If you want to develop managers who can truly coach your teams, learning how to build trust is a foundational first step.
No one can step into a new role, announce that they’re now “coaching” your people, and expect employees to open up. Without trust, even the best coaching techniques will fall flat.
Trust is the bridge that makes feedback meaningful, makes conversations safe, and makes growth possible. As a business owner, if you’re looking to strengthen your management force, teaching managers how to build trust first is what unlocks the real benefits of a coaching culture.
Why Trust Comes Before Coaching
Managers who try to coach without first building trust often run into resistance. Employees may hold back, fear judgment, or stick to “safe” responses. On the flip side, when trust exists, employees are more likely to share openly, take risks, and embrace feedback.
The research backs this up.
A study found that employees who strongly trust their managers are 12x more likely to be engaged at work.
When employees trust their managers and are able to be coached, the results speak for themselves:
- 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence.
- 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills.
- 86% of companies report that they recouped their investment on coaching and more (source: ICF 2009).
Trust creates the conditions for coaching to work.
Challenges Managers Face in Building Trust
Of course, building trust doesn’t happen overnight. Here are some of the common obstacles managers face:
- Inheriting a team: New managers stepping into an existing team often face skepticism. Employees may compare them to their previous boss or hold back until the manager proves themselves.
- Balancing authority with openness: Managers need to enforce standards and make tough calls, but if they lean too hard into authority, employees may see them as unapproachable.
- Past experiences: If employees have had negative experiences with micromanaging or inconsistent leaders, they may be reluctant to engage with a new coaching-style approach.
Recognizing these challenges helps managers avoid frustration when trust doesn’t come instantly.
Practical Ways to Build Trust Before Coaching
How can managers begin earning trust in a way that lays the groundwork for coaching?
- Show consistency. Trust grows when managers do what they say they’ll do. Following through on commitments — even small ones — builds credibility.
- Listen first, advise second. Coaching is about helping people uncover solutions, but that starts with hearing their perspective. Managers who make a habit of asking questions before giving answers demonstrate respect and build psychological safety.
- Admit mistakes. Vulnerability is powerful. When managers own their errors, it signals to employees that it’s safe to be imperfect and to keep growing.
- Create small wins together. Trust builds through experiences. When managers help employees achieve quick wins early, it establishes momentum and confidence in the relationship.
From Trust to Coaching to ROI
When trust is established, managers can shift from “managing tasks” to “coaching growth.” That’s where businesses start to see the return: higher engagement, better retention, stronger collaboration, and ultimately better performance.
One study found that 46% of companies with a strong coaching culture reported their revenue growth was above their peer group. Trust fuels coaching, and coaching drives results.
How Mindscaling Helps Build Coaching Leaders
At Mindscaling, we’ve seen firsthand how businesses thrive when their managers adopt a coaching mindset. That’s why we’ve built a library of 22 courses dedicated to coaching skills, covering everything from active listening and feedback delivery to developing trust and leading with empathy.
For business owners, this means more than better managers. It means stronger teams, improved retention, and measurable ROI. When managers coach instead of just “handling” employees, everyone benefits.
If you’re ready to equip your managers with the skills to build trust and lead through coaching, we’d love to show you how our courses can support your organization’s growth.
