A Work Performance Profile
The purpose of this exercise is to focus the coachee prior to the first coaching conversation /
meeting. This exercise can be used by the coachee to do in preparation for the first meeting, in a
pen and pencil format . The exercise can also be used verbally during the first coaching
conversation/ meeting to provide guidelines for dialogue between the coach and coachee.
The objective of a Work Performance Profile
It serves to elicit information about the coachee’s specific work situation, including the requisite
competencies for the position, the individual’s personal and professional strengths and weaknesses
and the possible benefits of coaching to the individual and the organisation. This acts as a starting
point and a useful means of exploring and ‘diagnosing’ a coachee’s unique situation. It also acts as a
building block in structuring a personalised coaching plan or desired outcome list,
Benefits?
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Helps to focus the coachee
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Provides a better insight to the coachee for the coach
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Establishes if coachee is ‘coachable’ by asking them to perform a self awareness excercise...
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Particularly useful for coaching sessions where the Manager is the coach
Reference: Zeus, P. & Skiffington, S. (2002:88-120)
A WORK PERFORMANCE PROFILE
List 3 values that influence your professional life?
What are you major job functions?
Which aspects of your work do you enjoy the most? Why?
Which aspects of your work do you least enjoy? Why?
What are your particular strengths in your position?
How can you build on these strengths or use them in new ways?
What are your weaknesses in your position?
What might be contributing to your weaknesses?
What are the benefits of enhancing this skill(s) ? – Personal? Organisational? Team?
What resources do you need to help you develop/enhance your skills?
What do you want to change most about your current work situation?
How difficult is your current job?
How do you work as a team member?
How does your personality fit with the job?
How can you close any skills gap you have identified?
Can you list 3 areas of skill that you are competent in?
Can you list 3 areas of skill that you would like to develop?
Which 3 skills are you least efficient in?
e.gs – decisiveness, planning, influencing, leading, time management, assertiveness etc etc
This is based on the work of Zeus, P. & Skiffington, S. (2002:99) The Coaching at Work Toolkit,
Australia, McGraw-Hill.