4 lenses Understanding personalities for workplace success

4 Lenses Uses four colors to identify four distinct perspectives and personalities Most of us have a dominant color with shades of the other three colors (our color spectrum) Recognizing your personality preference will enable you to respond more appropriately and concisely in various settings Research on personality differences can date back to 24 centuries ago!!! With Hippocrates. Then we had Carl Jung, Myers-Briggs, as well as True Colors. True Colors follows that there are four distinct personality preferences. Each of us usually has one color that is more dominant but we can operate in all the colors depending on the situation. Recognizing your true colors will help you to interact and appreciate the other people you meet and work with. Remind participants that true colors is not a label but a way for each person to recognize their comfort zone and how others may approach different situations based on their preferences. Also gives an eye opener as to why some people you know act as they do.

Color preference Step 1 Color Observation - Picture side up, set all 4 cards side by side. Select the best card that represents you and the things you prefer to do. Stack all cards from most like you to least like you. Pass out one True Color book to each student and have them complete it. Defining Your Color: Your FIRST color represents your strengths (self-esteem will be derived from this color) Your SECOND color influences how you express your first color No Description/Meaning for THIRD Your FOURTH color represents your weaknesses

Color preference (Page 7) Gold Green Blue Orange Step 1 1 3 2 4 Step 2 Step 3 Total Pass out one True Color book to each student and have them complete it. Defining Your Color: Your FIRST color represents your strengths (self-esteem will be derived from this color) Your SECOND color influences how you express your first color No Description/Meaning for THIRD Your FOURTH color represents your weaknesses

Color preference Step 2 Evaluate Preference Turn cards to side with bordered colors. Re-order your preference based solely on what you read. Pass out one True Color book to each student and have them complete it. Defining Your Color: Your FIRST color represents your strengths (self-esteem will be derived from this color) Your SECOND color influences how you express your first color No Description/Meaning for THIRD Your FOURTH color represents your weaknesses

Color preference (Page 7) Gold Green Blue Orange Step 1 1 3 2 4 Step 2 Step 3 Total Pass out one True Color book to each student and have them complete it. Defining Your Color: Your FIRST color represents your strengths (self-esteem will be derived from this color) Your SECOND color influences how you express your first color No Description/Meaning for THIRD Your FOURTH color represents your weaknesses

Color preference Step 3 Preference Survey Turn to page 6 and complete the Preference survey. You will score from 4 to 1. Pass out one True Color book to each student and have them complete it. Defining Your Color: Your FIRST color represents your strengths (self-esteem will be derived from this color) Your SECOND color influences how you express your first color No Description/Meaning for THIRD Your FOURTH color represents your weaknesses

Color preference (Page 7) Gold Green Blue Orange Step 1 1 3 2 4 Step 2 Step 3 D 16 B 29 C 23 A 32 Total Pass out one True Color book to each student and have them complete it. Defining Your Color: Your FIRST color represents your strengths (self-esteem will be derived from this color) Your SECOND color influences how you express your first color No Description/Meaning for THIRD Your FOURTH color represents your weaknesses

Color preference Identify Your Preference Total each column on page 7. Pass out one True Color book to each student and have them complete it. Defining Your Color: Your FIRST color represents your strengths (self-esteem will be derived from this color) Your SECOND color influences how you express your first color No Description/Meaning for THIRD Your FOURTH color represents your weaknesses

Color preference (Page 7) Gold Green Blue Orange Step 1 1 3 2 4 Step 2 Step 3 D 16 B 29 C 23 A 32 Total 18 35 27 40 Total for Step 3 left to right should equal 100 Total for Total row left to right should equal 120 Defining Your Color: Your FIRST color represents your strengths (self-esteem will be derived from this color) Your SECOND color influences how you express your first color No Description/Meaning for THIRD Your FOURTH color represents your weaknesses

