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Increasing Productivity With a Smaller Workforce

In 2009, the City of Houston's (COH) Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) sought help to better fulfill its mission statement: To provide solid waste services to the citizens of Houston through the collection, disposal and recycling of discarded material in a manner that is safe, efficient, environmentally sound and cost-effective. Like many organizations, they faced operational inefficiency and skyrocketing expenses. City officials called on Houston Community College (HCC) and its Corporate College consulting arm to improve the department's team dynamics.

HCC consultants used customized team information they derived from The Birkman Method, and two years later, the resulting improvement in communication between supervisors and employees has led to an estimated cost savings of five million dollars in operational cost, as well as significantly improved operational efficiency.

Harry Hayes, Director of Solid Waste Management for the City of Houston, fully credits this team-building program for the department's dramatic turnaround. "Our employees deliver better service now because they understand themselves better, and they understand the impact they have on our business as individuals," he says.

"Teamwork thrives where people perform to their full potential in positions that align with their core interests, their social needs and their work styles," says Sharon Birkman-Fink, CEO of Birkman International, Inc. "Our testing is all about shining a light on people's innate strengths. Positive psychology testing can identify not only employee strengths, but also their motivating interpersonal needs and how their stress is going to look."

Birkman testing provides basic recommendations for how an individual can satisfy their motivational needs while best contributing to team success - criteria that have proven critical for companies seeking to reach and maintain high levels of quality and service, especially in a difficult environment which requires employee teams to do more with fewer people.

The Birkman Method, originally developed 60 years ago by Dr. Roger Birkman, has been used by nearly three million people in over 5000 organizations worldwide for hiring, retention, motivational programs and organizational development activities. It identifies traits in individuals that indicate whether they will work better on their own or as part of a team, whether they prefer a structured or a flexible work environment, whether they take initiative or need guidance, whether they think in terms of details or the big picture.

Using empirical data rather than academic theory, The Birkman Method provides an objective, highly accurate measure of team members' expectations and level of engagement. It helps employees understand how they and others process information and exercise responsibility - a pre-requisite for efficient, effective teams and workgroups, whether in a physical workspace or a virtual group.

Teamwork training is a must, according to a Harvard Business School Management Update, because "members often need help in skills such as listening, communicating with different kinds of people, and staying focused on the task." Personality assessment is considered by many experts to be an indispensable baseline tool for that training.

According to Birkman International, the first step in building effective team dynamics is to identify high quality team performers. The company uses its validated personality assessment tools to find the best candidates based on individual employees' emotional needs, behaviors, occupational preferences and organizational strengths. All of the data is derived from one questionnaire with simple questions, requiring about half an hour to complete.

"Hit or miss team-building often fails," says Birkman-Fink, "but use good personality assessment testing to spot the best talent, then focus training programs to grow the capabilities of these individuals, and team-building becomes a high-percentage, systematic process."

For Birkman International
Suzy Ginsburg, 713-721-4774
suzy@gcomworks.com