February 2022 – blog.colorcode.com

Organized, not overwhelmed: Tips for Yellows

Let’s Get Organized! 

Oh, how we love our Yellows! The enthusiasm and energy these fun-loving creatures bring into our lives make the world that much more of an enjoyable place to be. With the world being such a fun-filled adventure, Yellows need the freedom to experience creativity in a work environment that maximizes their opportunities.   

Yellows are unique individuals and need to be organized in their own way. Even if you don’t understand their rhyme or reason, Yellows must have a degree of autonomy to build out their tasks for the day. I do recommend that when giving Yellows this freedom, refrain from barking at them to complete a task. Do not bark! The moment you bark, the moment they balk… or worse, bail.   

 So, how do we help a Yellow in the organizational aspects of their lives?  First, understand that Yellows can become overwhelmed with tons of tasks if not prioritized and approached tactfully. Tactful being the key word here. The last thing you want to do is be critical or push a Yellow too intensely, as these are very positive and fun-loving individuals. After reflecting on my own experiences as well as conversations with Yellows within my inner circle, I’ve come to my own understanding of how Yellows can remain organized without feeling overwhelmed.  

Here are 5 tips for Yellows to become more organized without feeling too overwhelmed: 

CHECKLISTS: To a Yellow, to-do lists with 847 items on them can be as terrifying as a toddler running around with a pair of scissors! So, how can we make this fun? We all know that Yellows experience fun through their own lens, and their checklists can be just the same. Even though checklists can seem micromanaging and overwhelming, they can also be made fun. Be creative with the platform or fashion you use to capture your lists of things needing accomplished so they do not get lost in the shuffle. Colorful paper, highlighters, an attractive app on your phone, a notebook with energizing quotes, a large dry erase board, or a scrap book can make staying organized less overwhelming. As tasks are completed, cross them off the list knowing that you have fulfilled the mission and are ready to move on to the next adventure on the list. 

NOW, LET’S PRIORITIZE:  For a Yellow, unlike other colors, not everything is an immediate priority. So how do we help a Yellow find a sense of urgency? In my research, I discovered that if you complete the challenging tasks at the beginning of the day, it will provide a sense of accomplishment, and you will know that the end of the day will not be as daunting. It was also shared with me that a comfortable, yet challenging, number of high level tasks for each day is right at 3. This may not seem like a very challenging feat for some other colors. But if we look at this in the big picture, that is 1,095 things accomplished every year! I would say that is a fantastic accomplishment for anyone! 

THE SUPER CHALLENGE: Some tasks do not seem like tasks at all. They sometimes feel like they are a full blown-out political campaign, stretching on for years and years. To overcome this, it is important to break these bigger projects down into smaller chunks. It is much more fun to see multiple things being checked off your to-do list daily as opposed to waiting a long period of time to see one thing accomplished. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, shares that quitting while you’re ahead will allow you to avoid burnout on a project. Give yourself an allotted time frame to complete a chunk of a big project and then simply stop! This will allow you to feel accomplished on the project and excited to experience that sense of euphoria when it is time to go back at it next time it is scheduled. 

BALANCING FOCUSED PRODUCTIVITY WITH FLEXIBLE CREATIVITY: Too much organization can kill a Yellow’s creativity and make them feel like their freedom is being stripped away. However, Yellows can all agree that being organized is an evil necessity. But too much of anything isn’t healthy. Allow yourself to find the balance of being organized the first half of your day and then be intentional about rewarding yourself the second half of the day with flexible time to be creative. This flexible time can be used to work on smaller tasks that are viewed as more fun, time to work on things that are in your strengths, creatively thinking about bigger picture items, or the freedom to work on spontaneous freelance tasks that aren’t necessarily on any to-do list, but are important for the bigger picture in a work setting or your personal life. This reward of working in a more free headspace is only granted once you have remained focused on that first half of the day when you were committed to staying organized. 