85% of US Military – Green/Gold Distribution of Colors L R After break review the breakdown of colors for the population. Explain that there are more yellow and orange and less blue and green. Left Brain : Green & Blue Green (NT) Similar: Intuitive Gatherers Opposite: Thinking Process Blue (NF) Opposite: Feeling Process Right Brain Orange (SP) Similar: Sensory Gatherers Opposite: Perceiving Approach Gold (SJ) Opposite: Judging Approach 85% of US Military – Green/Gold

Group Exercise Form groups by brightest color Brainstorm as a group identifying your ideal workplace and/or joys, values, strengths, needs Capture your ideas on paper Each group will present to the group Group Exercise. Brainstorm : Joys, Values, Strengths & Needs Ask each student to identify their brightest color. Divide students into groups by their brightest color. If there are groups with no one in them ask people for their second highest or do that poster yourself from the cards in the true colors pack. Give each group a sheet of flip chart paper and ask them to work as a group to identify what they value most, need, their strengths and joys. Each person in the group must agree on each items that goes on the sheet. We are looking at the most valuable to that group. Make a small tear in the top of the gold poster paper. Tell the groups they will have 15 minutes. Walk around and monitor the progress. Once the groups are done; let them take a 10 minute break.

Green Presentation Ask the green group to present their ideas to the class. Their poster may be hung without explanation or they may review their poster in a forthright way. There is always a well-thought, logical reason for each word listed. Most words will relate to logic and self-mastery. Rarely will you find a word describing feelings, emotions or relationships. Comment on items presented as you see fit. Recap on some of the items and thank the group for their work on this.

Green Traits Problem solver/Innovative “Why” mentality Abstract, theoretical & conceptual Global thinker – will look for big picture Standard setter – visionary, futuristic, inventor Cool, calm, collected Intellectual/Witty/Enjoy Word Puns & Dark Humor Work is play and play is work Need for independence and private time Driven by competence Perfectionist Analytical Approaches interpersonal relationships in a logical manner -The best word to describe a Green is they are conceptual. Have an investigative mind. Independent thinker, a natural nonconformist and live life by own standards. -They do things that require vision, problem solving, strategy, ingenuity, design and change. Once an idea is perfected, prefer to move on to a new challenge. -Value knowledge, intelligence, insight and justice. Enjoy relationships with shared interests. Prefer to let head rule the heart. Cool, calm and collected. Green preferences are often the most misunderstood of all the color profiles. Their ability to make objective decisions with a high degree of independence leads other to misread them as cold and uncaring. DON’T ASK A GREEN IF YOU LOOK FAT IN THIS OUTFIT…they tell you how it is. Others may see greens as intellectual snobs – know it alls who use big words & refer to books that aren’t read by the general public; arrogant – condescending or think they are always right (ask a Green though & they will say they are 99% of the time right); heartless – uncaring or devalue emotional pleas; unrealistic, eccentric, weird, unfeeling, anti-social, aloof, sarcastic, critical. Famous Green: Abraham Lincoln Aristotle Arnold Schwarzenegger Bryant Gumbel Dwight D. Eisenhower Henry Kissinger John F. Kennedy Mr. Spock Richard Nixon Robin Williams Sigmund Freud Socrates Benjamin Franklin Katherine Hepburn Thomas Edison SIMILARITIES AMONG THESE PEOPLE?? Science/develop concepts/analytical

Stressors for Bright Green Lack of recognition of their ability Elaborate use of adjectives Not being in charge Lack of independence Subjective judgment Emotional displays Incompetence Small talk Routine Social functions

Keys To Motivating Greens… Understand they express themselves through their ability to be competent in everything they do Honor their need for privacy Understand their necessity to question your knowledge or facts Realize they too have feelings Realize their stress comes from fear of appearing foolish Appreciate their varied interests Encourage & reward achievements by commenting on their creativity, competence & ability Appreciate their need to be competent Preserve their privacy to think & read Recognize their need for independence If you have your spouse, friend, co-worker who has high green preferences there are things you can do to improve your relationship with them.

