Successfully Navigating Careers
Like many large organizations, Austin Energy has learned to overcome various challenges and changes over the years. As employees focus on expertise and operational responsibilities, communication gaps can form. Assumptions replace understanding; collaboration becomes reactive instead of proactive, and internal networks weaken.
One of the strategies to tackle these challenges was implementing Birkman long-term through employee workshops, networking opportunities and one-on-one sessions to increase self-awareness and gain clear career alignment, from intern to encore career.
As an ongoing investment in understanding people, Birkman has become a framework that helps employees better understand themselves and each other.
“It’s wrapped up in almost everything we do”- Austin Energy Organizational Development & Training Specialist Senior
Participation in the assessment is voluntary to respect each employee’s autonomy to decide whether to engage with the process (meaning an employee can opt in at any time). Once the assessment is completed, participating employees schedule a one-on-one conversation with the certified Birkman consultants on the Learning and Development Team. These sessions focus on interpreting the components of their personalized Birkman profiles, including Usual Behaviors, Needs, Stress Behaviors, and motivational interests.
While other assessments remain in the toolkit, many employees reported significant value in the depth of Birkman’s insights. Birkman’s value comes from the detailed conversations it enables teams to cultivate regarding environmental needs and communication.
Birkman gave the employees the common language that will last the rest of the employees’ career, no matter what stage they were in their career journey.
The stories of four individuals at different points in the career lifecycle are explored. One is discovering direction early in his career. One is navigating transition and clarifying the kind of work she wants to do. One has transitioned into leadership and inherited a team. One has carried Birkman across an entire career and into an encore chapter of continued contribution.
Together, their stories show how behavioral clarity can create continuity across a career: from intern to employee, from contributor to leader, and from retirement to renewed purpose.
Part I: Discovering Direction
At the beginning of a career, clarity can be formative. For employees still discovering where their strengths fit, Birkman provides more than a profile. It offers language for instincts that may not yet feel fully justified. In this first story, the assessment becomes a point of validation, helping an emerging professional see that his Birkman Interests are not incidental, but aligned with the work he would continue to do.
Uncovering Purpose Early in Career
One IT Business Systems Analyst first encountered Birkman as a college intern at Austin Energy. He joined Austin Energy as an intern in 2018 and was studying accounting at the time, but as experienced by many students, there was a small voice asking, “Is this the right path?” He knew he was drawn to technical, analytical work but wasn't sure if that instinct was worth trusting.
When he took Birkman, the results reflected strong Scientific and Numerical Interests.
“That’s actually what I do currently, and I’ve been doing that pretty much my entire career.”
His job of IT Business Analyst is in the finance department and embodies the scientific, numerical, and technical strengths and interest as the position stands as the middleman between all departments—IT, engineering, procurement, finance, and accounting. This employee remained in accounting, but with the newfound confidence that the job would evolve from simply bookkeeping and that his role would embody his motivational interests.
The assessment made him feel validated in that his career path aligned with his strengths. And from that insight, he was able to take action.
He later transitioned to a full-time role. His responsibilities evolved over time, but the core alignment of role and strengths remained consistent.
Part II: Clarifying Transition
While the first story shows Birkman helping an employee name the work that already seemed to fit, the next story shows a different kind of clarity. Here, Birkman supports movement from one type of role into another, helping an employee understand not only what she can do, but what kind of work she wants to keep doing.
Transitioning From Early Direction to Career Navigation
As Business Process Specialist, she joined Austin Energy in February 2020, one month before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down normal work life entirely. Prior to that, she had spent seven years working in another department for the City of Austin, advancing through administrative roles.
Administrative positions often require employees to manage many responsibilities at once. As she described:
“You’re constantly doing things, but you’re not constantly doing one thing.”
That variety can make it difficult to identify a specific career path. This employee desired a job with more specificity and made the leap across departments. The transition was difficult not because the employee felt they could not do it, but because from their perspective, once an organization sees you in an admin role, there tends to be a concern that you will always be an admin.
