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YOUR PERSONALITY COLOR AND YOUR PROPENSITY FOR ANXIETY

Your Color Code personality type can determine a lot of interesting things, such as whether you are easily depressed, have a casual approach to life, a critical one or if you’re careful or carefree. It can also determine things that might cause you anxiety.

To give you an idea, here are a few things to consider.

REDS: Need to look good technically, be right, and be respected. They are strong leaders and love challenges. You may experience anxiety if any of your preferences are lacking, or if you are unable to meet your personal or professional expectations.

BLUES: Need to have integrity and be appreciated. They are focused on quality and creating strong relationships. As a Blue, you may experience anxiety if you feel unappreciated, are perceived to be acting without integrity, or meet relationship challenges.

WHITES: Need to be accepted and treated with kindness. They are logical, objective, and tolerant of others. Anxiety may present when you feel you have been rejected, treated harshly, or feel that others have taken advantage of your tolerance.

YELLOWS: Need to be noticed and have fun. They love life, social connections, and being positive and spontaneous. You could possibly expect to experience anxiety when your spontaneity is prevented and you’re not having fun. Any lack of or decrease in your social activities may produce anxiety.

According to Beyond Blue, “research suggests that people with certain personality traits are more likely to have anxiety. For example, children who are perfectionists, easily flustered, timid, inhibited, lack self-esteem or want to control everything, sometimes develop anxiety during childhood, adolescence or as adults.”

According to Dr. Gustavo Fors-Rodriguez, “anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome that is often related to a sense of helplessness and losing control.”

Psychiatrist Dr. Jenys Allende said, “Anxiety can be normal in stressful situations such as public speaking or taking a test. Anxiety is only an indicator of underlying disease when feelings become excessive, all-consuming, and interfere with daily living.”

For those of you readers who feel you or a loved one are experiencing anxiety, here are a few simple tips for your specific personality type to help you feel at ease.

Blues: Avoid anxious situations by recognizing that you do not have to figure everything out. Sometimes, practice simply going with the flow. Don’t overthink things.

Reds: Turn your love for challenges toward yourself! Assess your need to be right. Meet other people where they are.

Yellows: Intentionally find fun and humor in every situation. Avoid low energy people and spaces.

Whites: Employ your logic to discern your level of tolerance when experiencing spaces of negative energy.

We hope you found this information helpful! Here’s to living a mentally healthy life.

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Deborah Bryson is a Certified Color Code Trainer, Life Coach, and Human Resources Professional. As a Life Coach, Deborah helps her clients step out of the shadows and fears of the past, take off their masks, embrace their own destiny, and truly connect to who they are. Deborah is a “Carolina Girl” with extended family in North and South Carolina. She “coaches” basketball, soccer, and baseball at “home” and is an avid fan of her “players” when they’re on the field or court.

How to support the rare emotionally vulnerable Red

Reds rarely if at all tend to show emotional vulnerability. To put themselves out there, whether consciously or unconsciously, is totally opposed to their personality. When emotional vulnerability is demonstrated, it is best to allow the Red to express himself without too much reaction from you. To empathize and express compassion is not the best way to handle it, either. The Red will feel uncomfortable to hear such reactions of understanding and consolation. What has worked for me in dealing with Reds is to pretend to ignore emotional vulnerability. Instead, I make an objective statement about the reason for his or her response without touching on his or her actual response. Articulating your own feelings would be a good way to manage the Red’s emotional vulnerability.

My husband is a Red. During rare occasions when he feels sad and on the verge of tears over a situation, I acknowledge the feeling and remain calm and factual. As a Blue, it is not easy to be objective and logical. But I bracket my emotions just for this moment and allow the Red to be vulnerable. I try not to calm him down, because that would cause him to shift to a negative emotion, such as anger. I mention some concrete action steps to respond to the situation, such as “people do what they decide to do for themselves, and therefore we have no control over how they will behave. We can only control our response.” Allowing without accepting is also another way to respond. To remain rational throughout this interaction helps the Red stay emotionally vulnerable. At the end, I could see that he remained silent and listened. For once, he was not arguing and monopolizing the conversation.

Perhaps remarks such as, “I would feel the same way, if I were in your shoes,” or “I totally see how this situation can make you feel this way” would be good, because it helps them feel they are right, which Reds love. The tone of voice that is calm and direct can also make a difference in encouraging emotional vulnerability.

Reds hide their insecurities tightly. To reveal emotional vulnerability might be misconstrued as revealing insecurities. Continue to be respectful of the Red and their position of power or influence. If a Red shows a glimpse of emotional vulnerability, be careful not to diminish their leadership position by riding on the emotions. Instead, acknowledge the emotion with logic. Be brief, direct and specific and support their correct decisions or their emotional position.