Blue presentation This group may send up several people or the whole group. They will usually present based on the feelings of everyone. They may express concern for participants in the room who may not understand a term and restate things in a way that makes everyone happy. The poser will probably be created by all at the table and creative in nature. It’s common to find pictures to represent a consensus. The poster will have relationship orientated words.

Blue Traits Friendly Helpful Express emotion Optimistic Foster harmony Empathetic Take time to relate Creative Indirect Read between the lines Personal Polite & compassionate unless personal values are violated -The best word to describe a Blue is compassionate. Always encouraging & supporting. A peacemaker, sensitive to the needs of others. -Have a strong desire to contribute & to help others lead more significant lives. -Poetic and often enjoy the arts. A natural romantic. -Value integrity & unity in relationships. Like to do things that require caring, counseling, nurturing, & harmonizing. -Express feeling easily. Enthusiastic, idealistic, communicative & sympathetic. Famous Blues: Halle Berry Mariah Carey Mother Teresa Michael Jackson Oprah Winfrey Princess Diana Mozart Ghandi Jimmy Carter Similarities?? Social work/work for causes/people in need.

Stressors for Bright Blue Broken promises and too much negativity Not being involved and lack of social contact Too much conformity Clock watching Being compared to others Conflict Lying Rejection Insincerity Completing paperwork as priority Placing the “system” before people

Keys To Motivating Blues… Acknowledge them before diving in Recognize their need to contribute, include them Show appreciation Be open and responsive Realize stress comes from disharmony Help them more after a setback Pay attention to congruency in body language Have patience, listen for feelings Let them share what they know Hear them out Be tactful when offering feedback

Green & Blue Opposites in temperament What would it be like working with your opposite? Similar in the way they collect data, Intuitive Look at big picture Focus on relationships & connections between facts Want to grasp patterns Especially attuned to facts Green & Blue are considered opposites. Examples: -Spouse (Blue) calling (Green) at work… “hi, I just called because I was thinking about you. I wanted to tell you I love you. That’s all I wanted”. Hang up & then call again later w/similar message. The green will probably grow impatient. Ask the blue group how many times they call their spouse or significant other during the day. Ask them how often they’d like to get calls like this. -When Green marries…says “I love you” won’t hear it again. Figures if things haven’t changed I don’t need to say anything. Discuss with the groups how Blues like to hear “I love you”. Ask greens what they need in their relationships to feel loved. -Blue comes in to room, say training, and sees a Green sitting alone…

Gold presentation Gold preferences are organized in the preparation and delivery of their poster. They might divide responsibilities among themselves. They may have a rough draft and someone might be in charge of spelling and another in charge of transcribing the information. The presentation will most likely be formal by the elected spokesperson. There will most likely be a bulleted list of items in one color, probably black. If they fixed the tear in the paper, point this out.

Gold Traits Communicate in writing Purposeful Task focused Appropriate Loyal Predictable Chronological Detail orientated Status quo – speak of how “It has always been” Make judgments – right or wrong Need closure Accountable -The best word to describe a Gold is conventional. Pillar of strength & have high respect for authority. Like to establish & maintain policies, procedures & schedules. Have a strong sense of right & wrong. Naturally parental & dutiful. -Do things that require organization, dependability, management & detail. Need to be useful & to belong. Sensible, stable backbone of any group. Believe that work comes before play. -Value home, family, status, security & tradition. Seek relationships that help ensure a predictable life. Caring, concerned & loyal. Show concern through practical things. Very organized & don’t like surprises. Famous Golds; Dan Rather George Bush Henry Ford J. Edgar Hoover Julia Child Margaret Thatcher Nancy Reagan Rush Limbaugh Similarities? Politics/government/news. Many military members score this.

