Image: Yashrib Ahmed on Unsplash
Image: Yashrib Ahmed on Unsplash
Navigating a career transition can feel like wading in murky water. While the individual may know they want change (or change is being enforced), finding clarity on what should come next can be a challenge.
In these situations generic advice — and even great career wisdom — can only get you so far. Why? Because it isn’t able to account for the unique intricacies and seeming contradictions of the individual in question.
Ask a person about themselves and they’ll be able to tell you something — maybe even in great detail — but like all of us, their ability to articulate ‘who they are’, and all the interwoven dynamics at work within them, is severely limited. We’re simply not that good at seeing (let alone understanding) our own tendencies, propensities, and deeply rooted perspectives.
So, if the challenge of Career Coaching is understanding what advice, direction and coaching will actually work for the individual in front of us, the solution, surely, is having objective data on a whole range of factors that will shape the individual’s drive, desires, and ultimate success.
Enter: The Birkman Method® (TBM)
Having a Birkman Signature Report is something akin to having a spec sheet for the human being in front of you:
What drives and motivates this person? What fuel do they run on? And what will cause them to grind to a halt?
When working well, how will this person function? What are their key ‘features’ and how do they operate?
What is required to keep them running smoothly? What care and upkeep will keep them in good condition?
What are the warning signs that something is amiss for this person? How are they likely to 'malfunction’? And what steps can be taken to solve any issues?
If that all sounds too good to be true, it’s probably time you experienced the power of Birkman’s data-driven insights for yourself.
This is not a simplistic personality quiz, lumping people into buckets or assigning an animal as a summary of their traits. (Will I come out as a Lion or a Hedgehog today? And how on earth does this help my career…?)
No; this is high-powered, high-detail, highly-stable, psychometric data. And it produces insights you can lean on — and build a career plan upon.
Data + Coaching
To find the right path forward, each individual needs to know what they have to work with: not just skills and experience, but drive and motivation, resilience, and the ability to stay engaged and energised long term.
If the goal is fulfilment, longevity, and sustainable engagement with the work they are doing (which it should be, right?), then even the wisest career guidance won’t cut it, without some data to reveal the realities of the individual.
Don’t try to guesswork your clients to success; become their insight-led guide, providing the self-awareness they’ll need for the long haul, and bridging the gap from where they are now to where they should be heading for the greatest career fulfilment.
Having the data is one thing, but self-awareness alone won't get most people where they need to go. Coaching adds clarity to what may feel overwhelming, and turns a powerful report into an actionable roadmap. It also helps your clients make sense of their experiences to date — so they can move forward with greater knowledge and resilience.
How do I access Birkman Signature for my clients?
Birkman Signature requires a BCP (Birkman Certified Professional) to deliver and interpret the report. The good news is you can become a BCP and start using Signature Reports at any of our In-Person or Virtual Certification Programmes.
Becoming a Birkman-Certified Coach equips you with foundational knowledge of the Birkman data, understanding of how scores apply to individuals across their work and home contexts, as well as relational dynamics, and how different scores may cause friction between people. It also prepares you to deliver competent interpretation of the data in a coaching conversation.
The truth is, Certification is just the beginning. It takes practice and experience, trial and error, to really become fluent and adept in interpreting and unpacking the narrative of an individual's report, and reflecting it back to them in a way that brings clarity and growth. But that’s why our support and resources extend far beyond your initial training. We pride ourselves on developing Birkman coaches and consultants who continue to learn and hone their skills to the utmost, so that the value they bring to their clients just keeps growing with them.
Want to experience the potential of the Birkman Signature Report for yourself? Our Report + 1-hour 1:1 Interpretation package will give you a taste of the data, while providing you with great personal insight and clarity! Get in touch today to learn more.
Career Coaching with The Birkman Method
Written by Claire Steiner