PERSONALIZED REWARD SYSTEM: One of our favorite things about Yellows is the fun any enjoyment they bring into the lives of those around them. From my personal experiences over the years, I am extremely grateful for the jokes I get during the day, the unexpected humor, or a simple smile brought into the room by a Yellow to lighten up my day. So, what does this have anything to do with being organized and not being overwhelmed? If Yellows can be given the flexibility to create their own environment, but committed to being productive and organized, this will allow them to look forward to being organized. Because they are being rewarded for doing so. Once a task is completed, Yellows can reward themselves by taking a lap around the office and making someone smile, taking a short break with their favorite co-worker, making a phone call to a loved one to say hello, shooting off a text message to a group of friends to get a good laugh, or anything that loosens up the monotony of the day. Once this reward has been delivered, they can jump back into being organized feeling refreshed.  

Simply put, Yellows, embrace who you are and how you are wired. Realize you do not have to wait to be off the clock before you can start having fun. Find a way to have fun and knock out the tough stuff early, reward yourself frequently, and be transparent with those you work with by letting them know how they can support your newly discovered way to be uber organized without being overwhelmed! 

____________________________________________

Timothy Nigh is a Certified Color Code Trainer, Certified John Maxwell Coach-Speaker-Trainer, U.S. Army Veteran, and business owner and Chief Operating Officer for Griffin Brothers Companies. He remains active in his community by helping multiple Veteran support groups achieve greatness and impact the lives of local families. He spends any extra time professionally growing his coaching business, facilitating personal/professional development workshops, and inspiring others to live a life of intentionality.

The Great Resignation: The Era of the Employee

There have been significant changes. We’ve all noticed them. Buzz phrases like ‘the great resignation’ and ‘the era of the employee’ are all over the news and business blogs. There are help wanted signs in many establishments. The U.S. now has more job openings than at any time in history.

Employees are jumping ship in record numbers. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in September of ’21, over 4.4 million people voluntarily left their jobs.

It’s being called, ‘The Era of the Employee.’ With nearly 11 million job openings in the U.S., workers have the advantage and are making decisions to improve their working conditions by moving on. Not only is employee turnover expensive, but companies are losing their best talent.

Why are people leaving, and how can you keep them?

Zety conducted a survey of 900+ American workers to discover why people are leaving, and this is what they found:

For our purposes, we’ll focus on these relationship-based issues.

Not Being Valued by My Manager

While 65% is high, it isn’t surprising. Historically, these numbers have always been high, and manager issues have always been in the top ten of why employees leave.

For over two years, we have faced challenges that even the best manager couldn’t foresee. If there is one thing Covid has taught us, it is that it isn’t easy leading people during instability. If your primary communication is the infamous Zoom meetings, or emails, or instant messages, it’s no wonder many managers are having difficulties with the challenge.

When you are communicating via technology, you only have the ability to communicate verbally. You don’t have the benefit of non-verbal clues such as body language. Now is the time for active listening. Be proactive, not reactive. It’s time to up your interpersonal skills.

We all handle stress differently. Knowing the needs of your employees is critical. We’re not talking about the tangible needs such as salary or benefits, but what they need to feel valued.

Reds need to be respected. They care more about respect than they care about being liked. If they value and respect you, they will want your approval. Give your Red colleague an opportunity to lead. Trust them to get the job done. When they communicate, expect them to be blunt and to the point. When communicating with a Red, NEVER criticize them in front of others.

Blues need to be understood and appreciated. Take extra time with the Blues on your team. Actively listen to their concerns and address them. Let them know you are aware of their stress at this time and do what you can to alleviate their worries. Most of all, sincerely tell them that they are valued.

Whites need to be given space. They are at their best when given a task and then left alone to complete it. They don’t like strife in the workplace. If faced with confrontation regularly, you won’t keep them long.

Yellows need praise. Recognize their participation in front of the others on the team. Don’t downplay their enthusiastic contributions. We all need a Yellow’s bright, fun disposition in these times. Remember, they are more sensitive than they let on. Again, do your best to watch for verbal clues.

