under my tutelage.

In my early years I took student failure very personally. It had to be my fault. I knew how to go from A to B. I just didn't communicate the recipe successfully.

After years of seasoning, I realized that in several cases it was not my fault. Certain folks are simply not coachable. They talk a good game about improvements or change but they are simply not committed to the coaching process.

Are you coachable? Do you have the commitment it takes to maximize your coaching experience? The quiz below developed by Robert Kiyosaki will shed some light on your potential for accepting coaching. If you fail this test you might need to retrench before investing in the coaching process.

Answer "yes" or "no" to these 10 statements if you're thinking about getting a coach:

1. I am willing to make the coaching process an investment in myself. I view it as a long-term approach to creating changes in my life. I am not looking for a quick fix.

2. I am ready to do the work necessary to get me where I want to be, and I will let the coach do the coaching.

3. I am willing to change any self-defeating behaviors that are creating a barrier to my success.

4. I accept responsibility for my actions and will not expect the coach to "fix" me, because I know I'm the only one who can make it happen.

5. I have adequate funds to pay for coaching and will not regret the investment. I view coaching as a worthwhile investment in me, not an expense, and I will not allow finances to be a barrier to coaching.

6. I am willing and able to be completely truthful with my coach, and I'm ready to hear the truth from my coach even if it is uncomfortable at first.

7. Coaching is the appropriate process for the changes I want to make.

8. I am able to commit the time needed to make and keep scheduled coaching sessions and to do the field work that my coach asks of me.

9. I'm open to trying new things when my coach asks me, even if they aren't completely comfortable or I'm not convinced they will make a difference.

10. This is the right time in my life for me to accept coaching.

Now score yourself: If you answered "no" to two or more questions, you will need to make some adjustments, either in your lifestyle or in your expectations of coaching, before coaching will be fully effective.

Michael Rutherford (a.k.a. Coach Rut) has over a quarter century of fitness coaching experience. His experiences include working with competitors from the ranks of international, Olympic, collegiate, high school, middle school and elementary school aged athletes. Coach Rut has also worked in hospital wellness environments and rehabilitation clinics. His website is Boot Camp Fitness.