True Colors

Personality Test
 GREENS

 RATIONAL
 INTELLECTUAL & THEORETICAL
 INFORMATION SEEKER
 PHILOSOPHICAL & VISIONARY
 ABSTRACT, CONCEPTUAL, GLOBAL
 CALM, COOL & COLLECTED
 SERIOUS & PERFECTIONIST
 WORK IS PLAY & PLAY IS WORK
KEY WORDS FOR GREENS
 GREENS @ WORK

 Guided Imagery
 Mental Activity Supersedes
 Specific Focus
Environment
 Create New Models
 Brief Overview, then Focused
 Lecture
Learning
 Individual Research
 Logical Presentation
 Graphs & Charts
 Leave Me Alone to Think About It
 Deductive Reasoning
 Don’t Waste My Thinking Time
 Debate
 Opportunities for Independent
 No Interruptions
Exploration
 Neat & Orderly
 Reframing GREEN
May see self as…..
 Confident
 Logical & Rational
 Visionary & Inventive
 Self-Controlled
 Objective
 Good at Analysis
 Enjoying One’s Own
Company
 Ability to Reprimand
 Set High Expectations
 Deep Thinker
 Knowledgeable
Others may perceive as….
 Arrogant (Know-it-all)
 Cold or Hard
 Insensitive
 Head in the Clouds
 Cool, Aloof or Unfeeling
 Afraid to Open Up
 Critical or Fault-Finding
 Lacking Compassion
 Unappreciative of Others
 Intellectually Demanding
 Argumentative
 Absent-Minded
Things that May STRESS You:
Things that FRUSTRATE You:
 Things You Do that FRUSTRATES Others:

Not Being Social Living in the Future

Not Going with the Flow Blowing Up When Criticized

Being Wordy Being Too Independent

 On a Bad Day, You May:

 Become Overly Indecisive

 Refuse to Cooperate with Others
 Become More Withdrawn
 Put Others Down
 Use Sarcasm
 Refuse to Communicate
 Become Highly Critical of Yourself & Others
 Demand Unreasonable Perfection
 ORANGES
 ARTISAN
 ENERGETIC, IMPULSIVE, COMPETITIVE
 SELF-CONFIDENT & QUICK-WITTED
 RISK-TAKER, ENTERTAINER, NEGOTIATOR
 PROBLEM SOLVER, CRISIS MANAGER
 NEED CHALLENGE, MOBILITY
 NEED IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK
 STIMULATE THE ECONOMY
KEY WORDS FOR ORANGES
 ORANGES @ WORK

 Independent Work
 Facilitate, Then Let Me Go
 Brainstorming
 To be Animated & Entertaining
 Synthesize
 Variety
 Link Abstract & Concrete
 No Busy Work
 Create New Systems
 Purposeful Work
 Problem-Solving
 Be a Part of Planning
 Debate
 Don’t Talk Down to Me
 Contests & Competition
 Negotiate Rules Within a
 Active Environment
Framework
 Hands-On
 Reframing ORANGE
May see self as….. Others may perceive as….

 Flexible, Easy-Going  Irresponsible

 Having a Playful Attitude  Goofing Off Too Much
 Exploring New Possibilities  Manipulative
 Clever, Good Negotiator  Untrustworthy
 Open to Change  Unable to Stay on Track
 Having Many Interests  Scattered
 Able to Do Many Things  Taking Unnecessary Risks
 Adventurous, Courageous  Resisting Closure or
 Valuing Freedom Decisions
 Bold, Assertive  Obnoxious
 Fun-Loving, Enjoying Life  Immature
 Independent  Self-Centered
Things that May STRESS You:
Things that FRUSTRATE You:
Things You Do that FRUSTRATES Others:

Ignoring Rules Being Undisciplined

Lack of Planning Being Quick-Tempered

Thinking Out Loud Impulse Buying

On a Bad Day, You May:
 Become Rude
 Break the Rules for Spite
 Lie or Cheat to Control the Situation
 Run Away
 Use Drugs or Alcohol
 Act Out Boisterously
 Become Physically Aggressive
 Quit or Drop Out
 Become Verbally Abusive
 Make Bad Spontaneous Decisions
 BLUE
 IDEALIST
 STRONG SENSE OF SPIRITUALITY
 MEDIATOR & HARMONIOUS
 HATE CONFLICT
 OPTIMISTIC & ENTHUSIASTIC
 PEOPLE & CAUSE ORIENTED
 CARETAKER & PEACEMAKER
 STIMULATING & PERSUASIVE
 IMAGINATIVE & INSPIRATIONAL
KEY WORDS FOR BLUES
 BLUES @ WORK

 Positive Reinforcement
 Group Work, Reports &
 Hands-on Activities with
Discussions
Interaction
 Written Descriptions
 Variety
 Cooperative Learning
 Flexible Time-Frame
 Environment Safe, Secure,
 Relevance to Own Life
Non-Threatening
 Praise/Feedback with
 Warmth, Friendliness
Acknowledgement
 Small Group Circles
 Personal Interaction
 One-on-One
 Information Situations
 Active Participation
 Talk Time
 Reframing BLUE
May see self as….. Others may perceive as….

