3 Reasons You Are Not Coachable

One of the startling findings from The PMO Squad’s 2022 Research Report is that only 20% of PMO Leaders said they use a Coach! We paused to reflect on what is going on with the remaining 80% and concluded that 4 out of 5 PMO Leaders must not be coachable! Strong statement, but there has to be a reason why so few PMO Leaders take advantage of such a game-changing resource.  

3 Reasons Why You Are Not Coachable 

How about you? Are you coachable? You may not be if you fall into any of these three categories: 

1. You Know Everything - You’ve been successful in your career as a PMO Leader. You have a good track record of managing project managers that manage projects. And, you have the ability to get things done. But, you also have the reputation of being the smartest person in the room. How does everyone know? You’ve pretty much told them that. Nobody is going to tell you, especially a Coach, how to do something differently or better since you’ve already figured everything out. 
2. You’re Content - It has taken years, but you have risen through the ranks and are now leading a successful PMO. You know the drill. Coffee at 8:15 every morning. Team update meeting on Tuesday. Executive Leadership team meeting on Thursday and weekly reports go out on Friday. Your PMO runs like a well-oiled machine. You don’t need anybody, especially a Coach, to tell you to do things differently because it will mess up your nice little routine. 
3. You’re Lazy - Ouch. Arguably the worst reason to not be coachable is apathy. You just don’t care anymore. Maybe are late in your career and hope to coast through your final years as a PMO Leader. Your peers and colleagues are being promoted because of their excellent work. But, you’re good with doing just the bare minimum each week and collecting your check on Friday. 

Do you see yourself in any of the categories above? Be honest with yourself. Your job may depend on it. 

What Will Make You Coachable? 

When do PMO Leaders become coachable? When the pain of not changing hurts more than the pain of changing. There’s going to be a time when: 

• You’re no longer the smartest person in the room - Think, new hires. Smart, accomplished, and hungry people with different backgrounds and experience will challenge the way you’ve always done things. 
• Your routine is disrupted - Think, new management. All it takes is one new person at the top of the organization to start an avalanche of changes you can barely keep up with. Gone are your daily and weekly routines as you scramble to figure out their needs. 
• You can’t rest on your past accomplishments - Think, the past is the past. Nobody cares about your history of success. It’s all about how you are delivering value today. This will require effort, and to not rest on your laurels. 

Once you’ve experienced any or all of the aforementioned situations, it’s too late. Your PMO Leader career is going over the cliff! This is also the point at which you are now coachable and have the power to change your trajectory.  

So, get a Coach today. Think through your challenges and articulate them clearly to potential coaches. Find out how they’ll help you solve your problems and better equip you to optimize your PMO career. Will it require effort? Yes. Cost? Most likely. Will it make you feel uncomfortable? Undoubtedly. 

Is it worth it? 100%. Now, get up off the couch and get yourself a Coach!