Relationship with My Colleagues

We all tend to internalize slights to maintain a non-confrontational workplace—right up until we can’t anymore. This is when you lose your employees.

Is it possible that employees aren’t aware of how others view them?

Now is a good time to administer the Character Code 360-degree evaluation.* Because of its anonymity, responders can share their coworkers’ behaviors they admire and those that cause them grief in their work relationships.

Once your team knows how others view them, they can work on those behaviors. Improved communication skills will quickly remedy most behavioral misconceptions.

More than ever before, your self-awareness and those of your coworkers are key to the success of keeping employees fulfilled. Interpersonal communication skills can help you build strong, positive relationships with your employees that result in higher morale and productivity of your entire team.

*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 here.

____________________________________________

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.

How to Date Your Spouse on Valentine’s Day

The first Valentine’s Day I spent with my husband (then boyfriend) was filled with grand gestures. He wouldn’t tell me what he was planning for the big day, but my best friend, who he’d sworn to secrecy, assured me that I would feel like a contestant on The Bachelorette.

At the time, I was doing an internship for a news outlet in Salt Lake City, and my boyfriend lived an hour and a half away, where he was going to college. We spent every weekday texting and talking on the phone constantly and every weekend together.

When I walked into work on Friday, February 15, 2013, (we had to wait for the weekend to celebrate V-Day) I was under the impression that I’d be working my typical 8-5 shift and going on a date with my boyfriend that night. He had other plans.

About an hour or so into my day, my boss sent me down to the lobby on a fake errand, and when I stepped out of the elevator, there was my boyfriend, arms full of roses, ready to whisk me away from work. My charismatic Yellow man had pre-approved it with my boss, whom he’d never met.

He then drove me to a small airport, where he’d arranged for an old neighbor to fly us over our home state in his helicopter. You know, no big deal. The rest of the day was filled with delicious food, fun activities, gifts, a movie and to end it all, stargazing up in the mountains in the back of his dad’s truck. Needless to say, I married that guy the following December.

We were about 7 weeks into marriage when the next Valentine’s Day approached. We were dirt poor, living on love and flavorless oatmeal. But we were still going to spring big for Valentine’s Day. After all, we had saved the Olive Garden gift card we’d been gifted for our wedding for nearly 2 whole months and were even going to go out to a movie. Trust me, going on a date like this was a big deal.

After a day full of college classes and work, we were so excited to ditch the oatmeal and go on a real date. Bring on the bottomless soup, breadsticks and salad! We’d eat ourselves silly so we wouldn’t have to eat for a week.

We lived in Rexburg, Idaho at the time, so the nearest Olive Garden was 30 minutes away. Did we think to get a reservation? Of course not! We were barely adults. When we got there, we learned the wait was long enough that we would miss our movie (we luckily hadn’t paid for it yet).

The weight of this realization felt devastating to newlywed, penny-pinching me. When you’ve lived off of oatmeal, pb&j’s and pasta for two months and you only let yourself sit in front of the small heat vent for a few minutes a day in your freezing Rexburg (literally nicknamed Iceberg) apartment, you just want to feel like royalty for ONE NIGHT stuffing Olive Garden in your face and watching a terrible romantic drama in a heated movie theater instead of hunched around a small laptop on your bed.

The contrast from our previous Valentine’s Day was drastic, but the good news was that I had married the same thoughtful, romantic man who had wooed me with a helicopter ride. After listening to my little temper tantrum about only having time for dinner OR a movie rather than both, (seriously, first world problems, man) he took me in his arms and calmed me down. He told me it was completely up to me what we chose. He just wanted me to have a good night. And my stomach made the choice for both of us…Olive Garden.

We ended up having an amazing dinner that quickly assuaged my hanger and enjoyed a simple, but really great night together. We later found out the movie we were going to see did terribly in the box office, and we never even ended up renting it later. Don’t ask me the name of it, because I genuinely do not remember.