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Grace Abellera has spent over 30 years in training and development in the airline industry and financial services. She attended both the University of the Philippines and Stanford University and has a Master’s degree in Psychology and a certificate in teaching negotiation skills from Harvard Business School. She has been a certified Color Code trainer for the past decade and has been a certified professional in talent development since 2007.

Redefining Happiness at Work Using Our Color Code Toolbox

Are you happy at work? Are we supposed to be? Don’t scroll yet.

What if we took that “happy” word that has so many meanings and consider this: what would happen if we took a different approach and planned for the pursuit of purpose while recognizing how we can find strength in our collective differences to improve our happiness?

Let me be clear. False happiness is worse than no happiness at all. If you are a person who is still working on finding your purpose, you are not alone. Even more, if you are not a “naturally sunshiney” personality, I would offer that greater self-awareness leads to greater discovery of purpose and yes – the elusive “happiness.”

Yet, how do we get that awareness? Over the last several years, the Color Code Personality Profile has been a tremendous tool in my self-awareness and growth. Back in 2017 (which really does feel like a lifetime ago!), my husband and I were listening to a Color Code speaker. I exclaimed, “I’m a Red! You’re a White! And this explains everything!” He agreed. It was a game changer.

I may be exaggerating a small bit, but not by much. Are you asking any of the following questions right now?

How was it a game changer?
What is the end goal of this blog?
Why are you telling me this?
Who are you?

If you tell me your Color Code profile, I can tell you which of these questions just might be the one you asked. Is the Color Code sorcery? Absolutely not. Self-fulfilling prophecy? Again, no. A strong communication tool that can be the linchpin for pursuing our purpose? Most definitely, yes!

So, what is one small thing each personality type can start working on to strive for a happier life or moving towards the pursuit of their innate purpose?

Let me start with the Reds. We most definitely are the ones that need to have a backup pair of Patience Pants! As a Red with a Secondary Blue, I will do much better with finding some value in the process itself, not just reaching the end goal! A Blue colleague who is married to a strong Red reminded me that the Red might lose heart if they do not see the value in the process. I need to remember that as I move from leaving a firm where I have been for 10 years to taking an advanced role elsewhere. Right now, I know my job well. I know who to call for help and am a regular resource for people of all levels. I have created and implemented valuable programs and helped people with their professional growth. While I made the decision to change (and keep my Blue limitations in check) to a new firm where I will be able to develop my natural leadership skills and be more deeply involved in a variety of programs, I have to remember a key rule of mine: Practice a beginner’s mindset. Be willing to suck at something new. Why? Because, as much as we Reds like to think we know it all, a self-aware Red will realize we do not. And that improves my happiness.

For my friends who are a primary Blue — a decision to make this kind of move might look a little bit different! A Blue is often going to think about relationships, why the change, and potentially hyper-focus on the gravity of the decision. This can affect the happiness of the Blue — and yes — the happiness of those who are around them! Dear Blues (or those of us with a secondary….), may I offer this? It is a decision, not the end of the world. Feelings are not facts — so take some cues from your logical Red and White friends to look at the facts of your decision so that the fear (False Evidence Appearing Real) does not win. I once was told, “You cannot be curious and fearful at the same time.” Blues, Embrace the opportunity, trusting you will make a good decision, then enjoy the change you experience as much as you can. Be willing to know when you are leaning towards analysis paralysis. If you make a mistake (let me rephrase, when you make a mistake), give yourself grace. We must make mistakes to improve. And Blues, you are amazing with quality and process improvement! Consider these adjustments to moving towards better things. Be cognizant of not taking the pivots and twists personally so you can keep your self-esteem intact. You are valuable and here for a reason. Always remember — you do not always get to know the “why” to it all. Seek out that logical friend who can provide the clarity you need in the midst of the emotions you feel. By accepting the flaws, your happiness will increase.

Speaking of our logical White friends, we need you and your lovely spirit of peace! Your superpower is the ability to provide clarity in a complicated situation. You are a gift to this world. What we also encourage and need you to do: Speak up. Branch out. Shake it up. I know, I know. I was recently coaching a person with the primary White personality. They are about to complete their degree and are looking for their first job in the field. When I sent them several names of people to contact, I had to remember that while this may be natural for some of us, I was suggesting some very unusual and scary action for many with this personality profile. Ask others who do not know me for information? Get help instead of just giving up? Potentially be uncomfortable? Yes. Yes. Yes. Why? Because it is going to help you move to a great next step for which you have worked so hard. By taking small risks, you will build confidence to do the scary things — like getting that new position or asking for a raise or networking to find a new organization. A Red can be your best ally in this. Be sure to tell them what you need, indicate when you need a break, and let them engage you into more confidence than you can imagine! That next job could be a game changer!

