This is an effective exercise you can go through with your clients to gauge where their level of trust is. The categories can be changed as needed.
Have your client take out a piece of paper and pen, or a device to write on. Tell him/her that you will read the following sentence, How much do I trust in, followed by a word or phrase. After each is spoken, you will give him/her a moment to scale write down their level of trust from 0 to 10, where 0 is a total absence of trust and 10 is absolute trust.
The idea is not to think about it too long, but simply put down their initial response to it as it arises. Follow the exercise with the questions below, which will open up the door to a deeper conversation around trust, doubt, fears, and possibilities etc.
Our role as coaches is to help our clients live increasingly in a trusting space, noticing that when they do, more energy is available to move forward in meaningful directions.
On a scale of 0 to 10…
How much do I trust in_______________?
- ..myself
- ..the actions of others
- ..the unknown
- ..the universe
- ..the Divine
- ..the process
- ..people with power over me (or influence over me)
- ..people over whom I have power
- ..people I love
- ..people I don’t love
Have your clients write down each category and the first number that comes up for them.
Questions to ask afterwards:
- What surprised you in your responses?
- Where are the contradictions? (What you want vs. how you act daily)
- Is there anything that is lower (or higher) than you’d like it to be? What would you like it to be?
- Are we going for 10s across the board? Is this your ideal? Do you aspire to a 10 for everything
- If trust levels are low: What is behind your lack of trust? How can we raise those levels of trust ?