But I do remember how loving my husband was toward me that night. How patient he was and how he still made me feel like royalty, even if the only queen I was was the Queen of Fettuccine.

We’ve been married for over 8 years now and are approaching our 10th Valentine’s together. Not a single Valentine’s Day has been as grandiose as our first, but each year gets a little sweeter as our love for each other grows. Part of that is because we know each other and we speak each other’s language. I know that celebrating holidays is very important to my fun-loving Yellow husband, and he knows that the major Blue part of me loves feeling special and remembered.

For those of you who are celebrating Valentine’s Day as married couples, I wanted to give a few ideas for each personality color so you can keep the spark and the love alive in your marriage.

For the Blues:

For those who are married to Blues on Valentine’s Day, the pressure’s on you! 😉 Of all the colors, Blues are going to appreciate romance the most. Lucky for you, we are here to help. First and foremost, Blues simply need you to recognize the holiday. Would they appreciate a grand romantic gesture? Yes. Would they love you to get creative? Of course. But if that’s something you’re really not good at or don’t feel comfortable with, just start small by acknowledging the holiday with flowers, chocolates and a date with quality conversation. Or some variation of those things. Let them know you love and appreciate them, and you’ll be golden. If you want to get romantic, a pro tip is to recreate your first date.

For the Reds:

Reds are practical. They may view Valentine’s Day as another commercial holiday that’s out to steal their money. However, dating your spouse is always healthy for a marriage, so take advantage of this holiday to plan a date that will really speak to your Red spouse. Something that will challenge them and make them feel like the best is a good place to start. An escape room, ax throwing or paintball may not sound romantic, but your Red is totally up for some healthy competition.

For the Yellows:

Yellows may not always seem like it, but they can definitely be romantic. Of course, romance for them is going to involve something fun. If you’re the spouse of a Yellow, this is your time to shine. They will love it if you plan a creative and fun date, and they will enthusiastically appreciate your efforts. If you’re feeling stumped, think of something a 10-year-old would love, and odds are, your Yellow spouse will love it, too. Go ice skating, roller blading, dancing, or whatever it is that sounds fun to you two. If you’re feeling really crazy, plan a spontaneous vacation! Odds are, they’ll be down.

For the Whites:

Honestly, if you’re married to a White, you’ve got it pretty easy on Valentine’s Day. Of course, you’ll want to keep their secondary color in mind. If they are a White/Red, they might prefer a quiet night in without much fuss. If they’re a White/Blue, they’d still appreciate something sweet. If they’re a White/Yellow, they’ll love the excuse to do something fun, just the two of you. Just keep in mind their core motive of peace. They probably won’t want to fight the restaurant crowds on Valentine’s Day, but a nice dinner at home and a bubble bath could be just the ticket.

There you go! Hopefully you found these tips helpful. If you’ve had any successful Valentine’s dates you’d like to share, drop a comment below. And Happy Valentine’s Day!!

____________________________________________

Megan Christensen is a White personality who has loved writing for as long as she can remember. Megan graduated from BYU-Idaho in 2014 with a degree in communication. A lifelong fan of the Color Code, she’s thrilled to be the content editor of the blog and hopes to help as many people as possible become more self-aware. When she’s not writing, Megan can be found reading, doing yoga, and spending as much time as she can outdoors.

Reds and Blues At Work — Power vs. Intimacy

Red: “Do what I say, and we’ll get along just fine.”

Blue: “Tell me you appreciate me, and I’ll walk to the ends of the earth for you.”

Welcome to the complicated relationship of Reds and Blues. A relationship combination that you’ve probably heard us lovingly refer to in the past as “Blood, Sweat, and Tears.”

Truthfully, we could talk about this combination for hours, but for the sake of time, this article will focus on one particular tendency of the relationship blend and why it can cause problems if left unchecked:

The tendency that neither Reds nor Blues typically offer (at least for very long) what the other personality wants without FIRST expecting that their own needs be met.

