The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.
My approach comes from a place of true CURIOSITY and CARING about my clients’ unique talents and fulfillment in their job. My communication style is straight-forward and direct in order to effectively support my client’s personal accountability in the process. Life is too short and too precious to be lived at a job or in a work environment that doesn’t align with one’s core values and talents, or bring you a sense of satisfaction and joy.
I’ve been certified to use the Birkman Signature Assesment with client companies, employees and job seekers since 2009. Since then, I have successfully helped hundreds of people increase their self-awareness, embrace what is unique about their cumulative life and work experience and become better versions of themselves at work.
By aligning your inner compass with your experiences and talents, you can navigate toward a fulfilling career.
CINDY GOYETTE, CAREER COACH & ADVISOR
THE BIRKMAN METHOD
The Birkman Method is a behavioral assessment used for decades to help organizations align their human capital (people & talents) with their business strategy. It is a management tool created to help individuals become more aware of how they are behaving when they are their most productive and effective selves at work. Depicted by a DIAMOND in the Birkman report, this is what I call your ‘Best Self.’
- Unlike other ‘personality’ tests, the Birkman expands beyond personality to include social perception and occupational interests that reveal more holistically your behavioral styles, motivations, inner needs that are not obvious to others, how your behavior changes when you are under stress, and how all that influences your career choices and direction.
- With the self-awareness you gain from the Birkman report, you will understand your unique Inner Compass and be able to correct common misperceptions you have of yourself in order to live more of your life in your DIAMOND.
- Also inherent to the Birkman is the visual data that shows the direct path between you, your strengths and NEEDS, why you gravitate to certain types of work (INTERESTS) and why you did, or didn’t, like your job duties, teammates, managers and even the companies you worked for.
- With all these insights, you are then able to direct your job search actions toward the right jobs, titles, positions and type of companies where you can increase your chances of having more fulfillment and satisfaction in what you do.
- The assessment consists of a 298-item questionnaire delivered via an on-line link from me and takes about 45 minutes to complete. The assessment includes a customized report that you’ll receive in addition to our subsequent meetings re: career & job search alignment.
WHAT SETS BIRKMAN APART
Other ‘personality’ assessments categorize individuals based solely on personal characteristics and omit all situational factors surrounding them. Respondents get a ‘label’ that is usually a color or a personality title of some kind giving them a one-dimensional take away. For example, respondents say, “I am an ENTP” or “I am a high C [Conscientious]” or “I am a Relator, Strategic, Achiever, Arranger, Learner” and they share that with their colleagues and nothing inherently changes within the team dynamic. With those assessments, respondents are not provided with contextual information that helps them grow in self-awareness of 1) how they show up to the outside world (Usual), 2) what their internal motivators are (Needs) or 3) how they behave when they are stressed out.
The concept of NEEDS and their importance is a key factor in what sets The Birkman Method apart. With the knowledge individuals gain from the data reported in their Birkman, they are better equipped to take accountability for their behaviors, words, and actions. In addition, they gain an understanding of their STRESS behaviors and are provided strategies to help them move out of stress and back into their USUAL behavior – their most effective and productive self.
The four main elements of a Birkman Assessment are:
- Usual Behavior = One’s default style, most effective and productive behavior that is observable by others – connoted as a DIAMOND.
- Underlying Needs = Internal motivators, expectations that the individual has, about how others should treat them that are invisible to others.
- Stress Behavior = Ineffective, negative behaviors (frustrated, acting out behaviors) that occur when Needs are not met and that are observable by others.
- Interests = Areas of interest indicating what an individual prefers to do and how they prefer to direct their energies, as measured by 10 scales correlating to over 160 different occupational roles and careers.
When you find your DIAMOND and stick with it – you make space not only for your brilliance, but also, for others to perform and SHINE from their true strengths as well.
Cindy Goyette, Career Coach & Advisor
