Every leader wants a high-performing team. But too often, the conversation about performance skips over the very thing that drives it: people’s unique differences.
We talk about goals, deadlines, and strategy — yet we rarely talk about how individuals actually work, what they need to thrive, and how those needs show up in the dynamics of the team.
That’s where the Workstyle Differentiators Report comes in. And it’s why this report is at the heart of the Birkman High Performing Teams (HPT) Program.
Why Conversations Matter More Than Ever
Hybrid work, fast-changing markets, and diverse teams mean collaboration is more complex than ever. It’s not enough to assume everyone shares the same expectations or processes information the same way.
When differences aren’t surfaced, they don’t go away — they become friction. A teammate who needs time to think may clash with one who thrives on quick decisions. Someone motivated by clear direction may struggle in a free-flowing, unstructured environment.
Without a shared language to name these dynamics, conversations stall and trust erodes. But with the right insights, teams can turn differences into strengths.
The Power of Workstyle Differentiators
The Workstyle Differentiators Report highlights the top three ways you are statistically different from the general population. These are the things that make you uniquely you.
For individuals, this means recognizing not only the strengths you bring to your environment, but also the conditions that help you shine. For teams, it means learning to appreciate — and actively leverage — those differences.
Instead of ignoring or smoothing over what makes people different, the report encourages teams to celebrate those distinctions as essential to performance.
From Insight to Alignment
In the High Performing Teams Program, the Workstyle Differentiators Report serves as a catalyst for the three pillars of team effectiveness:
- Purpose – By surfacing each individual’s unique lens, the team can more clearly connect personal strengths to the collective mission.
- Clarity – Differentiators help define what each person needs from others, reducing confusion and wasted effort.
- Psychological Safety – Understanding differences builds empathy, allowing teammates to voice perspectives without fear of judgment.
These insights turn abstract ideals like “trust” or “alignment” into real, lived conversations.
The Team View: A Snapshot of Culture
The report doesn’t stop at the individual. It also provides a team snapshot that reveals what makes the group as a whole unique.
- Team Usual Behaviors – the tendencies that show up in daily work.
- Team Expectations – the conditions the group needs to perform at its best.
- Team Stress Behaviors – the pitfalls to watch out for when pressure rises.
- Team Interests – the motivators that energize the group.
This collective view helps teams see their shared culture clearly and, just as importantly, where individual voices might not naturally align with the group. Instead of sidelining those perspectives, the team learns how to incorporate them as valuable counterpoints.
From Awareness to Action
Awareness is only the first step. The HPT Program takes these insights and translates them into practical, forward-looking strategies.
Through 8 hours of interactive activities and facilitated dialogue, teams:
- Compare their individual strengths and challenges with the team profile.
- Explore how unique differentiators contribute to or sometimes complicate collaboration.
- Develop actionable plans for improving communication and effectiveness.
The result? Teams walk away not just with new knowledge, but with shared commitments to how they’ll work together moving forward.
Why This Matters Now
The cost of misalignment is too high to ignore. Teams that fail to surface and manage differences lose time, energy, and trust. But teams that embrace those differences become stronger, more innovative, and more resilient.
The Workstyle Differentiators Report makes those essential conversations possible. And the High Performing Teams Program provides the structure to turn them into lasting change.
A New Chapter for High Performing Teams
We’ve relaunched HPT to make it even more accessible so more organizations can invest in building the foundations of purpose, clarity, and psychological safety.
Because in the end, the question isn’t whether your team has differences. It’s whether you know how to use them.