Dr. Hartman has shared in the past a story that demonstrates this pretty well:

“A national sales manager (Red) for a training company requests telephone calls from each of his 30 trainers to inform him about the results of seminars they conducted. To the manager, results mean numbers, referrals, and bottom line. One of his top trainers is Blue. To him, results mean successful life changes and connections with his audience, as well as the bottom line.

Prior to Blue knowing the Color Code, their weekly phone calls went like this: Blue trainer calls Red sales manager. Red sales manager is unavailable and prefers a message to be left on his voicemail. Blue wants to talk about the seminar directly, so he leaves a message to call him back. Frustrated Red sales manager calls back because he needs the numbers that Blue trainer refused to divulge without sharing stories of people and connections from the seminars. They play phone tag three times and finally connect. The dialogue follows:

Blue trainer: ‘We had 37 people at the seminar. Two people gave me referral cards for other companies to contact. But the best part was this guy who came up to me afterward and told me how the seminar had saved his job. He understands how to apply time-management principles better at home as well. He also wanted me to know—’

Red sales manager: ‘Thanks, Tom. I got the numbers, and I gotta go!’

Both hang up frustrated.

The Red sales manager hates hearing from Tom each week, but he’s one of his top trainers.

The Blue (Tom) is frustrated when the sales manager stops him from sharing what really matters to him from the seminar.

After Tom learned the Color Code, their dialogue went like this:

Blue trainer (calls Red sales manager and gets voicemail): ‘Hi. This is Tom. I had 37 people in Dallas. We got two referrals and faxed them to Cindy for follow-up. ‘Bye for now.’

Red sales manager: (Smiles listening to voicemail) transfers the numbers to his report and calls Tom regularly to check on how he is doing, because he wants him to feel connected since he’s a top trainer.

Note: Blue learned to speak Red’s language. Red gets his numbers, and Blue doesn’t take Red’s lack of interest personally. Blue is currently entertaining offers at other companies where he feels more connection. Red offered a salary increase. Blue accepted money and is still looking.”

Tom accepts the money at the end of the story, but is still looking for another job. This doesn’t surprise me one bit. A Blue will stay with a job and deal with a lot, because they are loyal and responsible by nature. However, they will look for an exit strategy if they don’t find the connection, validation, and appreciation they need.

In fact, along these lines, just last week, a good friend of mine (who has a Blue DCM) was telling me about his new job and how frustrated he was with his Red boss, because he had never shown my friend appreciation once in his first month on the job. My friend was already starting to second guess accepting the position—and this is by far the highest paying job he has ever had. Despite the great money, he was still unsatisfied because of a lack of appreciation.

Now, let’s look at the story a little closer from the Red perspective.

To be fair, both my friend’s boss and the sales manager from the story clearly didn’t realize how important showing appreciation and connecting is to these Blues—or they most likely would have made an effort. Reds are logical individuals, so IF they can see the reasoning behind why it makes sense to do something, they will generally make it happen. Not to mention, Reds are very loyal and fierce fighters for causes and people they care about—it’s just that many times, because of their tremendous focus and need for efficiency, they get tunnel vision in getting from A to B and forget about other’s needs.

Also, it’s fair to say that the sales manager had 30 people to call and a job to do. He most likely didn’t have the time to chat with Tom—or at the very least saw it as a waste of time. This focus and efficiency is partially what makes Reds so excellent in business. The drive, vision, and leadership qualities of a Red are tough to beat. In fact, Dr. Hartman always says that he “would follow a healthy Red to the ends of the earth,” and I agree with him 100 percent. From personal experience, whenever I work with a Red on a project, I literally get at least double the work done in half the time!

So what’s the takeaway? Clearly both personalities bring so much to the table—especially in business—that it behooves both Reds and Blues to understand this dynamic between them.

Hopefully these insights gave you a few things to think about. And, of course, if you want to know more, you can check out our social media posts. Additionally, your full Color Code personality report and the bonus videos that come with it go over this relationship blend in the greatest detail.

____________________________________________

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.