 Having Feelings  Very Emotional

 Compassionate  Overly Sensitive
 Romantic  Mushy
 Idealistic  Too Tender-Hearted
 Empathetic  Easily Persuaded
 Caring  Too Nice
 Seeing Best in Others  Too Trusting
 Nurturing  Smothering
 Liking to Please People  Too Soft, Too Giving
 Wanting Harmony  Weak
 Great Communicator  Talk Too Much
 Valuing Feelings  Illogical
Things that May STRESS You:
Things that FRUSTRATE You:
Things You Do that FRUSTRATES Others:

Lack of Planning Being Passive

Avoiding Conflict Suppressing Problems

Being Too Generous Being Overly Sentimental

 On a Bad Day, You May:
 Fantasize or Day-Dream
 Do Anything to Get Attention
 Lie to Save Face
 Withdraw so Others Will Come & Feel Sorry for You
 Cry or Pout
 Show Passive Resistance
 Yell or Scream
 Fish for Compliments
 Become Depressed
 Say Your Aren’t Liked
 GOLD
 GUARDIAN
 DETAIL & SERVICE ORIENTED
 VALUE FAMILY, ORDER & SECURITY
 VALUE ORGANIZATION & THE STATUS QUO
 HELPFUL & TRUSTWORTHY
 PUNCTUAL, PREDICTABLE & PRECISE
 THINGS ARE BLACK & WHITE
 POLICY, PROCEDURE & RULES
KEY WORDS FOR GOLDS
 GOLDS @ WORK
 Classifications & Categories
 Sources & Evaluation
 Objectives Clearly Stated
 Scheduled Time-Frame
 Structured, Organized
 Visual Aids
 Prefer Small Groups
 Reinforce Content
 Individual Attention
 Must Have A Meaning or
Purpose
 Specific Step-by-Step
Directions
 Other to Be on Task
 Schedule of Deadlines
 Question & Answer Periods
 Practice & Review
 Feedback
 Environment: Quiet, Orderly &
Uninterrupted
 Recognition for a Job Well
Done
 Reframing GOLD
May see self as….. Others may perceive as….

 Consistent  Rigid, Inflexible

 Providing Structure  Controlling, Bossy
 Goal-Oriented  Too Serious
 Firm or Traditional  Resistant to Change
 Knowing Right from Wrong  Opinionated
 Loyal to Organization  System-Bound
 Realistic  Lacking Imagination
 Decisive, Seeking Closure  Judgmental
 Dependable  Boring
 Concerned About Security  Uptight
 Following a Routine  Predictable
 Having Leadership Ability  Autocratic
Things that May STRESS You:
Things that FRUSTRATE You:
 Things You Do that FRUSTRATES Others:

Control Freak Being Bossy & Controlling

Working Long Hours Being Obnoxious

Being Judgmental Planning for Everything

 On a Bad Day, You May:
 Complain
 Wallow in Self-Pity
 Worry
 Make Malicious Judgments About Yourself/Others
 Blindly Follow to the Letter of the Law
 Become Overly Authoritative
 Become Unreasonably Fixed
 Be Unforgiving
 Feel a lot of Anxiety or Pressure
 Become Overly Tired or Depressed
 BLUE GOLD GREEN ORANGE

Being a Good Discovering New Being Fun &

Esteemed For: Being Dependable
Listener Insights Taking Risks

Stressed By: Feeling Artificial Lack of Order Feeling Inadequate Restrictions

Highest Virtue: Loyalty Responsibility Objectivity Courage

Key Characteristic: Authenticity Preparedness Ingenuity Talent/Skill

On the Job: Peacemaker Organizer Pragmatist Energizer

Perception: Concern Structure Abstract Excitement

Be Authentic & Provide Stability, Be Competent & Be Free &

Primary Need:
Care for Others Order & Control Rational Spontaneous
 BLUE GOLD GREEN ORANGE

Insight &
Seeks: Love & Acceptance Security Freedom
Knowledge

Thoughtful
Strives to Foster: Harmony Traditional Values Fun & Recreation
Consideration