My last thought for these patient folks: Silence is not always golden. By not speaking up for yourself and your needs, people will assume you are fine. Happy with the money you make. Happy with your present position. Happy as you are. However, I know from experience that once you recognize your amazing self fully that you will move into your innate purpose, too!

Last, but never least, let us talk about Yellows. You may love change! Adventure! New things! If you have a strong secondary, ensure you learn the nuances of the strengths and limitations of your secondary color. Character counts and you may need the “d” word. D? D as in discipline. By adding just a little to your repertoire, it will help you move forward even more and can influence your happiness! And, when you feel yourself getting down or having an experience where you may not feel like your typical “sunshiney self,” advocate for yourself and accept that you may have to let someone know. It is ok not to feel fun all the time. It is ok if you cannot bring your typical joy. Let your people know you need some space to build back your energy. During that season, allow yourself not to dwell on how you “look” — remember your other strengths, such as inclusion. The joy you get from helping others not to always dwell on every hard thing. Do this for yourself, too.

How to conclude this? Learn your Color Code personality. It is not your identity nor the key to happiness. It is a tool in your toolbox for successful living that can lead to greater purpose and true joy. However you define happiness and purpose, may I offer, success in this is meant to be with others. We are better together.

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Kelly L. Knowles is a senior trainer at a regional law firm, where she develops and provides technical and professional skills training to all levels of the organization. Kelly is also an adjunct instructor in the Business Management department at MTSU. In 2017, Kelly obtained a Color Code certification and began Kelly K. Consulting. Kelly K. Consulting focuses on helping individuals and teams discover, develop, and dig into their inner leader. She guides this through one-on-one and group coaching as well as through corporate team training.

Brightening the World through our Innate Color Code Gifts

In March 2007, Van and I had been training out West and were traveling back to Missouri. We were really, really hungry for an old-fashioned hamburger and had stopped several times along the way looking for one of those “greasy, hole-in-the-wall” kind of places, but we couldn’t seem to find one.

We stopped at an old truck stop on the Missouri/Iowa line to buy a bag of M&M’s and a cup of coffee. Much to our surprise, when we walked into the truck stop, we were met with a most wonderful fragrance: the smell of “the old-fashioned hamburger” we had been looking for the past 200 miles. We were so excited! We knew we had found our dinner.

It didn’t take Van long to find the grill. He watched an older lady preparing a hamburger for a man dressed in farmer’s overalls. As she wrapped his specially prepared burger in aluminum foil, she said, “That will be $3.49, Harold.” Harold said, “Thank you, Dora,” as he paid with a roll of farmer’s cash. Van, standing on Harold’s heels, could barely keep from pushing Harold out of the way.

Finally, Harold stepped aside, and Van, as only Van can do, leaned on the counter and said, “Dora, where have you been all my life?” Dora looked at him rather sheepishly and said, “Can I help you?” We are guessing she had a White personality. On the inside, she was probably thinking, “Oh boy, another one of these.”

Van ordered a special burger, just like Harold’s and asked her to cut it in half. It was huge! As he watched Dora work, he was impressed with the care and quality with which she prepared our burger. As she brought the burger to the counter and started to wrap it in foil, Van said, “Please…. wait, I promise I’ll pay you, but I can’t wait any longer. I have to taste this burger right now!” Van’s response to his bite of burger: “Mmmmmmmmmmmm!” (He sounded a lot like Bill Murray in the movie, “What about Bob?”)

As he reached for his wallet to pay, he said, (while still chewing the burger) “That is the best hamburger I have ever tasted. I watched you make that burger. This place is lucky to have you. Making a hamburger like this is a lost art. Thank you so much for our burger. You have just made our day!”

We took our burger and sat down at a table to enjoy our find. After eating my half of the burger, I walked over to the little gift shop and began looking at the book section. While shopping, Dora said to me, “Ma’am, will you please tell the man out front thank you?” I thought that was rather odd, but said, “Yes, of course.” She politely said, “Thank you.” I stopped my shopping and told Van, thinking he must have given her a tip or something. When I told him that the lady in the back had told me to tell him thank you, he asked, “What for?” I said, “I don’t know; she just told me to tell you thank you.”

