Being coachable is a skill, and it’s one of the most important skills you can develop.

It signals to the world that you have a hunger to get better and are willing to put in the work.

The problem is that most people haven't developed it.

Early in my career, one of my first managers used to tell me, "People who can't communicate think everything is an argument. People who lack accountability think everything is an attack."

The spirit of his message was simple: it wasn't his job to tiptoe around me. It was my job to be coachable. That starts with eliminating these phrases from your vocabulary:

Sound familiar? Most of us have said at least one of these. Probably more.

Being coachable doesn't mean agreeing with everything you hear. It means replacing defensiveness with curiosity, judgment with reflection, and excuses with ownership.

That's how you show the world you're hungry to get better.

P.S. The Optimistic Outlook is a Podcast! Leaving a rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts would mean a lot.