Many of us would be surprised to see how others view us. We have taken the Color Code assessment, and we now know our strengths and limitations, right? It turns out that there is a lot more to it. Color Code measures personality, which is innate. But throughout our lives, we develop strengths and limitations based on our experiences—Character. These behaviors can be both good and bad.

CHARACTER CODE

Character Code, Color Code’s new online assessment, transitions from personality to character development by inviting others to assess us anonymously.

Because I was the project manager for Character Code, it was important for me to test the results. I am sharing those results with you—both the good and the bad.

MY RESULTS

After years of working at Color Code, I’d like to think that I am pretty self-aware. I know my strengths, and I’m painfully aware of my limitations. Still, you will see below, the behaviors I see in myself and those my responders see are quite different.

Strengths

When I completed the Strengths self-evaluation, there were no surprises. My top 3 answers are similar to the results I got when I took the Color Code assessment:

Then I read the group results:

My first thought was, “Do they even know me?” Then I had to step back and admit that this is HOW they know me.

The top of the list—detail conscious—is a Blue strength I’ve often wished I possessed. As with most Reds, I am a big-picture type of person and rely on others for the details—to fix the many mistakes I make in my haste to get things done. It surprises and flatters me to think that others see this strength in me. It also heartens me to see the strengths of other colors that I so admire.

Limitations

When it came to limitations, I got emails from my respondents saying, “I don’t want to do this.” It is never fun to have people point out the limitations they see in us, but it’s equally difficult for the respondent. I assured them that the assessment was completely anonymous, and their answers were vital to my personal growth.

As with the strengths, my self-assessment results weren’t a surprise.

The group results surprised me:

Again, my responders see very different behaviors than I do. While it heartened me to see the strengths of other DCMs (Driving Core Motives), I am disheartened to see the limitations from different colors—not to mention my own Red DCM.

It is human nature to be defensive—to go to that person and ask, “Why?” but, even as the project manager, my responders are entirely anonymous. I must take their answers as they are presented and acknowledge that anonymity allowed them to answer truthfully.

Often, without our knowledge, our behaviors cause harm simply because we are unaware of the impact they have on others. We now have the opportunity to find out and make essential changes.

Let’s go over the top 3.

Always right. I am not always right. In fact, I’m not right a lot of the time. I am not in denial nor being defensive. Yet, because of my blunt Red nature of communicating, I acknowledge that I create the perception that I am ‘always right.’

Example

Greg was working on a project that I found intriguing.

Looking over his shoulder, I asked, “Why are you doing it that way?”

Immediately his defenses came up, and he asked, “What way do YOU want me to do it?”

By wording it the way I did, it sounded like a challenge—as if I knew the right way—when, in fact, I didn’t even have a ‘way.’ I was just curious.

I should have said, “That is so interesting. Will you show me what you are doing?”

By changing the way I asked the question, I would have turned a negative into a positive. Greg would have felt pride in his work rather than the anger my question generated, and I would have had my curiosity satisfied.

Perfectionist. This one gave the Color Code editors a laugh. If they had filled out the assessment for me, it would not be on the list. In my haste to get things done and move on, I miss a lot of simple errors. In fact, my mother used to have a saying that has become my mantra: “It’s nothing you’d notice from a galloping horse.”

I am very particular about some things, but I think that would fall into the ‘obsessive’ category rather than perfectionism.

Still, I am viewed that way to the extent that it is number two on my list. Based on the ‘Unrealistic Expectations’ answer, I have concluded that others feel I expect perfectionism. Once again, it has everything to do with communication and perception.

Note: Perfectionism is a limitation because it can be mentally debilitating, and I am not making light of it. See https://blog.colorcode.com/?s=perfectionism

Intimidating. The definition of intimidating is: Having a frightening, overawing, or threatening effect. While I would hope that this respondent is in awe of me, I have to assume that they have been frightened or felt threatened by me because it’s in the Limitations category. This response has affected me more than the others. Intimidation causes problems in relationships both at home and in the workplace. Simply put, intimidation is bullying—and I do not want to be a bully.

As for the rest of the responses, as hard as it is to see them, I know they are honest responses, and I have to own them.

TAKE-AWAY

Moving forward, I have a checklist of areas I need to work on—those I know and those presented to me. By being conscious of how others view me, I can make positive changes to enhance my personal and professional relationships.

My first action item is to work on my communication skills. Clearly, my respondents see me in a vastly different way than I feel. I don’t want to always be right. I want to learn from those around me. I don’t want others to feel I expect them to be perfect because I’m not perfect. I especially never want to intimidate and be thought of as a bully.

By changing the way I communicate with others based on their needs and wants rather than my own, I am convinced that I can fix these perceptions.

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Teresa Glenn has been working with the Color Code since 2006, where her main focus is product development. She has been in the publishing and product development field for over 20 years. Teresa is a core Red with a strong Yellow secondary.

To learn more about Character Code and the accompanying workshop Decoding the Colors of Leadership, talk to your employer or contact a trainer near you.

Find a trainer:

https://www.colorcode.com/cc_trainers/