1. The Birkman Method®
Insights That Drive
Engagement and Productivity
Patrina M. Clark, President
Pivotal Practices Consulting LLC
Organizational Consulting for Sustainable Performance Excellence

2. *
What is The Birkman Method®?
• Online assessment of personality traits, social perceptions,
motivation, and occupational interests
• Measures the “will” (motivation) and the “how” (behavior) of
task accomplishment and relating to/working with others
• Provides actionable feedback about usual behaviors, needs,
and resulting stress behaviors when needs are not met

3. Clinical Syndromes
Non-Judgmental
Personality Characteristics
Behavior Styles
Attitudes
Stress Profiles
Motivation
Motivational Need Profiles
Relational Needs
PersonalValues
Perceptual Profiles
Occupational Interests
Occupational Comparisons
Occupational Themes
Occupational Library
Occupational Strengths
Organizational Comparisons
Interview Guide
Job Analysis
Work Requirements
Job Behaviors
Job Profiles
Performance Reviews
Integrated Database
Comparisons With The Birkman Method®
Nothing comes close to offering
the breadth and scope of
The Birkman Method®
The
Birkman
Method®
16 PF
MMPI©
DISC©
Myers-
Briggs
Edwards
Personal
Performance
Strong
Interest
Inventory
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4. *
A few users you might recognize . . .

5. 5
So Much More Than “Just a Personality Test”
• Descriptive + Prescriptive
• Self-Awareness + Self-Management
• Group Awareness + Group Management
• Identify and Accelerate Development
• Non-Judgmental Reporting
• Facilitates A Common, Neutral Language
• More Than an Individual Event

6. 6
• Career Management
• Coaching
• Conflict Resolution
• Hiring/Selection
• Leadership Development
• Retention
• Retirement Planning
• Succession Planning
• Team Building
Single Source Talent Management Solution

7. 7
• Developed in the late 1940s by Dr. Roger
Birkman
• Created from the need to have an
assessment that could measure normative
behaviors of working adults
• Empirically created assessment instrument
– scales were not derived from an existing
personality model
• Used in more than 8,000 organizations,
including most in the Fortune 500
• Completed by more than 3 million people
worldwide
Birkman Corporate Offices
Houston, Texas
The Birkman Method® – A Retrospective

8. The Birkman Method®!
*
Behavioral Dimensions
Usual Behavior
Stress Behavior
behavior !
Usual = effective, strength behavior
Stress = ineffective, frustrated behavior

9. The Birkman Method®!
Motivational Dimensions
Needs
Interests
Usual Behavior !
Stress Behavior!
motivation !
Needs = interpersonal / environmental expectations
Interests = occupational preferences

10. The Birkman Method®!
General Model of The Birkman Method®!
B = f (P/E)! Dr. Kurt Lewin (1890-1947) !
“Lewin’s Equation”!
Behavior is the result of a Person’s interaction with his or her Environment. !
Environment … people and tasks around a person!
Behavior … Birkman Usual and Stress!
Person … Birkman Needs and Interests!

11. The Birkman Method®!
Basic Example: B = f (P/E)
!
B!
Usual !
(Stress)!
P!
Needs!
Interests!
B!
Usual !
(Stress)!P!
Needs!
Interests!
Two people engage in a conversation. One person’s external behavior
(Usual or Stress Behavior) affects the recipient’s internal expectations
(Needs and Interests).
Needs/Interests get met = motivated/engaged (Usual)
Needs/Interests do not get met = demotivated/disengaged (Stress)
“Lewin’s Equation”!

12. The Birkman Method®!
Challenge: A senior level executive at a Fortune 500 U.S. company
was unsatisfied with the performance of her team.
Resolution: The process began by interviewing the executive
about her team and providing her personal Birkman results to her.
Each team member was also provided with their personal Birkman
results. It became evident there were communication challenges
between the executive and her team and a lack of clarity around
responsibilities. Using the Birkman results, the team members
were empowered to better understand themselves, each other,
and their leader. This formed a foundation for setting ground rules
for working together and better defining roles and
responsibilities. The executive received personal coaching on her
Birkman results (focusing on communicating more effectively with
her team) and leadership training on setting increased levels of
accountability among the team.
Success: The team now manages issues directly, openly, and
honestly with a clear understanding of what team members are
focused on and why. The team is more interpersonally productive
through an understanding of why they each act and react in the
ways they do. The executive gained an understanding of her team
members as unique individuals with unique motivations, and as a
result, can better support them for personal, team and
organizational success.
Application

13. The Birkman Method®!
The Birkman Method: Your Personality at Work!
To purchase, visit …!
Hardback and ePub …!
… and more.!

14. About Patrina M. Clark
Advanced Certified Birkman Consultant | Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)
Certified Human Capital Strategist (HCS) | Certified Results Coach (RACC)
14
Patrina M. Clark is a trusted advisor and resource to government leaders and executives. As the
president of Pivotal Practices Consulting, she offers the following results-oriented, targeted
solutions to clients:
• Executive, leadership, team, and organizational coaching
• Professional training and development
• Organizational consulting and planning support for enhanced employee engagement and
performance improvement
Patrina's well-decorated federal career (Meritorious Civilian Service Medal from the Department
of Navy, Hammer Award from the National Partnership for Reinventing Government, and dozens
of outstanding performance awards) in four federal agencies provides broad and deep expertise
in public sector talent management and organizational leadership.
She leverages this experience to deliver solutions that are responsive to leaders’ most pressing
people challenges, with special emphasis on enhancing worker engagement, the performance
management process, and organizational inclusiveness.
Patrina has completed graduate studies/programs at Harvard Business School, Cornell,
Georgetown, George Washington University, the University of Maryland (UMUC), and the Center
for Creative Leadership."

15. Contact
patrina@pivotalpractices.com
(301) 220-3179
pivotalpractices.com
!
!
The Birkman Method®!