Month: August 2012

The Colors of an Olympic Athlete

I love the Olympics. I love everything about them. The spectacle, the strange sports you only see there—or occasionally on obscure cable channels late at night, the world coming together and putting aside their differences if only for a few weeks, etc., etc. But I especially love the athletes. I love them for many reasons. But mostly I love them because they are living, tangible proof that determination and hard work can result in extraordinary things.

These athletes remind us all just how amazing we can be if we are willing to put in the effort. And, since I work at Color Code, they also remind me of motive. Because, while much of their accomplishments have to do with great physical fitness, I would argue that these athletes have had to achieve a great degree of discipline and “mental fitness” as well.

I can’t help but wonder what colors the athletes are and which color personality would make the best Olympian.

Would it be the Reds with their vision and confidence, determination and discipline?

Would it be the Blues with their attention to detail, commitment, ability to make sacrifices, and deep sense of purpose?

Would it be the Whites with their calm under pressure, observant nature, adaptability and focus?

Or would it be the Yellows with their high energy, adventurous, optimistic and flexible nature?

Regardless of what personality color or color combination you think would be the best, it’s fun to meditate on how we can be inspired by these incredible athletes from all over the world. And, if you have Olympic dreams of your own, I know that working on your “mental fitness” will be an important part of making those dreams a reality…oh and you might want to start doing some sit-ups too.

 

Joe England has known about the Color Code ever since 1994 when his Grandpa caused quite a family controversy by “quick coding” everyone.  Luckily, Joe could see the value in what Grandpa Don was going for and years later, when the opportunity arose to work for the Color Code, Joe jumped at the chance. He is a Yellow, enjoys Swedish Fish and typically gets along with children better than adults.

 

 

 

 

Be Congruent

Create Performance in Your Relationships!

Imagine going to bed at night with one person and waking up next to a seemingly different person in the morning. What would it be like never knowing what to expect from the person next to you? Never knowing what kind of mood they’ll be in that day? Even to the most adventurous among us, it would prove tiresome very quickly. We rely on consistency in others in order to know where we stand and what to expect in a relationship. You cannot easily commit to something or someone you cannot understand.

The tremendous power of the Color Code is its offering of truth. It reveals who you are and what others can expect from you. Like all people, you come with duality. First, you have your innate personality, which lies at the very core of your being. It is your driving core motive that inspires your deepest and most natural way of being. Second, you have your character, derived from outside influences and enhanced by personal choice. You are a unique blending of who you were born to be and who you choose to be. Once determined, you must commit to being your best self—authentically and consistently. Then allow people to trust and connect with you without fear of disappointment or betrayal.

Whatever it is you want your relationships to be about, you must personally commit to being yourself. If you want loyalty, be loyal. If you want fun, be fun. If you want kindness, be kind. Don’t desire something from another that you are unwilling to give yourself. When you enter a relationship, have your game plan and stay true to it. Play to your strengths and consistently expect the things you believe are fair and legitimate from the other person. Never apologize when asking for attitudes and/or behaviors that enhance and lift your relationship. However, remember that what you deem appropriate and easy is not necessarily the case for the other person.

Opposites attract. Subsequently you must be patient and persevering in helping others appreciate the things you value in a relationship. Remember what you are about and remain committed to your game plan. If you want to travel, inspire your partner to see its benefits. If you’d rather stay home than go out, then make staying home fun for your partner. Decide what you desire to be about in the relationship. Commit to it and be consistent.

Resonance occurs when what you claim you are about aligns with how you actually behave. It strikes others as genuine, legitimate, and believable. Your actions convince others that you will remain consistent with how you market yourself. Are your personal and professional relationships successful? If so, what are you doing to enhance them? If not, what is it about you that blocks their effectiveness? Can you trust yourself to remain consistent regardless of how the other individual chooses to behave?

One of the great signs of resonant people is their ability to stay true to how they choose to act regardless of others’ inconsistent behavior. Are you capable of exactness when others around you change to accommodate their fears and/or selfish whims? When you can be true to whomever you choose to be, regardless of others’ responses, you can become resonant in your relationships.