Naming the Work That Fits
Birkman validated their desire for this transition, when a revelation came from a Birkman workshop that explored behavioral Birkman Components such as Social Energy, Physical Energy, Self-Consciousness, and Assertiveness.
For her, that workshop became a turning point. As she reflected on her Birkman results and the behavioral Components that shaped how she approached her work, she gained a clearer understanding of both her strengths and the opportunities ahead. That perspective proved especially valuable as she stepped into a new role and navigated the uncertainty that often accompanies professional growth.
Promotions and evolving roles can create uncertainty. Birkman provided language that helped her understand where she excelled and where she may want to grow.
In this transition stage, Birkman became a tool for role clarity. It helped her separate capability from identity, making space for movement beyond how others may have previously seen her. The value is not only self-awareness, but permission to pursue work with greater specificity and alignment.
A Shared Language
The first two stories show how Birkman supports individual clarity. But at Austin Energy, it does not remain an individual experience or use case. Through workshops, mixers, one-on-one conversations, and the MyBirkman platform, personal insight becomes a shared organizational language. This shared language is what allows individual stories to connect into a broader culture of understanding.
Empowering the Team
One HR Manager had spent twenty years with Austin Energy, when she transitioned into her current leadership role and inherited a team of twenty-five employees. She organized a team-building workshop where everyone reviewed their results of the Birkman assessment together, rather than individual review. This experience revealed insights that surprised even long-time colleagues.
“Some of the team members that I had worked with for years...I was like, ‘What? You’re Yellow? And you’re Red.’...We’re probably more alike than you think. And if we are
different, we embrace those differences and use the strengths.”
Assumptions quickly disappeared. Collectively seeing their results alongside this shared language made the conversations more meaningful than reading their reports individually.
"Being aware is the first step... Being aware of what people tend to be more comfortable with, or why they might react a certain way in certain situations.” -
That awareness changed how the team interacted. Employees began building stronger relationships and connecting across roles. She now uses Birkman as a reference point when assigning projects.
“When I have a certain project that I need to be done really quick, and I need somebody analytical...it really is helpful when assigning work...If you have to do the work, at least you’re enjoying the piece of the project that you’re responsible for.”
Her goal is not only productivity but engagement. When employees feel that their strengths are recognized, they are more likely to stay engaged and trust the organization, thus creating longevity in their employment.
Part III: Sustaining Contributions Across a Career
From Shared Language to Lasting Impact
The final story of Birkman at Austin Energy brings that long arc into focus. It shows how the work evolved over time, and why the impact extended well beyond the initial engagement. For one long-tenured Project Manager, Birkman was first a tool for self-awareness, then a reference point during leadership, and eventually a way to keep contributing beyond retirement.
Beyond the Desk
He was introduced to Birkman early in his career, when he was still building his technical foundation. Over time, as his roles evolved from field operations to substations, engineering, technical training, and leadership, Birkman remained a steady reference point. It helped him understand how he worked, how he handled stress, and how he showed up with others.
He frequently referenced his Birkman, especially during the most demanding part of his career. As a supervisor in a 24/7 operations environment, his Birkman Insights physically at his desk.
“It’s right there… I had it right in my notebook on the front page. And I reference it all the time.”
During that time, he felt he was constantly in survival mode while focusing on keeping systems running, responding to late-night calls, and managing constant operational pressure. Birkman was his secret weapon against these challenges. Although Birkman helped him manage himself, he did not fully extend it to his team. Looking back, that stands out clearly.
“I used it for myself, but I never thought to get the team going on it… and it’s so weird because I saw so much value in it myself.”
He retired in 2017, but recognizing his need to be active, he accepted Austin Energy’s offer of temporary roles after retirement. With experience spanning the fields of engineering, training, and operations, he is now able to effectively communicate across teams and naturally bridge gaps within the organization.
Today, he actively encourages broader adoption and participation, particularly in areas where communication barriers are most visible.
