GAMA International Journal Jul-Aug 2013 - 135

t h e lot t sp ot

Are You Coachable?
John Behn is the national director of branch office development
at Securities America, where he leads a team of regional directors
in their efforts to recruit branch offices and advisors to the brokerdealer. Before joining Securities America, John was senior vice
president with Transamerica Agency Network, responsible for its
independent distribution channel. John can be reached at jbehn@
saionline.com.

become better through
the help of others.”

Whenever I meet with the people I lead, I ask them if they think
they are coachable. It is a simple reminder to be open to improvement. As my friend Greg
Jensen, a successful New York Life managing partner, says, “You either get better or you
get worse; you never stay the same.”
But it is even more important that leaders heed the same advice. You must lead by
example. Nobody will ever follow (or respect) someone who lives by the motto “Do as I
say, and not as I do.”
Refer to the list and tables below before every coaching opportunity with your sales
folks. It sets the tone that no topic of discussion is out of bounds in coaching. There are
some people out there who are simply “uncoachable.” There are many factors that can
contribute to “uncoachability.” A few of the most significant ones are listed.
I am uncoachable because:
■
■
■

I do not want to change.
I do not believe that I need to change.
I think I know more than the coach.

■
■
■

I always need to be in control.
I do not like to be challenged.
I am not open to feedback.

Being coachable is about being open to all possibilities and being willing to challenge
yourself to become better. Individuals who are coachable are committed to their own
development. They are hungry for feedback and seek it out from others. They are open to
trying anything that may help them improve.
Life is full of choices. We either get better or we get worse. Make the decision to
become better though the help of others. Coachability is the extent that we hear and utilize
outside input and influence. To produce breakthroughs, we need to be coachable.
Factors That Make You coachable

Factors That Make You uncoachable

all about lott
LoTT, GAMA International’s
Leaders of Today and
Tomorrow program, is
designed to enhance the
career development and
networking opportunities
of field leaders who are
40 and under or have
fewer than five years of
management experience.
To learn more, email lott@
gamaweb.com.

Not listening, and erecting an invisible
barrier when others offer feedback

■

Not getting defensive when people
offer alternatives or disagree

■

Getting defensive and thinking you
are always right

■

Inviting and appreciating feedback,
even if it’s critical

■

Doing all your own thinking, with the
attitude that only the weak ask for
input

■

Asking peers, team members,
managers, and others to offer
coaching — seeking it out

■

Showing a lack of interest in being
coached

■

Being neither aware of, nor willing to
talk about, your possible weaknesses

Thinking about processes and
considering using ideas we get from
others

■

Interpreting suggestions as criticism
and taking everything personally

Staying on a learning curve and
constantly challenging yourself

■

Knowing your strengths and your
weaknesses

■

j u ly / au g u s t 2 0 13

135

John Behn

“Make the decision to

GAMA International Journal Jul-Aug 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GAMA International Journal Jul-Aug 2013