The Birkman Method: Your Personality at Work by Sharon Birkman Fink & Stephanie Capparell - Book review

The Birkman Method

Your Personality at Work

By: Sharon Birkman Fink, Stephanie Capparell


Published: April 29, 2013
Hardcover: 240 pages
ISBN-10: 1118207017
ISBN-13: 978-1118207017
Publisher: Jossey-Bass











"The Birkman is the only assessment tool that reaches beyond mere self-described behavior to reveal the underlying motivations that drive and inspire you", write President and CEO of Birkman International, Sharon Birkman Fink; and journalist and filmmaker, Stephanie Capparell, in their very hands on, and career and organizational transforming book The Birkman Method: Your Personality at Work. The authors describe how the Birkman Method of understanding personalities provides an objective assessment of different personalities. The Birkman provides a guide to coaching each personality type toward achieving peak performance in the individual's personal career path; as well as for their contribution to the organization as a whole.

Sharon Birkman Fink (photo left) and Stephanie Capparell recognize that everyone possesses strengths, passion, and that something extra that motivates them to achieve great things. This recognition that everyone has value is a core principle of the Birkman Method. The Birkman assessment tool helps the individual and the organization to better understand their personalities to transition those internal abilities into a stronger and better balanced workplace environment.

At the same time, the authors overturn the myth that only certain types of personalities fit into specific workplace. The Birkman establishes an objective and inclusive self-awareness that provides a role for any personality type in all types of firms.

Stephanie Capparell (photo left) Sharon Birkman Fink understand that any assessment that only examines skill levels, character, and experience is only considering a very small part of the person. Instead, the authors demonstrate how the Birkman offers the means to teach and enrich people with various attributes, and to make best use of those personality traits for the benefit of everyone. Instead of selecting only the most obvious candidates, the Birkman provides a guide to selecting a widely diverse workforce, who bring complementary skills, personality traits, and behaviors to the organization.

Sharon Birkman Fink and Stephanie Capparell present the Birkman Method, designed by workplace psychology pioneer Roger W. Birkman, as an assessment guide with no right or wrong answers, and no profile traits or work preference that are detrimental to success in the workplace or in one's personal life. Indeed the Birkman Method, as offered by the authors provides a large number of uses and applications in any work environment. The authors cover the following aspects of the Birkman Method:

* He we are: Taking the Birkman
* Identifying your strengths
* The components: Eleven personality markers
* Your communication comfort zone: Esteem and acceptance
* The power of process: Structure
* Are you a boss of just bossy: Authority
* Are you in it to win it: Advantage and activity
* How your emotions can help or hurt a decision: Empathy and thought
* Are you a frustrated maverick in the workplace: Freedom and change
* The wide angle view: Challenge

For me, the power of the book is how Sharon Birkman Fink and Stephanie Capparel combine a comprehensive examination and understanding of the Birkman Method, with the practical skills and techniques for putting the individual personality assessments into practice. The authors not only provide insights into the use and application of the Birkman Method, but they also offer techniques that organizations can utilize to transition the personality profiled individuals into successful members of the team.

The methodology uncovers hidden strengths and talents that will benefit the company, while also bringing to the surface those traits that need change to prevent them from causing damaging behavior. Part of the overall value of the Birkman Method is its very inclusiveness in that it creates a format where everyone becomes a candidate for the organization's various needs.

In place of being presented as a tool to screen out applicants, as so many assessment tools have become in practice, the Birkman proposes the opposite role of increasing and enhancing diversity within the workplace. Instead of the popular misconception that certain jobs and industries require only special types of people, the authors demonstrate how a wider diversity of personalities and behaviors creates an even more productive work environment. Instead of weeding people out, the Birkman helps companies utilize individual strengths, while modifying their personal weaknesses.

I highly recommend the very clear and concise book The Birkman Method: Your Personality at Work by Sharon Birkman Fink and Stephanie Capparel, to anyone seeking a practical and very useful personality assessment tool that goes beyond the standard assessment tools, and provides real insights into coaching, career management, and peak performance abilities. This book will guide you and your organization away from personality assessment as a screening out tool, and toward this highly inclusive and diversity development tool.