“I really try to promote us using [Birkman] more… especially in field operations… because we already know we have communication barriers... Before I’m going to have a conversation with somebody… I’ll pull [MyBirkman] up… and see how we’re similar or not.
“They’ll share their Birkman with me… and we’ve taken a little bit deeper dive.”
These are trust-based conversations that happen in the flow of work that fill a gap for employees who may not pursue structured development opportunities. And when the trust is built and the environment of psychological safety is created, the team members are more inclined to participate in the workshops led by Leadership and Development.
What makes these moments especially powerful is the unique perspective he brings. One advantage he has over people who approach tools like Birkman from a purely HR or consulting background, is that he has lived the work.
“I bring a unique perspective… I’ve been in the field. I’ve been a lineman… I’ve worked in substations, engineering, training… I’ve literally been there, done that.”
That lived experience allows him to translate Birkman in a way that resonates, especially with field and technical employees who may otherwise feel disconnected from development tools.
What he once used solely for self-awareness, he now uses for connection and alignment.
What started as an internal tool has now become a shared framework for future work, coaching, and continued contribution.
Looking back, he sees Birkman not as a single moment, but as a throughline that gained meaning over time. Early in his career, it built awareness. During leadership, it provided grounding. In hindsight, it revealed missed opportunities. Now, beyond retirement, it offers a way to continue contributing with a purpose.
As his story shows, when a tool is relevant at every stage of a career, it doesn’t end when the job does.
The Lasting Value of Self and Others Awareness
Across these stories, Birkman is not presented as a single intervention or isolated development experience. It is a framework that meets employees wherever they are in the career lifecycle. For one employee, it validates direction. For another, it clarifies transition. For a long-tenured contributor, it becomes a language for ongoing connection and purpose.
At Austin Energy, Birkman is a long-term investment in understanding people that continues across every stage of an employee’s career. What started as a way to build self-awareness has grown into a shared language that supports communication, strengthens collaboration, and helps employees and their employers understand their inner motivations and needs to feel value in their careers.
Over time, this consistency has created something deeper than individual insight. It has enabled employees to move from assumptions to understanding, from reactive communication to intentional collaboration, and from isolated roles to a more connected culture. Birkman’s role is foundational, not a one-time experience.
Because participation is voluntary, employees engage with Birkman on their own terms. That choice reinforces trust and makes the insights more meaningful. Whether through workshops, one-on-one conversations, or everyday use of MyBirkman, employees continue to build on that foundation and apply what they learn in real work situations, relationships, and decisions.
The result is not a single outcome, but an ongoing one: a more connected, self-aware workforce that can adapt, communicate, and grow together. From intern to leader to encore career, Birkman provides a consistent framework that helps employees navigate change while staying aligned with who they are and how they work best.
At Austin Energy, that framework runs deeper than the process of operations. The framework shapes a culture where engagement thrives; clarity persists, and careers endure.
Part I: Discovering Direction
At the beginning of a career, clarity can be formative. For employees still discovering where their strengths fit, Birkman provides more than a profile. It offers language for instincts that may not yet feel fully justified. In this first story, the assessment becomes a point of validation, helping an emerging professional see that his Birkman Interests are not incidental, but aligned with the work he would continue to do.
Uncovering Purpose Early in Career
One IT Business Systems Analyst first encountered Birkman as a college intern at Austin Energy. He joined Austin Energy as an intern in 2018 and was studying accounting at the time, but as experienced by many students, there was a small voice asking, “Is this the right path?” He knew he was drawn to technical, analytical work but wasn't sure if that instinct was worth trusting.
When he took Birkman, the results reflected strong Scientific and Numerical Interests.
“That’s actually what I do currently, and I’ve been doing that pretty much my entire career.”
His job of IT Business Analyst is in the finance department and embodies the scientific, numerical, and technical strengths and interest as the position stands as the middleman between all departments—IT, engineering, procurement, finance, and accounting. This employee remained in accounting, but with the newfound confidence that the job would evolve from simply bookkeeping and that his role would embody his motivational interests.