The questions remain, “Who do you choose to be? What do you choose to be about?” Eventually, your life becomes about the relationships you create. Relationships demand consistency and commitment. They begin by each individual choosing a source of action—a way of life with which they will become congruent in how they think and behave everyday. In the beginning, we choose who we want to be (or not!) by observing our parents. Eventually our innate personalities weigh in with their influence. Society colors our self-perceptions of what is appropriate and acceptable. In the end, we blend nature and nurture into a unique commitment of what we want to be about and how we want to behave in our relationships.

Ultimately, you are what you do. Congruent people behave as they say they will, which brings trust and confidence to their relationships. Does your behavior bring confidence and trust to others? Can they expect you to behave consistently with the individual you purported yourself to be? Resonance in relationships has little to do with the other person and everything to do with you. Commit to being the person you want to be. Consistently play to your strengths and align daily behavior with your game plan. All life is about relationships. This is your life.

Meeting Mishap

SITUATION:

The CEO of a software company met with her vice presidents to plan the agenda for the annual all-employee meeting. The purpose of the meeting each year is to update and energize the 120 employees of the organization. The CEO’s address is the capstone of the meeting. One vice president conducted the meeting and it all progressed according to plan until the website update came up. The woman giving the update had worked with the company less than six months. However, she was very experienced, well spoken and clear in her presentation. The sales team started asking questions one after another with increasing criticism about the new direction the website was taking, worried they were not being given their due. The woman responded intelligently but the atmosphere became emotionally charged and time was quickly slipping away. It was clear the sales team was hijacking the meeting.

LIKELY REACTION:

Red

A Red CEO operating in her strengths would quickly take opportunity to stop the “piling on” and redirect the meeting. Reds are not intuitive by nature but they generally keep themselves informed regarding those who work with them. The first question from the sales team would alert her to the direction the meeting might take. After the second or third question, she would interrupt the discussion. With a very direct approach, she would remind everyone of the purpose of the current meeting and suggest scheduling a separate meeting to address the specific concerns of the sales team. Her tone would be professional and matter-of-fact, communicating that she is still in charge of the meeting.

A Red with an abundance of limitations could handle this situation a couple of different ways. As the sales team continued questioning the woman giving the update, the CEO might allow it. She could easily see the piling on but might use it as a test of the new employee. If the woman giving the update was rattled and emotional, the CEO would lose respect for her. If she handled the overload of questions with logic and spunk, the CEO might consider her for promotion. Another possibility is that the CEO would interrupt the questioning but do so with an authoritarian tone. She could take opportunity to put the sales team in its place and she might just step into the argument to teach them a lesson about trying to usurp her authority to run the meeting.

Blue

A Blue CEO operating in her strengths would take the opportunity to remind everyone that being tactful and open is the key to getting solutions. Blues are willing to allow conversations to take their course, as they want everyone to have their say. With that being said, the CEO understands that time is precious in the corporate world. In true Blue fashion, you may see this type of CEO reduce or even eliminate her address in order to make time for this issue. Commitment is key to Blues, and they will go to great lengths to ensure that there is a personal level to all encounters they have. Although the meeting has turned from its original course, the Blue CEO will remain focused in helping her employees gain what is needed to advance.

In the end, the connections made are worth setting aside an address. The Blue CEO will harness the opportunity to connect with her employees, and a situation like this is a perfect example of what drives Blues. In the end, helping supersedes being the center of focus. The Blue CEO will always find a way to help her team succeed, and in doing so, show what a great experience it is to connect. By allowing others to become the focus, the Blue CEO leads toward what is expected and needed, building the cornerstone for success within the company.

White

A White operating from her strengths would be very accommodating in this situation. The clarity of a White is key to their success. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly a White can break something down, especially a situation that is spiraling towards an explosive end. Although Whites are not known to be vocal, when they are vocal they cut through the mud and find solutions in a very peaceful manner. Most likely the White CEO would accommodate both parties in this situation. No White I have ever encountered wants to be put on the spot. They operate from peace and don’t want to be ridiculed publicly. That being the case, the White CEO would make comments commanding respect from both parties.

Because Whites are logic-based, the sales group would probably be asked to direct their questions in a manner that is calm and to the point. This is the beauty of the White, and anyone lucky enough to have a healthy White leading them is in a great place. In the end, the White CEO would allow for Q&A from both sides, but would request a meeting to be set for further discussion. The CEO would then conclude the meeting with her address, and in the true fashion of the White personality, nail the speech, leaving the employees in awe of how the CEO handled what could have been a very messy meeting.

