How to become a more coachable employee

If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of feedback that didn’t land well, or found yourself resisting a colleague’s suggestion, you’re not alone. We all like to think we’re open to learning – ‘I’m totally open to constructive criticism, everyone!!!!!!!’ – but coachability is more than just listening politely. It’s about actively seeking feedback, acting on it and using it to grow.

Being coachable is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ soft skill. It’s a career superpower. Coachable people learn faster, adapt to change more easily and tend to be the ones tapped for new opportunities. Instead of digging their heels in and sticking to the way they’ve always done things, coachable people are open, curious and hot on active listening.

But how do you know if you’re coachable, and how much does it really matter? Let’s dive into the wonderful world of coachability at work!

What is coachability?

Coachability is the ability (and willingness) to learn, adapt and improve based on feedback. It’s not about blindly agreeing with every piece of advice. Instead, it’s about:

• Staying curious and open-minded
• Considering other perspectives before making a decision
• Reflecting honestly on your own performance
• Taking responsibility for your growth

To be clear, for lots of people, this is much harder than it looks! When you've been in your line of work for a few years, it's easy to think you don't need coaching anymore, or to think that only early-career employees should be coached.

It’s also worth noting that coachability doesn’t just show up in formal coaching sessions. You’ll also find it in everyday interactions with managers, peers and even direct reports. Coachability at work is essential for growth, and it can be especially useful for someone ambitious who is looking to progress in their career.

Being coachable comes with a whole host of benefits, from building resilience to faster skills growth to more successful career progression, making it a must-have soft skill for today’s employees.

How to know if you’re coachable

Anyone looking at their own coachability will need a healthy dose of self-reflection. Many of us think we’re coachable and open to feedback, but in reality, it’s easy to get defensive or resistant to anything other than glowing praise. 

Some of the key questions to ask yourself when considering your coachability include:

1. When was the last time you changed your approach because of feedback?
   If you can think of recent examples, you’re on the right track.
2. Do people regularly share unprompted, constructive feedback with you?
   If colleagues feel comfortable offering you suggestions, it’s often a sign you’re seen as receptive.
3. Do you get defensive when challenged?
   A little defensiveness is natural, but if your first instinct is to justify yourself and reject someone’s feedback or suggestions, it may be worth working on your response.
4. Do you take the time to fully reflect on feedback?
   You don’t always need to immediately accept feedback. If you don’t think it’s accurate, why not? Is it worth opening up a further conversation, or could there be a different way to interpret the feedback you’re receiving?
5. Do you act on feedback – and follow up?
   Saying ‘Thanks for the feedback!’ is easy. Implementing it and reporting back is where the real growth happens – in other words, what have you done to implement the feedback, and how does that show up in your day-to-day work?

If you’re unsure, try asking trusted colleagues (or your own manager) how open they think you are to coaching. Sometimes, we can be surprised to hear that people are afraid to give us honest feedback, or that we get defensive when we’re challenged. Equally, you might find that people see you as highly coachable and receptive to feedback. The only way to know for sure is to ask!

The telltale signs of coachability

Coachability isn’t always about big ‘aha’ moments. It often shows up in small, everyday signals, or is undermined by subtle resistance. Here are some of the key phrases and behaviours to look out for as signs that someone is coachable (or not very coachable!):

Phrases that show coachability:

• “That’s a good point – I hadn’t considered that.”
• “Can you tell me more about what you noticed?”
• “I’ll try that approach and let you know how it goes.”
• “Thank you for pointing that out.”
  
  

Phrases that undermine coachability:

• “That’s just how I do things.”
• “I’ve been doing this for years – I know what works.”
• “I don’t see why that’s relevant.”
• “It’s not my fault – it’s [someone else’s] responsibility.”
  
  

Behaviours that signal coachability:

• Asking clarifying questions rather than shutting ideas down
• Taking notes during feedback conversations
• Following up to share progress after implementing feedback
• Actively seeking out perspectives beyond your immediate team
  
  

Behaviours that signal a lack of coachability:

• Interrupting or talking over feedback
• Deflecting responsibility
• Making excuses
• Consistently dismissing new ideas
  

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list – but it’s worth considering how often phrases and behaviours like these show up in your day-to-day working life.

How to become more coachable

So, onto the big question: if you’re aware you’re not always the best at receiving and implementing feedback, or you simply want to elevate your existing skills, what can you do to become more coachable? Here are our five tips for improving your coachability at work:

1. Pause before responding
   When you receive feedback, take a breath before replying. This small pause helps you process the message without reacting defensively. It also shows the other person that you’re not just responding for the sake of responding, and that you’re willing to reflect on what they’ve said.
   
   
2. Ask clarifying questions
   Instead of arguing, get curious. “Can you give me an example?” or “What would you do differently?” turns feedback into something actionable. You don’t necessarily need to agree with every piece of feedback, but it’s always worth clarifying where someone is coming from so you can consider your actions from a different perspective.
   
   
3. Keep a feedback journal
   Note down key points from feedback conversations and review them regularly. It doesn’t need to be formal or lengthy, but it’s a good way to keep track of any patterns in feedback – or, ideally, your improvement over time. This keeps your growth front of mind for more successful skills development.
   
   
4. Act decisively – and show your work
   If you’ve received a lot of feedback (for instance, in a performance review), don’t try to tackle it all at the same time! Pick one piece of feedback to work on first, build it into your daily behaviours and, importantly, remember to share your progress with the person who gave you the feedback. It shows you value their input, and that you’re actively taking steps to improve your performance.
   
   
5. Seek feedback proactively
   You don’t have to wait for a formal review to ask for feedback. Ask colleagues or your manager, “What’s one thing I could do to make this project run more smoothly?”. Small, specific requests often yield the most useful insights, and this little-and-often approach ensures you can consistently build your skills, rather than getting overwhelmed by too much feedback at once.
   
   

Using Helix to spot and support coachability

Coachability doesn’t just show up in one-to-one conversations – it’s woven into the daily flow of work. It’s not always easy to spot in the moment, meaning managers can unintentionally overlook the coachability of their employees. That’s where Helix, our AI skills intelligence platform, can help.

With Helix, you can:

• Spot patterns in communication – Are certain team members regularly seeking input, sharing progress updates or reflecting on feedback? These are signs of coachability in action.
• Identify learning engagement – Coachable people often engage with resources, ask follow-up questions and apply what they learn. Helix analytics can highlight this behaviour from real conversations.
• Capture feedback moments – Helix can be used to record quick wins, lessons learned and peer-to-peer recognition, making coachability visible to the whole team and surfacing the way employees respond to feedback, ideas and suggestions.

By making coachability visible, Helix helps managers and L&D teams recognise it early, nurture it and embed it in team culture. This can be particularly useful if your organisation is in a future-planning phase, as more coachable employees are often strong candidates for promotions and additional development opportunities.

Without Helix, you’re basing your assessment of coachability on subjective, often biased opinions. With Helix, you have the objective data right in front of you, allowing you to pinpoint your most coachable employees, and support those who need a little help getting there.

The good news is that coachability is very much a teachable skill, and with a little insight and guidance, anyone can become more coachable at work. With a platform like Helix, you can see exactly where coachability shows up for you, and discover how to plug the gaps in your skill set with ease.