Human Agility

What is Human Agility?

We all have many unconscious operating systems, or unconscious automatic ways of being that drive our behavior. These come from many sources—our upbringing, life conditions, traumas, stages of life, and many others we could think of.

Some of the most significant unrecognized operating systems are those that come from the core of our personality—tendencies and inclinations that have been with us since birth. When we know what these systems are we can make choices about whether they will drive our behavior or whether we will decide to flex.

The Berens CORE™ Approach allows us to detect the underlying rules of some of the most complex aspects of ourselves. Once we know these rules, we can see how to satisfy deep needs and drives, how to engage our talents to get those needs and drives met, and how to set them aside when we need to.

How Can This Help You?

The Berens CORE Approach™ helps us identify our core preferences, drives, behavior, and thinking so we can center and re-center ourselves to be at our best. Agility comes more easily when we are strong in our core and do not feel compelled to hang on tightly to it. Not only do we need to identify these core tendencies, we need maps for what is required by different situations and how to shift our behavior to match what is needed.

Berens CORE Approach uses lightly held, multiple models to help us identify what is at our individual core as well as a path to development and agility. Each model or lens sheds a different light on human complexity and helps us see clearly what drives us. They are held lightly, meaning that there is always room for exceptions and variations.

Berens CORE Approach helps us:

  • Deeply understand our unconscious sources of stress
  • Better manage our stress and the stress of others
  • Effectively engage with others
  • Dramatically improve our communication
  • Increase engagement for ourselves, in communities, and in organizations

Why is it important for business in today’s world?

Agile enterprise requires agile people. Preparing yourself and making space for others in agile interactions and communication is imperative to thrive in the world today.

In order to sustain an agile organization, the people of the organization must be able to maintain mental flexibility, balance, adaptability and coordination. Berens CORE Approach facilitates the discovery and development of that agility.

Berens CORE Approach enables individuals to become more effective leaders, teammates and contributors. Change Agents use Berens CORE Approach in culture change initiatives, improved teamwork, customer relationships, and many other aspects of business.

How is Berens CORE Approach different from personality typing?

Personality typing usually refers to the use of the personality type code developed by Isabel Myers in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® instrument. It most often involves taking an instrument, getting feedback and receiving some kind of report. Sometimes it involves a process of self-discovery with or without an instrument.

The goal of personality typing is for the individual to identify a best-fit personality type. Too often the learner is left with a type code that may or may not have personal meaning and a report that gets filed in the drawer. Personality typing often focuses on parts since people can’t hold 16 types in their heads. These parts are the dichotomies that can be misleading when taken out of the context of the whole.

Berens CORE Approach focuses on building self-awareness skills and learner owned identification of their own personality patterns. The practices that help them develop the needed agility stay with them throughout their lifetime. Most of all the information learned about themselves and others is so profound that it can be life changing. With the models held lightly, there is room to grow and develop and a high degree of buy in.

For more information see our comparison chart.

 Personality TypingBerens CORE™ Approach
GoalGetting a type code or a label.Increasing conscious use of strengths and inclinations as well as interpersonal agility.
Learning ProcessTake an instrument, get feedback, verify type.Self-discovery process with validated descriptions and behavioral feedback, using lightly held models, followed by practices that foster horizontal and vertical development and agility.
Learning FormatSometimes on line without any feedback by an expert, most often with individual coaching or in a group workshop.Facilitated by a skilled professional in either 1-on-1 coaching or in group sessions. Can be in person or using web technology. Insures holding models lightly and accurate verification.
Instrument resultsUsually emphasized as a starting point.Not required, but can be integrated as a data point. This allows for flexible, holistic learning.
Models UsedUsually a single model based on the MBTI¨ instrument or Jungian theory.Integrated multiple models can stand on their own or integrate with each other so the individual can build their own agility map.
PracticalityDeceptively simple if only focused on dichotomies, but this can lead to misidentification and over-stereotyping.Each model has qualities that make it memorable and easy to remember such as meaningful names of the types rather than letters & graphic models.
Learning RetentionDepends on how relevant it seems to the learner. Sometimes a printed report or booklets to be referenced. Often these land on the shelf or the file drawer.While materials and tools are provided, learner leaves with deeply understood internal 'maps' that can be referenced anytime, anywhere, with or without books or computers. Embedded practices bring content and theory to life, for life.
Participant materials for individualsRanges from just the resulting type code to reports and sometimes booklets.Published workbooks for each model, job aids, leader materials, and context specific assessments.
Training Format for CertificationSelf study, take the MBTI¨ instrument, or similar , attend a workshop, take an exam, explore dichotomies, and read some books. Total preparation certification, including pre-work to set the context, expert workshop training using effective adult learning principles, expert online modules, competency assessments and personal coaching for full preparation.

How can I learn how to use Berens CORE™ Approach?

Contact us at or call 714-623-8756 to set up a personal consultation. We look forward to talking with you.


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