Yellow

A Yellow CEO is armed with a variety of strengths to help her handle the situation positively. For starters, the capacity for Yellows to accept others and see the best in them would help create a positive tone in the meeting. When the questioning of the new employee started the highly verbal Yellow could step into the exchange and, with good humor, bring the discussion to an end. Yellows are often not given credit for their intuitive ability to read others and situations accurately. The Yellow would readily sense the sales team frustration and the discomfort of the woman giving the update. Then with charisma typical of yellows, she could quickly and easily diffuse the difficulty and get the meeting back on track.

Yellow limitations could get in the way of this situation in a number of ways. Yellows avoid confrontation. If the questioning took on a contentious tone, a Yellow with this limitation might just let it go on to avoid getting in the middle of the mess. In doing so she could avoid displeasing both the sales team and the new employee. Another limitation that could yield a poor result is the tendency to interrupt and not stay focused. The Yellow CEO could quickly and easily interrupt the exchange with the sales team. However, just as easily a Yellow might start chattering on about the situation under discussion and lose the focus of the meeting. In this scenario, the meeting time would slip away and the rest of the agenda would be lost.

 

Ask the Expert

Dear Jeremy,

Any tips or experiences about Red-Blue relationships? Do you find that it really is a “Blood, Sweat, and Tears” combination?

Thank you!

Laura

Dear Laura,

Great question! I love it. “Blood, Sweat, and Tears” does just sound so ominous, doesn’t it? I think it gets this nickname because roughly 85% of the conflicts that we deal with in training situations are of a Red-Blue nature. A lot of the personal coaching that we have done also has revolved around these two personalities.

The fact of the matter is, a Red-Blue relationship is typically the hardest relationship to be in because both have a hard time readily accepting the other person. Another name we have for this combination is “Non-Complementary Opposites”. That means that many of their traits are extremely opposite from the other person, but they don’t necessarily mesh together very well without a bit (or several gallons!) of elbow grease. White-Red combinations and Blue-Yellow combinations are an example of more “Complementary Opposites” where their opposite natures actually work extremely well together and produce natural synergy.

What is also true for the Red-Blue relationship is that they have unlimited potential for success. In fact they can be the MOST dynamic of all color combinations if they can just learn how to get over themselves and learn to appreciate and accept the other person. So the term “Blood, Sweat, and Tears, should never be taken to mean the relationship can’t work. It just takes work – like any relationship. If they learn how to get past the conflicts there really is nothing this team cannot accomplish once they get united.

Here is a breakdown of some tendencies of this combination as well as a few tips for you:

  • There is great joint loyalty here that covers all bases. For example, the Blue is fiercely committed to the people and the relationship side of the equation, and the Reds will be just as driven to get things done and take care of important tasks.
  • The Blue will generally take care of quality and details, and the “how-to-get-there” part of any plan, and the Red will stay focused on the big picture. In other words, they help each other in areas where the other person doesn’t particularly care to focus.
  • Mutual dependability is another great plus here. That’s why this relationship happens a lot, actually, because both parties show up, commit, and make things happen.
  • Here’s where things start to get a little tricky. Blues and Reds are both heavyweights – meaning, they both seek to control others. Sometimes people have a hard time believing this, but typically the Blue will be the more controlling person in this relationship because their sense of control is largely based on emotional reactions/feelings. Reds are also controlling, but their control is strictly logical, which is easier to deal with if the Blue can stay rational. When Blues and Reds try to control each other, this relationship will struggle. Instead, they should try to learn to accept one another for who they are as opposed to trying to change each other. Then, they can allow the other person the room to do the things they are best at without offering any negative judgment or criticism.

The last thing I’ll mention here is that while Blues tend to think from their hearts, Reds will always think with their heads. This can work either for or against them depending on whether they are in a synergistic mode or whether they are more concerned with who is right as opposed to what is right.

Very best of living,

Jeremy

 

Jeremy Daniel (Core Color: Yellow) has been working with the Color Code since 1998 in various capacities from training in the field personally with Dr. Taylor Hartman to designing customized corporate solutions and new training programs for various industries.  To ask about Jeremy’s training or speaking services, please email and inquiry to jeremy@colorcodetraining.com.