Cultivating Coachability: Developing Yourself and Your Team through Feedback
- Jonathan H. Westover, PhD
- Apr 19
- 5 min read
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Abstract: This article explores the critical role of coachability—the capacity to receive and implement feedback—in fostering individual and organizational growth in today's rapidly changing environment. It examines how self-awareness, a growth mindset, and accountability enhance personal coachability while highlighting leadership strategies for creating feedback-rich cultures where continuous improvement thrives. Drawing from practices at companies like Facebook and Netflix, and contextualizing applications across industries including healthcare and remote work environments, the authors demonstrate how cultivating coachability provides a competitive advantage through accelerated learning and sustainable performance improvements at both individual and team levels.
In our rapidly changing world, the ability to learn and grow is more important than ever. Organizations need leaders and teams that can continuously adapt and improve. One foundational skill for enabling learning and growth is cultivating coachability—being receptive to feedback and using it to enhance performance. For leaders and their teams to reach their full potential, they must establish a culture where feedback is welcomed and results in positive change.
Today we will explore why coachability is so important for both individuals and organizations.
Developing Coachability in Yourself
Coachability at the individual level first requires self-awareness—recognizing one's strengths as well as areas for development. Leaders must commit to personal growth and lead by example in their own receptivity to feedback. Research has shown that individuals who solicit frequent feedback and make continuous improvements raise their skill levels faster than those who do not engage in feedback seeking behaviors (London and Smither, 2002). Leaders should:
Self-Reflection: Take time each week to self-evaluate your performance, solicit peer feedback, and set developmental goals. Note where impressions differ to gain helpful outside perspectives on blind spots.
Feedback Orientation: Approach all feedback encounters with an open, growth mindset. View critiques as opportunities rather than personal attacks. Be solution-focused on what can be learned rather than defensive reactions.
Accountability: Monitor progress on developmental goals and enlist trusted colleagues to provide candid assessments of changes over time. Admit mistakes gracefully and show determination to incorporate advice into continued improvements.
The Importance of Establishing a Feedback-Rich Culture
While developing personal coachability is important, leaders must go further and cultivate an organizational culture where feedback thrives. Research clearly shows that effective performance management relying on frequent, candid feedback boosts team and company results (London and Smither, 2002; DeNisi & Kluger, 2000). Leaders play a crucial role in establishing the conditions for feedback to improve outcomes.
Heads of Organizations at Major Tech Companies
Leaders of fast-paced tech firms understand the value of continuous feedback to keep up with market changes. At Facebook, annual reviews are supplemented by frequent "check-ins" where managers discuss progress, set new objectives, and give real-time coaching (Baker, 2019).
Similarly, at Netflix, managers hold informal "keg stands" — brief video conferences where any employee can present work for review and solicited advice from colleagues across departments (Loeb, 2017). Both practices encourage ongoing two-way dialogue and cross-pollination of ideas.
Developing a Feedback-Rich Team Culture
Several actions can leaders can take to develop greater coachability at the team level:
Encourage Feedback Exchange: Hold regular team discussions where feedback is offered and received by all members. Consider using peer feedback tools so everyone leaves with developmental goals.
Leadership by Example: Model openness to feedback by sharing examples of how input led to improved results. Discuss mistakes transparently and how lessons were incorporated.
Psychological Safety: Address fears about giving or receiving critical feedback upfront. Establish group norms where ideas are criticized, not people. Mediate conflicts respectfully.
Feedback Mechanisms: Supplement formal reviews with daily huddles, mentoring partnerships, and suggestion boxes to ensure continuous coaching.
Recognition: Publicly thank team members who demonstrate coachable behaviors like soliciting input to enhance contributions, acknowledging mistakes, and incorporating advice into new successes.
These strategies have led to powerful results at innovative global companies like Netflix and Facebook. When properly cultivated, a culture where feedback thrives multiplies individual and team learning for maximum organizational gains.
Applying Coachability in Your Industry
While the benefits of coachability hold true across sectors, effective implementation looks different in various industries and organizational contexts. Two examples demonstrate adapting feedback best practices:
Coachability in Healthcare
In high-stress healthcare, feedback can feel threatening to busy clinicians whose identities are tied to clinical roles. To encouraged openness, Mass General Brigham—a large Boston healthcare system—instituted "Balanced Learning Conversations" where doctors and nurses meet monthly for mentorship focused on personal and professional development (Weis, 2019).
Structured reflection sheets guide confidential chats on challenges, successes, and mutual advice for improvement without punitive assessments. This has boosted resilience and information sharing between teams under pressure.
Coachability for Remote Workers
For dispersed remote teams at Anthropic—an AI safety startup—less visible managers use a web tool called "Miro" to hold team “retrospectives” where digital sticky notes anonymously capture feedback on processes (Moore, 2020).
After identifying topics that need coaching, the group brainstorms changes over video call. Managers then coordinate 1:1 video mentoring on goals set. This low-pressure approach keeps teams engaged across borders through continuous mutual guidance.
These innovative efforts tailor feedback practices to the dynamics of certain workforces, achieving coachability's benefits contextually. Leaders must thoughtfully adapt general principles to industry specifics for maximum impact.
Conclusion
In today's environment of relentless change, the ability to learn and improve is organizations' greatest competitive advantage. Cultivating a culture of coachability through ongoing feedback multiplies growth at both the individual and team levels. Leaders play a vital role by personally demonstrating openness to input to develop themselves further and by establishing the conditions where their teams can continuously coach one another to new heights. From entrepreneurial startups to healthcare giants, innovative companies are harnessing feedback to boost resilience and performance sustainability. For any organization seeking to maximize its potential, making coachability a core competency should be a top priority.
References
Baker, A. (2019, February 4). Why frequent feedback is key at Facebook. Harvard Business Review.
DeNisi, A. S., & Kluger, A. N. (2000). Feedback effectiveness: Can 360-degree appraisals be improved? The Academy of Management Executive, 14(1), 129–139.
London, M., & Smither, J. W. (2002). Feedback orientation, feedback culture, and the longitudinal performance management process. Human Resource Management Review, 12(1), 81–100.
Loeb, W. (2017, March 17). This is Netflix's secret to providing employees with constant feedback. CNBC.
Moore, C. (2020, June 2). How remote-first Anthropic scales feedback with 'Miro retrospectives.' ComputerWorld.
Weis, J. (2019, November 26). Cultivating a feedback culture at Mass General Brigham. NEJM Catalyst.
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2025). Cultivating Coachability: Developing Yourself and Your Team through Feedback. Human Capital Leadership Review, 20(2). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.20.2.6