The assessment made him feel validated in that his career path aligned with his strengths. And from that insight, he was able to take action.
He later transitioned to a full-time role. His responsibilities evolved over time, but the core alignment of role and strengths remained consistent.
Part II: Clarifying Transition
While the first story shows Birkman helping an employee name the work that already seemed to fit, the next story shows a different kind of clarity. Here, Birkman supports movement from one type of role into another, helping an employee understand not only what she can do, but what kind of work she wants to keep doing.
Transitioning From Early Direction to Career Navigation
As Business Process Specialist, she joined Austin Energy in February 2020, one month before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down normal work life entirely. Prior to that, she had spent seven years working in another department for the City of Austin, advancing through administrative roles.
Administrative positions often require employees to manage many responsibilities at once. As she described:
“You’re constantly doing things, but you’re not constantly doing one thing.”
That variety can make it difficult to identify a specific career path. This employee desired a job with more specificity and made the leap across departments. The transition was difficult not because the employee felt they could not do it, but because from their perspective, once an organization sees you in an admin role, there tends to be a concern that you will always be an admin.
Naming the Work That Fits
Birkman validated their desire for this transition, when a revelation came from a Birkman workshop that explored behavioral Birkman Components such as Social Energy, Physical Energy, Self-Consciousness, and Assertiveness.
For her, that workshop became a turning point. As she reflected on her Birkman results and the behavioral Components that shaped how she approached her work, she gained a clearer understanding of both her strengths and the opportunities ahead. That perspective proved especially valuable as she stepped into a new role and navigated the uncertainty that often accompanies professional growth.
Promotions and evolving roles can create uncertainty. Birkman provided language that helped her understand where she excelled and where she may want to grow.
In this transition stage, Birkman became a tool for role clarity. It helped her separate capability from identity, making space for movement beyond how others may have previously seen her. The value is not only self-awareness, but permission to pursue work with greater specificity and alignment.
A Shared Language
The first two stories show how Birkman supports individual clarity. But at Austin Energy, it does not remain an individual experience or use case. Through workshops, mixers, one-on-one conversations, and the MyBirkman platform, personal insight becomes a shared organizational language. This shared language is what allows individual stories to connect into a broader culture of understanding.
Empowering the Team
One HR Manager had spent twenty years with Austin Energy, when she transitioned into her current leadership role and inherited a team of twenty-five employees. She organized a team-building workshop where everyone reviewed their results of the Birkman assessment together, rather than individual review. This experience revealed insights that surprised even long-time colleagues.
“Some of the team members that I had worked with for years...I was like, ‘What? You’re Yellow? And you’re Red.’...We’re probably more alike than you think. And if we are
different, we embrace those differences and use the strengths.”
Assumptions quickly disappeared. Collectively seeing their results alongside this shared language made the conversations more meaningful than reading their reports individually.
"Being aware is the first step... Being aware of what people tend to be more comfortable with, or why they might react a certain way in certain situations.” -
That awareness changed how the team interacted. Employees began building stronger relationships and connecting across roles. She now uses Birkman as a reference point when assigning projects.
“When I have a certain project that I need to be done really quick, and I need somebody analytical...it really is helpful when assigning work...If you have to do the work, at least you’re enjoying the piece of the project that you’re responsible for.”
Her goal is not only productivity but engagement. When employees feel that their strengths are recognized, they are more likely to stay engaged and trust the organization, thus creating longevity in their employment.
Part III: Sustaining Contributions Across a Career
From Shared Language to Lasting Impact
The final story of Birkman at Austin Energy brings that long arc into focus. It shows how the work evolved over time, and why the impact extended well beyond the initial engagement. For one long-tenured Project Manager, Birkman was first a tool for self-awareness, then a reference point during leadership, and eventually a way to keep contributing beyond retirement.
