Increasing Productivity With a Smaller Workforce

HOUSTON—It’s a lesson being learned under the pressure of recession: how to     “super-size” productivity with a workforce downsized out of economic     necessity.

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.”