Stressors for Bright Gold Incomplete tasks Disorganization Irresponsibility Changing details Lack of direction Ambiguous tasks Waste Non-Conformity Lack of structure Haphazard attitude Too many things going on at once People who don’t follow through

Keys To Motivating Bright Golds… Be specific, do some reasonable planning Outline priorities Don’t interrupt Apologize when appropriate Appeal to strong sense or “right” & “wrong” Stay on task or target Praise their responsible actions & hard work Acknowledge their stability, recognize contributions Be punctual Offer to help so they don’t feel the need to “do it all” Follow through on commitments Save surprises or novelty

Orange Presentation They will often present in a casual, spontaneous fashion. They may laugh and joke as they run through their jumbled disorganized group of words, pictures and various colors. They give others, especially golds, the perception they don’t take life seriously or that they are irresponsible. Is not always the case but often the perception. Most words on this poster will be “action-oriented” nouns or action verbs. They will often mention “sex” or activities with sensual overtones.

Orange Traits Confident Loud Casual Speak in the moment “Now” orientated Quick & Brief Straightforward In motion Flexible Varied Involved -The best word to describe an Orange is courageous. Acts on a moment’s notice. Sees life as a roll of the dice, a game of chance. Need stimulation, freedom & excitement. A natural leader, troubleshooter & performer. -Do things that require variety, results & participation. Often enjoy using tools. Competitive & bounce back quickly from defeat. -Value action, resourcefulness & courage. Generous, charming & impulsive. Show affection through physical contact. Gives perception (especially to Golds) that they don’t take life seriously or that they are irresponsible. Can be loud & causes the other colors to pull away from them. Famous Oranges: Bill Clinton Elvis Presley Franklin D. Roosevelt Janet Jackson Madonna Marilyn Monroe Mohammed Ali Ronald Reagan Theodore Roosevelt Tom Cruise Similarities? Wilder/set their own rules/out of the norm/attention seekers

Stressors for Bright Orange Too much responsibility Rules & regulations Being stuck at a desk Abstract concepts Reading manuals Imposed structure Repetition and routine Personal criticism Deadlines Inactivity Following detailed directions Lack of Fun and lack of variety

Keys To Motivating Bright Oranges… Recognize the need for freedom Value playfulness Realize stress comes from lack of excitement Building fun into activities Praise their skills Encourage them to take action, match their speed Be direct & to the point Appreciate their flair, recognize contributions Move with them Give them an audience Offer options Make it a challenge

Gold & Orange Opposites in temperament, how they process information What would it be like to work with your opposite? Similar in how they collect information, Sensing Take in information that is real & tangible Observant about the specifics of what is going on around them Observe and remember specifics Review that gold & orange are opposites. Examples: -Ask the gold group, “if I gave you a list of ten things to do, what would you do?” They will probably say “complete the list” . Ask them “Which ones would you do?” They will probably reply, “all of them”. Ask them “What order would you complete the list?” They will usually answer start with one and move down the list, one at a time, all the way to ten”. Ask the same questions to the orange group. They will often answer that they will do the list but on their own terms, usually starting with the task they think is the most important or that interests them the most. -Preparing for a trip, Gold wants to make sure you have everything packed, trip mapped out, places to stay. Orange wants to jump in the car and go. We’ll figure it out when we get there.

Introversion & Extroversion Self Assessment – Page 15 Often the people who need breaks from others/family when on trips or when visitors are in their homes. Complete the 3 question assessment to determine if you lean toward extroversion or introversion. Answer 4 for the one that is most like you, 3 beside the one next most like you down to 1 beside the answer that is least like you. When done add up the a’s, add up the b’s, add up the c’s and add up the d’s. Under

Introversion & Extroversion C A D B 5 8 11 6 E I Extroverted Introverted 13 17 Often the people who need breaks from others/family when on trips or when visitors are in their homes. Complete the 3 question assessment to determine if you lean toward extroversion or introversion. Answer 4 for the one that is most like you, 3 beside the one next most like you down to 1 beside the answer that is least like you. When done add up the a’s, add up the b’s, add up the c’s and add up the d’s. Under each letter put the total for that letter. Add C & A together

