What Is the Birkman Method?
Everyone reacts to pressure in different ways, and everyone deals with job-related pressure at one time or another. Understanding how you are likely to act in stressful situations—or even just knowing what will trigger stress for you—can make you more effective at dealing with high-pressure situations and perform better. The Birkman Method is one tool you or your employer may implement to better understand your personality and support your productivity with respect to your cognitive diversity. Below we’ll take a closer look at The Birkman Method and the ways it may apply to your future career opportunities.
History of The Birkman Method
The Birkman Method was developed as the Test of Social Comprehension, which was created in 1951 by Dr. Roger Birkman. He based his test on his time in the U.S. Air Force, where he observed key differences in how people reacted to various training methods and situations.
Four Perspectives of Personality
Birkman designed his assessment based on four perspectives of personality—motivation (interests), social perception (how you perceive situations you are in), self-perception (how you approach tasks), and stress behaviors (how you react when your needs are not met). Test results divide individuals into four categories: Blue, Red, Yellow and Green. Blues are on the most creative end of the spectrum, while Yellows are analyzers who are highly organized and process-oriented. Greens are people-oriented communicators, and Reds are action-focused doers who take a hands-on approach.
Applying The Birkman Method to Your Career
There are no right or wrong results with The Birkman Method. However, knowing where you stand can be valuable as you approach career opportunities and seek the right job for your skills and interests. Alternatively, employers may apply The Birkman Method and other personality assessments to build more effective teams and cater tasks to different personality types.
If you are looking to take that next step in your career, Crosworks can help you navigate your goals and tailor your career to your skills and interests. Contact us to explore our career assessment and job search strategies.