We live in a know-it-all culture. Everyone is an expert, making it much harder to be open to learning. Yet the more teachable we are, the more we can grow personally and professionally. Teachable people are attractive to employers, friends, and potential mates. Nobody wants to be around a yapping know-it-all.
Teachability is a very attractive quality!
Here are five ways to know if you are a teachable person:
Is it easy for you to admit that you don’t know or understand something?
Do you ask the people closest to you for honest feedback?
Do you receive criticism from others with openness?
Do you refrain from correcting others, even if you know they are wrong?
Do you celebrate when others are right?
As I write these questions, I’m cringing. It’s so hard for me, as a Core Motivation/Enneagram Eight personality to admit I’m wrong or that I don’t know something. The Eights' greatest fear is to appear weak. I have lots of learning and growing to do.
If you answered 'NO,' to all or most of the questions above, here are some ways to grow in teachability:
When in doubt, ask questions. Be known as a learner.
Ask for feedback about a project, your character, or other vulnerable area in your life.
Take criticism with an open mind. Ask yourself, ‘is there any truth to it?’
Be okay not correcting people all the time. Let things go.
Celebrate when someone else is right. Don't be a sore loser.
We have learned everything we know at some point or other. We can learn it now or later, but the fact is we're learning. Become a life-long learner. It will win you friends and the respect of others!