Becoming an Internal Coach: A Guide of Main Behaviors and Key Questioning of an Internal Coach in Business

Everyone is aware of the importance of coaches in sports, but what about business coaches? In the same way that a coach may assist an athlete reach their full potential, a business coach can guide individuals to develop skills, enhance performance, and accomplish their objectives.

So what is internal coaching? Many, when thinking of coaching in the workplace, immediately link it with the term “manager”. Although that is not the case, there are practices you can follow to create internal coaches in your business.

More and more these days our training participants are interested in learning if there is a way to “create” internal coaches in their business or even become one themselves.

In this piece we analyze the main behaviors of an internal coach and share with you a step by step methodology on how to practice basic coaching questions, bringing you one step closer to achieving a coaching mentality for yourself or your organization.

What is Internal Coaching? A Business Coach within the Organization

Nowadays, in an environment where change has become the new norm and challenges are increasing in the workplace, coaching, whether internal or external, has become a crucial method for assisting leaders in navigating through problems.

But what is internal coaching? When coaches and coachees work inside the same company, it is the definition of internal coaching in the business world. These coaches might be managers, leaders, or any employee with a wealth of knowledge to impart.

Critical behaviors: A Coaching Guide for Every Professional

As the coaching field is gaining more supporters, many different coaching approaches are being developed, but there are several key behaviors that are clearly associated with effective coaching and can be easily implemented by the people in your organization:

• Active listening
Internal coaches must be skilled at actively listening to their coachees, which involves giving their full attention, showing empathy, understanding, and asking open-ended questions.

• Questioning
Asking powerful questions is a key skill for internal coaches, as it helps to deepen the coachee's understanding, promotes self-reflection, and generates insights and ideas.

• Empathy
Internal coaches must have a high degree of empathy to understand the coachee's perspective, build trust, and establish rapport. This requires the coach to be non-judgmental, patient, and accepting.

• Feedback
Providing constructive feedback is a key part of coaching, and internal coaches must be able to provide feedback in a way that is clear, objective, and supportive. They must also be skilled at receiving feedback from coachees and using it to improve their coaching approach.

• Goal-setting
Internal coaches help their coachees set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. They must also help the coachee develop a plan for achieving those goals, and hold them accountable for making progress.

• Accountability
It is of great importance for internal coaches to hold their coachees accountable for their actions, encouraging them to take responsibility for their own development and growth. This includes helping them identify obstacles and develop strategies for overcoming them.

• Flexibility
Internal coaches must be adaptable and able to adjust their coaching approach to meet the needs of different coachees and situations. They must also be able to manage their own emotions and biases, and maintain a professional demeanor.

Overall, the key behaviors of an effective internal coach involve creating a supportive and collaborative environment, promoting self-reflection and growth, and helping the coachee achieve their goals.

Asking the right questions: 6 main questioning categories and examples

Now that we have cleared what is internal coaching, it is of great importance to state that in order to achieve all the above proposed behaviors, as an internal coach you must practice your questioning skills.

As a coach, there are many different types of questions that you might ask during a coaching session, depending on your goals and the needs of your coachee. However, there are some common categories that coaches often use to help people gain insight, set goals, and develop strategies for change.

Let’s break down the 6 main questioning categories and check examples for direct implementation:

1. Open-ended questions
   These are questions that encourage coachees to provide detailed and thoughtful responses, while gaining a deeper understanding of their experiences. Open-ended questions typically begin with phrases such as:
   
   "What do you think about..."
   "Tell me more about..."
   "How would you describe..."
2. Clarifying questions
   Coaches use this type of questioning to ensure that they have understood what is being said and ensure that they are on the same page with the coachee. Clarifying questions often begin with phrases such as:
   
   "So if I understand correctly, you're saying that..."
   "Could you clarify what you mean by..."
3. Reflective questions
   These are questions that encourage those questioned, to reflect on their experiences and gain insight into their own behavior and thought patterns and develop self- awareness. Reflective questions often begin like:
   
   "How do you feel about..."
   "What does that say about..."
   "What might be another way to look at..."
4. Goal-setting questions
   These are questions that coaches use to help coachees identify and prioritize their goals while building a plan to achieve them. Goal-setting questions often begin with phrases such as:
   
   "What would you like to achieve..."
   "What's important to you about..."
   "What would success look like..."
5. Solution-focused questions
   These are questions that coaches use to help coachees generate ideas, develop strategies for change and overcome obstacles. Solution-focused questions often begin in this way:
   
   "What might be some ways to..."
   "What resources do you have to help you..."
   "What steps could you take to..."
6. Action-oriented questions
   These are questions that coaches ask coaches in order to help them take action and implement their plans. This assists coachees to stay focused and make steady progress towards their goals. Action-oriented questions often begin with phrases such as:
   
   "What is the first step you could take..."
   "When will you take action..."
   "What support do you need to make progress..."

Reflection time: Your time to test internal coaching

Implementing best practices of internal coaching might assist your organization in fostering a coaching culture and developing a strong pull of leaders prepared to handle new challenges. In fact, the entire existence of your company may depend on the effectiveness of your coaching plan.

So, does internal coaching seem like something that may be beneficial to your company? That is a question that you and you only can answer. But in case the answer is yes, we are here to support you in the continuous process of developing powerful leaders in your organization through our tailor-made training programs!