Please note: this post is based on data available in the expresso platform and will be less applicable to those using the Birkman Signature report.

It’s easy to overlook your Organisational Focus scores, simply because they make up such a small ‘chunk’ of the data, when compared with the Grid, Areas of Interest or the Careers Data.

In fact these scores are key, and can offer you an enormous amount of insight into your own motivational drive, and why you approach life and work the way that you do!

We often talk about Focus in terms of ‘the specific tasks you want to spend your time doing, on a day-to-day basis’ but it could also be described in terms of your preferred approach in any given situation.


Let’s talk for a moment about how these scores differ from the Interest scores.

While both are telling you about your motivations, the 10 Interest scores are focused on what areas you are drawn to (are you most motivated by visuals? numbers? research? persuasion?) and Your Focus provides insight into the approach you will prefer to take (practical? systematic? reflective? interactive?).

For example, if you are someone who has all Blue Interests but Yellow Focus, this tells us that when you are engaging with your creative interests (or with anything else, for that matter) you are likely to be taking a more systematic, orderly, process-driven approach, than we might typically expect from someone with High Artistic / Musical / Literary Interests!


Here’s a couple of quick exercises to get you thinking about how your own Organisational Focus score plays out for you. Try to tailor your responses to fit what you most recognise in yourself - don’t just copy the examples (unless they are absolutely spot on for you)!


I am most satisfied by the opportunity to…

Complete the sentence using the examples below as a starting point.

If you have RED Focus: You are most satisfied by the opportunity to get things done, especially if that means working with tools and technology or taking a practical, hands-on approach to things.

If you have BLUE Focus: You are most satisfied by the opportunity to innovate and create new things, especially if that means thinking strategically, working outside the box, and implementing elegant designs.

If you have YELLOW Focus: You are most satisfied by the opportunity to get things into good shape, especially if that means working with procedures and data, and putting things onto a sound, sustainable footing.

If you have GREEN Focus: You are most satisfied by the opportunity to interact with people, especially if that means making a case, selling an idea or negotiating a ‘win/win’ solution.


I get a buzz from knowing that I have…

Complete the sentence using the examples below as a starting point.

If you have RED Focus: You get a buzz from knowing that you have solved a complicated technical problem or seeing a stack of finished product ready to ship!

If you have BLUE Focus: You get a buzz from knowing that you have solved an old problem in a new way or described a compelling vision of a better future!

If you have YELLOW Focus: You get a buzz from knowing that you have used numbers and data to solve a problem or that you have successfully implemented a well thought out system!

If you have GREEN Focus: You get a buzz from knowing that you have won the buy-in of a key player or got a diverse group of people turned around in the right direction and raring to go!


My preferred approach is to…

Complete the sentence using the examples below as a starting point.

If you have RED Focus: Your preferred approach is to just get things done and have practical problems solved in a functional and effective way, staying engaged by seeing things finished.

If you have BLUE Focus: Your preferred approach is to take time to think about how you can best improve, innovate or design - solutions or creative new ways of doing things and looking at the world - and use reflection and abstraction to draw new conclusions and ideas from your experiences.

If you have YELLOW Focus: Your preferred approach is to document, record, and follow systems, processes or procedures as a means of getting things done ‘the right way’ - creating a structure for understanding how things fit together, and basing future action on past evidence.

If you have GREEN Focus: Your preferred approach is to interact, motivate and get people involved in whatever you’re doing, drawing energy from their reactions and interactions, and ‘selling’ them on your ideas or solutions.


What difference could this understanding of your preferred approach make in your day-to-day life? Does it offer any insights into some of your habits, or the ways that you’ve always worked?

Think about your close friends, colleagues, or family members - can you guess which Focus colour they might be? Do they differ from you, and in what ways?

If you have more than one colour listed for Organisational Focus think about how this second colour plays out for you. Do the two approaches work together or each show up in different situations?