After years in coaching and training, I have noticed that successful mentors not only pick and choose students (they don’t take everyone who can pay), but they are also very strict with the criteria.
For a long time, I was trying my best to give everyone a chance, and I still do. Despite my sincere desire to help everyone, I had to admit: not everyone can be helped. Statistics show that whether you give the chance to everyone or to chosen ones.. the time will filter out people who are ready.
Firstly, it was a bit saddening. Sometimes even depressing. It took me time to understand that there are many called, and a few chosen. Chosen, like in the biblical parable, people filter themselves out by setting other priorities over time.
It takes people time to understand what priorities they have. And that is where a coach needs to have patience to let things happen.
I still believe that everyone should be given a chance, but at the same time, I put the system in place that will help those who are ready for the training to progress, and those who are not, discontinue.
Time will show whether students should be given mentorship or not. And there is no magic wand that will help you filter out people before they make a choice with their actions.
Going back to successful coaches and mentors who filter people before onboarding. It is one of the methods to influence training success metrics. At the same time, there is a risk of making a mistake and depriving people who deserve the assistance they need.