Question

ICF Core Competency #3 "Building Trust and Intimacy" is critical to good coaching. Work this week to notice energy and comment on it ("I can hear your excitement" or "You seem sad when you talk about that") Also, practice acknowledging a strength ("What I know about you is that you are a hopeful person" or "I'd like to acknowledge your bravery") and discuss the results here. Also, discuss other ways you might create trust in a professional relationship.

Answer 1

Trust and Intimacy is about both the parties being humble and vulnerable.

• It takes two to create trust. Trust is a two way street. Walking the talk - by sticking to the schedule, acting on your helps the client and the coach to establish trust. Your coaching agreement is mutual. It needs to be co-created.
• Staying conscious of one's own thoughts and feelings while ensuring that they are helpful in serving the client helps in creating mutual trust. One's honest thoughts must be phrased to suit the client's need.
• Being respectful of the client. Giving constructive feedback and getting feedback from clients could be used to build a deeper rapport.
• Checking In with a client regularly and looking at them as an individual who is capable of handling their lives perfectly well establishes a strong sense of trust in the coaching relationship

Noticing and commenting on energy leads people to open up more to you. They tend to clarify their stand - thoughts and emotions in case the point is missed. However, it is important to use positive statements which are milder. It helps to describe the situation instead of interpretation.