Beyond the Desk
He was introduced to Birkman early in his career, when he was still building his technical foundation. Over time, as his roles evolved from field operations to substations, engineering, technical training, and leadership, Birkman remained a steady reference point. It helped him understand how he worked, how he handled stress, and how he showed up with others.
He frequently referenced his Birkman, especially during the most demanding part of his career. As a supervisor in a 24/7 operations environment, his Birkman Insights physically at his desk.
“It’s right there… I had it right in my notebook on the front page. And I reference it all the time.”
During that time, he felt he was constantly in survival mode while focusing on keeping systems running, responding to late-night calls, and managing constant operational pressure. Birkman was his secret weapon against these challenges. Although Birkman helped him manage himself, he did not fully extend it to his team. Looking back, that stands out clearly.
“I used it for myself, but I never thought to get the team going on it… and it’s so weird because I saw so much value in it myself.”
He retired in 2017, but recognizing his need to be active, he accepted Austin Energy’s offer of temporary roles after retirement. With experience spanning the fields of engineering, training, and operations, he is now able to effectively communicate across teams and naturally bridge gaps within the organization.
Today, he actively encourages broader adoption and participation, particularly in areas where communication barriers are most visible.
“I really try to promote us using [Birkman] more… especially in field operations… because we already know we have communication barriers... Before I’m going to have a conversation with somebody… I’ll pull [MyBirkman] up… and see how we’re similar or not.
“They’ll share their Birkman with me… and we’ve taken a little bit deeper dive.”
These are trust-based conversations that happen in the flow of work that fill a gap for employees who may not pursue structured development opportunities. And when the trust is built and the environment of psychological safety is created, the team members are more inclined to participate in the workshops led by Leadership and Development.
What makes these moments especially powerful is the unique perspective he brings. One advantage he has over people who approach tools like Birkman from a purely HR or consulting background, is that he has lived the work.
“I bring a unique perspective… I’ve been in the field. I’ve been a lineman… I’ve worked in substations, engineering, training… I’ve literally been there, done that.”
That lived experience allows him to translate Birkman in a way that resonates, especially with field and technical employees who may otherwise feel disconnected from development tools.
What he once used solely for self-awareness, he now uses for connection and alignment.
What started as an internal tool has now become a shared framework for future work, coaching, and continued contribution.
Looking back, he sees Birkman not as a single moment, but as a throughline that gained meaning over time. Early in his career, it built awareness. During leadership, it provided grounding. In hindsight, it revealed missed opportunities. Now, beyond retirement, it offers a way to continue contributing with a purpose.
As his story shows, when a tool is relevant at every stage of a career, it doesn’t end when the job does.
The Lasting Value of Self and Others Awareness
Across these stories, Birkman is not presented as a single intervention or isolated development experience. It is a framework that meets employees wherever they are in the career lifecycle. For one employee, it validates direction. For another, it clarifies transition. For a long-tenured contributor, it becomes a language for ongoing connection and purpose.
At Austin Energy, Birkman is a long-term investment in understanding people that continues across every stage of an employee’s career. What started as a way to build self-awareness has grown into a shared language that supports communication, strengthens collaboration, and helps employees and their employers understand their inner motivations and needs to feel value in their careers.
Over time, this consistency has created something deeper than individual insight. It has enabled employees to move from assumptions to understanding, from reactive communication to intentional collaboration, and from isolated roles to a more connected culture. Birkman’s role is foundational, not a one-time experience.
Because participation is voluntary, employees engage with Birkman on their own terms. That choice reinforces trust and makes the insights more meaningful. Whether through workshops, one-on-one conversations, or everyday use of MyBirkman, employees continue to build on that foundation and apply what they learn in real work situations, relationships, and decisions.
The result is not a single outcome, but an ongoing one: a more connected, self-aware workforce that can adapt, communicate, and grow together. From intern to leader to encore career, Birkman provides a consistent framework that helps employees navigate change while staying aligned with who they are and how they work best.
At Austin Energy, that framework runs deeper than the process of operations. The framework shapes a culture where engagement thrives; clarity persists, and careers endure.