I’m seeing an increase in the number of people arriving at this site looking for answers on a variation on the question, who is uncoachable?

Because this is the wording that is being used in the questions and searches, for clarity I’ll stick to that language throughout this post.

I will however, highlight that the question suggests that it is not behaviour demonstrated by a person that would make them “uncoachable” but who they are as a person.

It also suggests that it is possible that if someone is “uncoachable” in this present moment that they will always be “uncoachable”.

I mention this so that, as a coach, you can consider for yourself how this fits with your beliefs about coaching.

Now, I know that in the past one of our guest posters mentioned being uncoachable, which explains why the search engines are sending people this way, but as the number has increased I wanted to address this more today. I specifically want to focus upon how you can use the information gained from the question, who is uncoachable?

Before I go any further, I invite you to spend a moment to consider, the answers that sprang to your mind when you read the title, “Who is uncoachable?”

In my experiences each coach will have their own answer when they think about whom they would consider uncoachable.

Any coaching training you have already experienced may influence part, or all, of your answer(s). Perhaps you have been told that there are certain situations or types of behaviour you should not be coaching in.

Your answer may also have been influenced by an experience of working with a specific client in the past and it’s not an experience you wish to repeat! Maybe you reason that you have learnt to look for specific signs.

Your answer may also be influenced by other beliefs and expectations about what behaviours a client should demonstrate.

If you have ever looked for a definition of coaching you will have found that different people and organisations use different wording (sometimes you’ll even find more than one definition from the same group.) So it’s not surprising that whilst there are some overlap that different coaches have their own opinions about who is uncoachable.

So, what is your answer? Once you have your answer, what are you doing with the information?

My suspicion is that there is a training school somewhere that has asked their students to answer the question “who is uncoachable?” If that’s the case I hope that those students are encouraged to do more with that information other than just write it down to pass an assignment.

I believe that knowing your thoughts about who is uncoachable is information that as a coach you can make useful.

I know that the most common explanation I was given in some coaching trainings was that it is there to ensure that you don’t accept to work with clients who would be better suited seeking other forms of support and help. (Which depending upon your country of residence may potentially have insurance/legal implications)

This is certainly an important aspect of knowing who you think is uncoachable. I personally think that you can also use your answer for other benefits. Here are just some ways you could use your answer:

• It can uncover your own beliefs about how you expect a new client to behave. This information can be useful to know so you can determine if it’s a useful belief to keep.
• Does your answer help highlight behaviours that a client can demonstrate that assists them to get the most from your work together? If so how can you encourage your clients to use more of the highlighted behaviour?
• How can you use the information from your answer in how you invite people to experience your coaching? Are there ways to discourage those you feel are uncoachable to not contact you whilst encouraging those you feel are coachable?
• When you talk to potential clients, what can you look and listen for during the conversation that would indicate to you that someone matches with your definition of uncoachable?