Well, curiosity got the best of him, and he headed to the grill and called out to Dora…. “Dora, Dora, excuse me.” It took her a few seconds to respond, as she had her back to him, briskly cleaning the grill, but she finally turned around. He said, “My wife told me that you said to tell me thank you. I don’t know if that was meant for me, but if it was, I’m curious, what are you thanking me for?”

Dora slowly turned and pulled her apron off, hanging it gently on the hook by the door. She came all the way out to the front of the counter and sheepishly said, almost in a whisper, being careful not to make eye contact, “Well…. you see, sir, I come in here every day, and all I do is cook hamburgers. Most days, I feel like my life doesn’t count for much, but you made me feel special today. I just wanted to thank you for thanking me for your hamburger.”

Stunned and with tears filling his eyes, Van paused, trying to gather himself. Finally, he spoke. “Dora, you don’t know me, but my wife and I teach people about their God-given personalities. We tell them about the gifts they have inside them through their personality. These gifts are given to us to give away, to make the world a better place. I am, by nature, an encourager, I almost always see the good in people, and I do love to make people smile. I didn’t realize just how important these gifts are.” He paused again, trying to control his emotions, “Today, when you thanked me for making you feel special, you taught me to value and appreciate my ability to make people smile and to make people feel good about life.” He thanked her for thanking him for thanking her and told her, “You have blessed me today.”

With a tear slipping down her cheek and her eyes wide with surprise, Dora said, “Wow, that’s funny.” She paused and then gently continued, “I prayed today, on my way to work, that God could…. somehow…. use my life to be a blessing to someone.” Van stepped back, gently shaking his head. He said, with a slight chuckle, “Well, you got that one answered!” As Van and Dora stood there with tears running down their cheeks, Van, in his sweet way, said, “Can I have a hug?” With a welcoming shrug, Dora said, “Well, sure.”

What an extraordinary moment! Two strangers, hugging in the middle of a truck stop on the Missouri/Iowa line, two strangers who had made a difference in each other’s lives.

There are three lessons to be learned from Dora and this story about valuing the gifts God has placed inside you:

Pray each morning that God will use you to be a blessing to someone in some way.
Give your gifts, whatever they are, wherever you are, intentionally to lend a hand and to be an encourager. Give a smile or a kind word to a stranger.
Stay alert and know that you can be a blessing. When you are a blessing, you make the world a better place.

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Van and Tammy Benson live in Mount Vernon, Missouri. They have 4 daughters, 4 sons-in-law and 11 grandchildren. They love the message of the Color Code more than ever! For more information, visit their websites www.MotiveMatters.com and www.ColorYourMarriage.com.

Teamwork and My Color Code Story

During a 26-year naval career, one of my tours of duty brought me to the Washington DC area. It was around this time that I married and brought my new bride there to start our life’s journey together. She is an operating room nurse and eventually took a department manager position at one of the largest metropolitan hospitals in the area in the mid-1990s.

Her hospital’s management team scheduled an offsite conference for all department managers, which included a Color Code workshop facilitated by Dr. Taylor Hartman. At the conclusion of the workshop, she and her colleagues were amazed at how accurately the descriptions of their personality colors reflected them. My wife decided that she wanted to answer her suspicions of what my personality color, including my driving core motive, was. At the workshop, she purchased a copy of The Color Code and had Dr. Hartman include a personalized inscription. At the time, I was deployed, but shortly after I returned home, she presented me with the book and said, “Read it! Then do the assessment.”

Well, as a practitioner of the philosophy, “A happy wife is a happy life,” I immediately followed her directive. Upon learning of my results, she cracked a smirk and said, “I knew it! You are a Yellow.” Not only am I a Yellow personality, but pretty much a purist. My driving core motive is “fun.” After that, we administered the assessment to all our immediate family and close friends. I must admit that there were some surprises for us, but we found that for the most part, we recognized many of the traits as described. This knowledge has helped us frame conversations and sometimes difficult discussions with a knowledge of how the other person may receive the information and has proven a valuable tool in relationships with our family and friends. It’s exciting to learn about your strengths and quite humbling and cathartic to recognize your limitations.

Since retiring from the Navy, I now work as a project team development facilitator for aircraft carriers and submarines as they prepare to enter the shipyard for extended maintenance periods. My team brings together stakeholders responsible for performing maintenance and modernization on these national assets to support the project team in developing communication skills and relationships that provide the foundation of a high-performing team. We conduct a series of workshops, exercises and team-building activities to achieve that goal.

As I prepared a program for one of my project teams, the project supervisor told me that in the past, they had done assessments such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and StrengthsFinder and was specifically looking for something to help team members better understand each other and improve communication among team members. I remembered how Color Code improved our immediate circle and approached my supervisor about becoming a Color Code facilitator to provide that service for our teams. She approved, and I was off to the races.

