1. Connecting the Team Before Impacting the Students’ Dreams: Using Personality Assessments to Create Team Cohesion
LaShae Roberts, M.S.
Advising First Center for College Life Coaching
Florida State University

2. Identify ways to create a collaborative environment
Discuss ways to identify your team’s skills and needs
Predict potential team conflicts and ways to address them
Identify the ways team builders can foster a collaborative environment
Learning Objectives

3. What’s the purpose of having a shared vision?
Helps people understand why they’ve been assembled
Sets a standard of expectations by which everyone can be held to
Give the team members a set task to move the vision forward
What is the vision of your center/department?
Shared Vision

4. Using Assessments to Identify your Team
Myers Briggs ®
True Colors ®
CliftonStrengths®
Who’s on Your Team?

5. Take the True Colors® Assessment Answer based on who you are.
Who’s on Your Team?
Caveats
This is not absolute
We are dynamic
Use as a guide

6. Characteristics Purposeful, plans ahead Organized, respects hierarchy Respectful, sticks to appropriate actions Supportive of policies and procedures Detail orientated, likes chronological order Loyal, tends to be devoted Dependable, is reliable Implement, execute and follow through
Who’s on Your Team? Gold
Strengths
Very detailed! – don’t present a plan unless it has details
Color coded agendas
Always prepared
Organized and orderly – everything has a place and a purpose
Team – dependable, reliable, will look at everything with a critical eye and tell you if it’s not right or unclear
Challenges/Conflict
Direct, may not sugar coat
Expects everyone to be as prepared as they are
True Colors International Online Assessment. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2018, from

7. Who’s on Your Team? Green
Characteristics Visionary, sees the big picture Inquisitive, explores all options before making a decision Serious, thinks analytically Theoretical, conceptualizes more than detailed Calm, appears cool and collected Intellectual, enjoys new information Needs independence, appreciates private time
Who’s on Your Team? Green
Strengths
Big picture thinker and is not limited by what they can see
Ask “Why?” all the time – b/c they seek to understand
Tell them “it can’t be done” -> “what me!”
Likes to be competent in what they do, so can be a perfectionist
Team – generate ideas and new approaches, give them complex problems
Challenges/Conflict
May take a long time to make a decision
Need to time to process, if not, no fun to be around
True Colors International Online Assessment. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2018, from

8. Characteristics Friendly, helpful, empathetic Optimistic, believes in all goods People oriented, wants continual harmony Animated, tends to be imaginative Growth oriented, likes motivational environments Inspirational, relates well with others Engaging and motivating
Who is on Your Team? Blue
Strengths
Authentic and genuinely happy to see you
Seeks harmony
Value close relationships and the connections they may with students and staff members
There is no such thing as a stranger
Team – will improve the center’s morale, will reinforce the importance of the connection with students in the midst of policies
Challenges/Conflict
Can sometimes take on the burdens of the students (especially true Blues -20)
Can be passive aggressive and not confront issues head on
True Colors International Online Assessment. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2018, from

9. Who’s on Your Team? Orange
Characteristics Confident, Seeks visibility Competitive, likes taking risks Initiator, needs to be mobile Casual, playful Spontaneous, now oriented Fast pace, changes subject frequently Straightforward, quick-witted Questions the status quo, likes tangible rewards
Who’s on Your Team? Orange
Strengths
Thrive in the midst of crises
Not afraid to put themselves out there
Direct/clear communicators
Finishers/closers, they like the end goal and prestige it brings
Team – can be the face of the organization b/c very charismatic and are wooers – they can sale ice to Alaskans in a snow storm, like variety in the job (so would be good with new projects/initiatives)
Challenges/Conflict
Doesn’t like to be bored, so may be controversial at times just to shake things up
May not be in the office (up moving around)
Test the boundaries to see how flexible the line is
True Colors International Online Assessment. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2018, from

10. Identifying Team Dynamics
Harmony
Conflict
Identifying Team Dynamics
Gold & Green
Green & Blue
Blue & Orange
Gold & Orange
Gold & Blue
Green & Orange
Blue & Orange
Harmony
Gold & Green – have an understanding and work well together
Green & Blue – get along because they bounce ideas off of one another and inspire one another (dreamers)
Blue & Orange – they get along because oranges are feeling people, they’re guided by their emotions, whereas gold and green are more thinkers
Conflict
Gold & Orange – Gold may think that orange is not focused enough, or focused on the wrong things, whereas orange may think the gold needs to relax a little and not be so serious
Gold & Blue – clash with the way they approach meetings and tasks; Gold (job then connect, if time permits & the bottom line), Blue (connect then job, there’s always time to connect; consider how people feel)
Green & Orange – Green will ask why is orange doing the things they’re doing and will plan for tasks; orange likes spontaneity and to be in the moment. The green will want to meet to review a presentation, orange will say, “just tell me what parts are mine”
Blue & Orange – can be harmonious, but may also think orange is insensitive and may want the attention on them too much

11. Identifying Team Dynamics
What colors are represented on your team, and how would you characterize the dynamics? What is missing on your team? Where are the gaps?
Identifying Team Dynamics

12. Maintaining Positive Team Dynamics
Building Team Cohesion
Conduct bi-weekly 1-1 meetings
Hold monthly Team Meetings
Have an open door/discussion policy
Allow team members to be experts
Invite team members to invest in the program/center/department
Have team building activities that are
Continuous
Opportunities to learn about one another
Opportunities for everyone’s “color” to shine
Helpful to identify the strengths & challenges of the team
Maintaining Positive Team Dynamics
Team cohesion is more than just personality assessments. Assessments are used to either get the team started, or to identify the strengths and challenges of the team. We cannot stop there, you have to take it a step further.

13. Connecting the Team Before Impacting the Students’ Dreams
Questions?
Comments?
Shae Roberts, M.S.
Assistant Director, Advising First
Center for College Life coaching
Connecting the Team Before Impacting the Students’ Dreams