As a coach, I enjoy working with others to help them achieve their highest potential. Seeing somebody willingly put themselves in a position to bury their ego, in an attempt to better their personal and professional lives is a beautiful and transformational process to witness. In my numerous engagements with clients, I find myself asking the question of what makes a
successful coachee? I believe I have found the answers. What follows are some of my observations about successful coachees.

By successful, I am referring to the characteristics that make an individual more pliable to the benefits of a coaching engagement. This is not an
absolute or exhaustive list, but useful as a rough guide to help both coaches and coachees in getting the most out of their engagements.

1. Willingness to Be Coached
   People request coaching engagements for a multitude of reasons. However, there is one core thread that links them altogether – the person has a problem or an obstacle in their path that they need an advisor. This advisor acts as a friend, cheerleader, truth-bringer, mentor, and more to that person as such that they can make progress in a particular area. To fully realise
   the benefits of a coach’s advice, the person has to be willing to be coached. The thought that bursts into most people’s heads is if they are requesting the services of a coach, then they must be willing to get coached? This is a fair assumption but may not always be the case.
   Some coachees may cling to their egos and resist being coached, as a result of wanting to be in control. They ignore advice, disregard coaching sessions, and start to believe that they know more than the coach who is clubbed with their own expertise. Unchecked egos present a false illusion that somebody can have no faults and be great at everything all of the time.
   People are not good at everything, that is why they seek coaches or mentors to help them identify and strengthen areas where they believe they are weak in.  They understand that the coach has their best interests at heart, and as such execute on the advice provided. Coachees who are willing to be coached display humility and awareness. They deeply value their coaching sessions, because they believe that their coaches are doing the best to help them progress. Coachees who are humble enough to admit that they are not perfect at everything, are the ones who find the most value from coaching engagements. 
2. Focused on The Long Term 
   Coaching takes time and therefore participants must be willing to “Trust the process” – This quote captures the mentality of successful coachees. It tells them to do the work and trust the process; only after doing that will real results come. A long-term focus is what determines somebody’s success. People with this mindset are more willing to go through the trials and
   tribulations of the day-to-day hard work and pain involved with growth. A long-term focus can be compared to having a growth mindset. People with a growth mindset have a deep belief that their basic abilities can be developed through hard work and committed dedication.
   This mindset is inherently focused on the long-term. These individuals look at obstacles and problems as stepping stones, to developing and executing their potential. 
3. Believing That It Is Possible 
    Coachees have to believe that change or progress within a certain area is possible, to be able to make changes in their life based on the coach’s recommendations. It may not be an easy thing to do. Some coachees have become jaded about making progress in the past, and will sometimes fall into the false belief that there is something wrong with them. They believe
   that this “unique” failing may be preventing them from succeeding which to leads to self-limiting. One of the biggest hurdles for a coach is breaking down this barrier, and getting the coachee to believe that change is possible for them and they realise that it may take time, effort, and dedication. It often involves digging into the roots of the coachee’s belief system and changing it. Belief systems are the foundations through which individuals build up their self-knowledge and are able to tackle limitations. Those that are willing to re-examine and change their belief systems tend to be more successful, than coachees who do not take the time to actively try and change their belief systems.

Conclusion
It is important to find a coach, if you need to accelerate your professional or personal life. It will help make your life richer in every aspect. Meanwhile it is important that you make yourself available to be coached, to receive the necessary assistance. The three characteristics that I’ve outlined, will be invaluable to you in order to get the most out of your coaching
engagement.

By Irene Asare

About the Writer: (Seen in the picture)
Irene Asare is a Human Capital Expert, an Executive Coach and Founder/CEO – CarvinClay
People Development, a Human Resource consultancy focused on providing world-class HR
solutions for businesses and their people.
Contact Details: hello@ireneasare.com