I had the team do the assessment prior to our week-long conference and conducted the workshop on the first day. I was able to weave in the content during the remainder of the week to illustrate the characteristics of their DCMs (Driving Core Motives). One of the products I provided my team with at the conclusion of the conference was a contact roster of the attendees. During the closing remarks, the project supervisor requested that I include each of their primary and secondary colors, so that when they returned to the shipyard, they could refer back to their colors and use that as a tool to improve communication among the team.

Since then, my facilitation team has increased our facilitator numbers and has executed many workshops for all the public and private shipyards on both the east and west coasts performing maintenance for the U.S. Navy. Color Code is proving a great tool in helping develop high-performing teams.

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Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, Mark Eller joined the US Navy at 17 and proudly served on submarines and surface ships during his 26-year career. After retiring from the Navy, he and his wife cruised on their sailboat for 2 years before settling in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Presently, Mark is a project team development facilitator, working with submarines and aircraft carriers as they prepare for extended shipyard maintenance availabilities. His team works with project stakeholders to improve communication, building high-performing teams to efficiently deliver these national assets back to the navy and out to conduct our nation’s business around the world. They use the Color Code personality assessment to help their teams better understand each other by improving communication and cooperation ,resulting in a more efficient and harmonious work environment. Mark is almost a purist Yellow personality.

Harry Potter and the Color Code Conflict

I’m a big Harry Potter fan. I own the audiobooks, two sets of the series printed in Britain, one set printed in America, a Russian version and a Chinese version. What can I say, I am a nerd. I’ve even found myself in conversations relating Harry Potter to the Color Code. My brother once asked me to quick code each of the four Hogwarts houses into the four personality types. Of course, I sorted the resourceful, power-hungry Reds into Slytherin, the adventurous, fun-loving Yellows into Gryffindor, the peacemaking, easygoing Whites into Hufflepuff and the responsible, perfectionistic Blues into Ravenclaw.

I’m currently listening to the series for the umpteenth time with a couple of friends for a Harry Potter Book Club. When I read the end of the Chamber of Secrets, the second book in the series, I tend to get emotional when Albus Dumbledore speaks one of the most profound lines of the entire saga. More on that in a minute.

To give a little background, Harry is wrestling with the idea that maybe the sorting hat put him in the wrong house. He remembers specifically asking the sorting hat not to put him into Slytherin, because he’d heard every witch and wizard who had turned bad came from that house. (Side note: The evil side of Slytherin is not meant to be compared to the Red personality.) The sorting hat tells him he’d do well in Slytherin, but takes his desire into account and ultimately sorts him into Gryffindor. Fast forward to the second book, and Harry learns he has more in common with the villainous Lord Voldemort (AKA Tom Riddle) than he ever realized. He wonders if he should have been a Slytherin after all.

When Dumbledore finally hears of Harry’s inner turmoil, the following conversation ensues: “[The Sorting Hat] only put me in Gryffindor,” said Harry in a defeated voice, because I asked not to go in Slytherin.” “Exactly,” said Dumbledore, beaming once more. “Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

So what does all of this have to do with the Color Code? Let me tell you. A few people I’ve met do not like the Color Code, or personality tests in general, because they feel like it puts them in a box. They don’t want their behavior chalked up to the fact that they “are just that way,” because they believe people are in charge of their actions. And of course, they are right about that part.

The Color Code is awesome in that it teaches us what our main motive in life is and outlines the strengths and limitations that come naturally to us. But that doesn’t mean we have to choose a life that leans into our limitations just because they come naturally. As Dumbledore said, “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

For example, as a White/Blue personality, I have historically struggled with timidity, conflict avoidance, overworry, oversensitivity, and perfectionism. These natural limitations have all contributed to my years-long struggle with anxiety and depression.

After becoming a mom, I knew I had to take charge of my life and work toward overcoming my crippling limitations. This was anything but easy and included taking medication and going to therapy regularly for 2 years. But after a lot of dedication, endurance, hard work and tears, I now feel like the choices I have made have helped me become a far better person than any of my abilities.

Now, when I feel myself wanting to get offended by a well-meaning but sarcastic Yellow or I spend too much time worrying about what I cannot control in the future, I am able to utilize the skills I’ve gained to set aside those limitations and live in my strengths. While it has been challenging to get to this place in my life, it’s been oh so rewarding.

So, next time you are tempted to blame bad behavior on what comes naturally to you or you curse the personality color you were born with, remember, “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

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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.

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! 

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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.

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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.

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!!

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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.

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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.