ICF: TRUST & SAFETY
In the 2021 video Updated ICF Core Competency 4: Cultivates Trust and Safety by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Osama-Al-Mosa, Leadership Development Specialist, discusses the competency. Al-Mosa explains that cultivating trust and safety is partnering with the client to create a safe, supportive environment that allows the client to share freely while maintaining a relationship of mutual respect and trust.
Al-Mosa states psychological safety is helping client feel no sense of judgment from the coach whereas trust is about the client feeling the coach is working in their best interest. This powerful element of coaching helps the client since the coach has no stake in the client’s game of life.
From an assessor and mentor perspective, Al-Mosa says ICF reviewers are looking for indicators where the coach demonstrates they understand the client in the client’s context. The coach also shows respect for the client’s background and thinking. The coach is able to show empathy and concern for the client in order to help the client feel a trusting and safe environment.
A coach weak in this competency keeps the spotlight on themselves, shows judgment, and keeps focus on the coach’s own thinking and value systems–not the client’s. Coaches that engage in arguing to make their point show a reverse role. A master coach is able to be mindful and keep the client’s best interest in focus.
TRUST & SAFETY — Client/Coach-Partnership, Transparent and Supportive Environment, Mutual Respect, Unconditional and Positive Regard of Person—Not Behavior
• With your background, I’m sure you already understand a lot about this.”
• You, as the client, know what is best for you.
• What do we need to do today to make it worth your while in showing up?
REFLECTIONS
• Showing up and caring can make all the difference.
• Be comfortable with pauses. Silence offers opportunity. Give space for client to think and discover their own conclusions. Don’t fill in gaps with noise. Don’t solve. Don’t advise.
• Remove uncertainty and ambiguity so the client’s (1) brain more easily predicts what will happen and (2) their nervous system manages its energy to reduce negative emotions.
• Maintain awareness in client’s explanatory style — client’s habitual way of looking at their experience. Signals whether or not client has a growth mindset. Comprised of three elements.
Personalization internal versus external view of whether or not client believes they have control or influence over events.
Permanence stable versus unstable view of whether or not client believes repeated event will be the same experience or is subject to change.
Pervasiveness global versus specific view of how the client generalizes the event to others beyond the specific event at hand.
Pessimistic is internal, stable, global: “Everything is my fault.” “I’ve tried this before. This won’t work for me.” “This always happens to me.
Positive is external, unstable, specific: “I’ll do better next time.” “I can change.” “I want to try again.”