INTROVERTED - Listening Behavior - Typically Golds and Greens - Like quiet time - Rather think a plan completely through before speaking on the subject - “Recharged” Internally

Extroverted - Talkative behavior - Typically Oranges and Blues - Life is for talking about & people are for talking to - Likely to formulate your plans & ideas out loud as they are coming to you - “Recharged” by People Nobody is totally one or the other. For example: bringing people joy and fulfillment may motivate someone with blue preference and yet they may lean toward introversion of their scale. This will create an internal conflict for blue preference. Although they feel like they want to serve people, they feel drained by them. In order to diminish this conflict they must give themselves permission to retreat alone to recharge in order to be more effective when they are with people. ** knowing where you get your energy can give you permission to move to the crowds or have some solitude based on your energy needs.

Typical Blue Occupations Blues enjoy jobs that allow them to concentrate on people and relationships. Drawn towards occupations that focus on service and the health and welfare of other people. Work best in warm, supportive, harmonious environments where workers are free to cooperate and communicate with each other. Imaginative, enthusiastic, and concerned about the personal welfare of those around them. Dislike competition, conflict, bureaucracy, and domineering authority figures. Promote creativity, flexibility, individuality, and personal expression.

Blue Workers Are authentic and caring See the good and visualize the possibilities Use uplifting, enthusiastic communications Add value by keeping you (and others) close Create highly individualized workspaces Need a pat on the back Size up situations by what has gone before Adjust to accommodate individual needs Make decisions using empathy and personal values Are sensitive and idealistic

Typical Gold Occupations Prefer jobs that allow them to be thorough, accurate, and systematic. Prefer to work in situations where they can see a job through to the end, and then touch and feel the results. Practical, efficient, and cooperative workers that respect authority, discipline, and punctuality. Want to work in environments that are traditional, structured, orderly, and filled with other hard-working people. Have a compelling need to follow established procedures and routines, and do things the “right” way. Stable, honest, and dependable workers who generally put the needs of the company above their own.

Gold Workers Work to serve; serve to work Are fastidious, protective, dependable Stabililize, reinforce, improve by increments Honor performance and service in team-building ways Find it easier to criticize than reward Organize contagiously Have as their credo: “In plans we trust” Need timelines, deadlines, measurements Hate last-minute hurries Give attention to the little stuff

Typical Green Occupations Driven towards work that involves an analytical and creative focus. Visionary and independent workers who can tune out the world as they work on things that capture their interest. Most productive when they can perfect an idea, then move on and leave the project to be maintained and supported by others. Work well with complex strategies, abstract concepts, and theoretical models. Prefer a work environment with minimal structure and little bureaucracy. Don’t mind taking risks in order to test their innovative ideas. Biggest asset is their drive to be competent, logical and accurate.

Green Workers Crave competency; thirst for knowledge Are “idea people” Lust for mental challenges and things to learn Seek mental stimulation in their work Start strongly, but may finish weakly, or not at all Are often unaware of others’ feelings Attracted and responsive to new ideas Are objective to a fault Ask a million questions Need you to be precise

Typical Orange Occupations Tackle their work with enthusiasm so they can quickly move on to other pursuits Great at working under pressure and prefer to work on jobs that are lively, risky, and unpredictable Grow restless with jobs that tie them down and limit their personal freedom Straightforward, realistic, and practical workers who bring flair, energy, and excitement to the workplace Talented, resourceful, skillful, and adaptable Upbeat and sociable natures, usually present a positive image of themselves and their company Action-oriented workers who know how to get the results they desire

Orange Workers Need speed, action, freedom Never borrow trouble Can switch between options easily Find nothing is too strange if it works Are risk seeking Call plays from the field Have verbal meetings Do the work, allow the structure to emerge from the process Make it look easy Set things up for the big finish

How to Enjoy Any Job Every profession usually includes representative of every color Find a way to bring your own natural talents and skills to the job Choose a job inherently interesting Find jobs that are easy for you Do a job that advances a cause you believe in Do a job that contributes to the good of those you care about

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