Networking is about building relationships and making a conscious, authentic effort to get to know people, both within and outside your industry. Today’s most successful networkers understand that meaningful, professional relationships are built on genuine compatibility, shared values, similar interests and complementary strengths.
The Birkman Method, a powerful, comprehensive personality and behavioral assessment tool, is revolutionizing how modern-day professionals approach networking by providing deep insights into individual behaviors, motivators and other personality traits. At Crosworks, we work to understand your motivations, explore your work style, and know your interests to develop a personalized plan that meets your needs and aspirations. Learn more about Crosworks’ Individual Services, which include the Birkman Assessment.
Understanding Your True Self
Birkman goes a step further in exploring various personality types and revealing deeper motivations, communication styles, and an individual’s work preferences. Birkman Assessment results are designed to provide detailed insights into one’s usual behavior, underlying needs, and stress behaviors, giving a nuanced picture of how an individual operates under different circumstances in a professional setting. As an individual, when you’re more self-aware and better able to identify your strengths, you can approach networking with greater confidence and authenticity.
Targeting the Correct Approach to Relationship Building
Behavioral insights derived from Birkman’s assessment results enable professionals to identify and connect with those who complement their working style and share similar professional values. As an example, let’s assume that you are someone with high Birkman scores in structure and detail orientation. Hence, since you will connect well with people who share similar interests and value a systemic approach to work, seeking out networking opportunities with project managers, finance professionals, or operations leaders would prove beneficial.
But a targeted networking approach doesn’t mean that you limit your networking opportunities to job functions only. Based on your personality type, seek to build better professional relationships and grow contacts with people who align well with your personality type. This alignment will ultimately help you form more meaningful and productive relationships.
Enhancing Communication Effectiveness
By far, one of Birkman’s greatest networking advantages lies in its ability to improve communication effectiveness. Not only does the assessment reveal how you prefer to communicate, but it also takes it a step ahead to explain how others might interpret your communication style. How this helps? The awareness allows you to tweak your style or change your approach, especially when communicating with professionals who may have different communication preferences.
At corporate events or during networking conversations with professionals who are associated with companies that you may have an interest in, articulating your strengths can be challenging. Birkman helps you clearly express your unique value proposition and allows you to communicate your strengths effectively. For example, instead of using a generic statement like “I am a team player,” you can say, “I’m someone who thrives in collaborative environments where I can share my diverse perspectives; hence, your company’s cross-functional approach appeals to me significantly.
Focusing on Strategic Career Alignment
Your Birkman assessment results help you network more strategically by clarifying your career interests and identifying your preferred work environment. With this information in hand, you develop a more focused networking approach – one that aligns with your long-term career goals. Joining industry associations and becoming a part of select professional groups based on your interests and strengths will expose you to the right opportunities that align well with your strategic career goals.
Let’s assume that you are someone with strong interests in creative problem-solving and innovation. In this case, your priority should lie in networking at tech conferences and entrepreneurship meetups, where you’re more likely to meet people with similar interests.
Creating Authentic Connections
Authenticity is key to developing lasting professional relationships. Being self-aware of your personality, working style, career goals, and professional values allows you to present yourself genuinely and naturally attract people who appreciate your work and your authentic style. Birkman’s ability to help you recognize and appreciate diverse behavioral styles fosters greater empathy and reduces unconscious bias. Remember, during the entire networking process, if you genuinely appreciate an individual’s unique perspective and working style, you lay the foundation for a mutually beneficial and lasting professional relationship.
Final Thoughts
The Birkman Assessment enables professionals to network with greater intention, authenticity, and effectiveness. This ultimately gives us a professional network that not only supports career advancement but also fosters genuine professional relationships that are built on respect, empathy, and mutual understanding.
At Crosworks, we work to understand your motivations, explore your work style, and know your interests to develop a personalized plan that meets your needs and aspirations. Learn more about Crosworks’ Individual Services, which include the Birkman Assessment.