High A Profile — Series Analysis
How do you know when you’ve done a good job?
It sounds like a simple question, yet the answer often reveals something deeper about how we are naturally wired. For some people, a sense of achievement emerges when a manager expresses appreciation, when colleagues offer praise, or when an organisational milestone has been reached. Others take their cue from external validation such as a strong performance review or public acknowledgement.
For those with a High A profile, the source of confidence sits somewhere else entirely — within themselves.
An Internal Compass
Individuals with a High A profile rely primarily on their own standards to judge success. They may feel satisfied and accomplished even when external observers see a different picture. They may recognise that they’ve exceeded their personal expectations, even if the project outcome wasn’t perfect or the official goal wasn’t reached.
Equally, they may finish a piece of work that is well-received by the team or leadership, yet still feel it fell short of what could have been achieved. The bar they set for themselves frequently rises higher than any expectation placed upon them.
For a High A profile, the toughest person to please is often themselves.
The Coaching Challenge
Supporting a High A profile can feel difficult, especially when they appear unaffected by concerns expressed by managers or colleagues. Traditional coaching techniques that depend on external expectations or collective pressure simply won’t land well because they do not match the person’s natural motivation.
The key is to connect the individual’s internal drive with the wider organisational goals — not by imposing direction, but by drawing the High A into ownership.
Empowering Questions That Unlock Engagement
The High A profile responds strongly to empowerment, particularly when presented as thoughtful, challenging questions such as:
- How would you approach this?
- If you were leading this project, what would you do next?
- How do you think we can realistically achieve this goal?
These questions invite the High A individual to shape the path forward. When they have the space to adapt, refine, and ultimately take ownership of the plan, they become far more engaged. In their mind, it becomes their project, their idea, their strategy.
When that shift happens, you’ll know the High A profile is fully invested.
Bringing It All Together
To coach a High A profile effectively:
- Recognise that internal satisfaction, not external praise, drives their sense of achievement.
- Understand that their personal standards often eclipse organisational benchmarks.
- Use empowering, ownership-focused questions to align their intrinsic motivation with team and organisational aims.
- Allow them scope to shape the plan — engagement follows when they feel personal ownership.
Coaching is never one-size-fits-all. By tailoring your approach to the High A profile, you create the conditions for deeper commitment, stronger performance, and a more meaningful partnership.