Takes Pride In: Empathy Dependability Competence Impact

Results & Conceptualizing &

Specialty Is: People Entrepreneurship
Accomplishments Research
Acceptance of Affirming Their
Validated By: Being Appreciated Achieving Results
Others Wisdom
Intuition & Authority &
Trusts: Facts & Logic Impulses
Feelings Tradition
Improve Personal Relationships With Bright Blues:
 Make romantic gestures
 Have intimate talks
 Recognize their need to contribute
 Provide the warm tough and embrace
 Reassure your loving commitment
 Express your feelings
 Be open and responsive
 Realize their stress comes from disharmony
 Encourage them to express themselves in a variety of forms
 Help them more after a setback
Improve Personal Relationships With Bright Golds:
 Care about their need for security
 Do some reasonable planning
 Praise their responsible actions
 Remember sentimental moments
 Acknowledge their stability
 Respond to important dates
 Be punctual
 Offer to help, so they don’t feel a need to “do it all”
 Follow through on commitments
 Realize their stress comes from disorganization
Improve Personal Relationships With Bright Greens:
 Recognize their need for independence
 Value their abstract thinking
 Help them with day-to-day details
 Preserve their privacy to think & read
 Accept their lack of romantic gestures
 Realize their stress comes from the fear of appearing foolish
 Allow them to be self-critical
 Understand they esteem themselves by being competent
 Praise with ingenuity
 Give them time for personal reflection
Improve Personal Relationships With Bright Oranges:
 Recognize their need for freedom
 Value their playfulness
 Help them to think before they act
 Spontaneously play with them
 Realize their stress comes from lack of excitement
 Reinforce their optimism
 Praise their skills
 Respond to their generosity
 Encourage them to take action
 Build fun into activities
 Improve Performance of Bright Blues by:

 Create a warm and personal working atmosphere

 Interact as much as possible with openness and honesty
 Establish a harmonious working environment to avoid conflict and hostility
 Show your support, caring and appreciation by offering a touch, hug or handshake
 Allow them freedom to express feelings and time to heal emotional wounds
 Make use of their natural gifts for communication, nurturing and people-oriented ideas
 Praise their imaginative and creative approach to the job
 Provide them with one-on-one feedback
 Allow them to contribute to the workplace environment
 Let them know they are appreciated and needed
 Improve Performance of Bright Golds by:

 Assign work that requires detailed planning and careful follow-through

 Define the tasks in clear and concrete terms
 Be punctual and reliable
 Provide a well-structured, stable work environment and avoid abrupt changes
 Give standard rules and regulations and set a good example
 Share in the responsibilities and duties of the workplace and take the work ethic seriously
 Praise their neatness, organizational capabilities and efficiency
 Give feedback every step of the way on a project to reassure them they are on the right track
 Recognize their need to be straightforward, dependable, responsible and business-minded
 Give tangible recognition for their work
 Improve Performance of Bright Greens by:

 Assign projects which require analytical thinking and problem solving

 Discuss the “big picture” with them and elicit their universal outlook
 Inspire them with futuristic ideas and potentials
 Respect their inclination to go beyond the established rules of the system
 Allow them freedom to improve the system
 Take their ideas to the next step and encourage them to think independently
 Praise their inventiveness and ingenuity
 Understand their need to avoid redundancy and repetitive tasks
 Recognize and appreciate their competence in the job
 Allow them to have autonomy in their work
 Improve Performance of Bright Oranges by:

 Assign projects that are action-packed and require a hands-on approach

 Provide opportunities to be skillful and adventurous
 Use their natural abilities as a negotiator
 Allow them freedom to do the job in their own style and in non-traditional ways
 Keep a good sense of humor and avoid boredom
 Encourage them to use their gifts of originality and flair
 Provide opportunities for job competition
 Allow freedom of movement and understand their preference for action over words
 Praise their performance and skillfulness
 Allow spontaneity of action
 True Communication with True Colors
BLUE GOLD

World revolves around people,

relationships and fostering growth in Generally respectful and responsible.
themselves and others.

When speaking, they first focus their

They listen for details so they know what
attention on establishing a relationship or
their part is. They usually size up a
reconnecting with the person. The
situation for what would be most
information they wish to convey is woven
appropriate before responding.
into this relationship-building endeavor.

 Acknowledge them  Be prepared, give details

 Show appreciation  Stay on target, be consistent
 Include them  Show respect
 Have patience  Don’t interrupt
 Don’t “bark” orders  Recognize their contribution
 True Communication with True Colors
GREEN ORANGE

Communicate for the purpose of gaining or Want to share their opinion the minute it
sharing information. hits their mind.

During a conversation, their attention is Interested in taking action and being

usually focused on the matter at hand, not expedient, they may skip the softeners and
on the relationship. go straight for the “punch line”.

 Allow them time to ponder

 Use “sound bites”
 Skip the “small talk”
 Move with them while they multi-task
 Avoid redundancy
 Appreciate their flair
 Give the big picture or point first
 Allow options and flexibility
 Don’t misinterpret their need for info as
 Lighten up
interrogation
 True Colors Within a Team
Why is it important to know your own personality style?

Why is it important to know other people’s personality style?

How can this knowledge help your interactions with people on a daily basis?

Examples of when personality differences have caused conflict?

How can you prevent future conflicts based on personality differences?

What are the needs of your primary color in a team setting?