Author: teresa.glenn

Confessions of a Red—On the Road

I am a very focused driver. I pay attention to the cars around me and try to anticipate what their next move will be, often with open dialog (albeit one-sided) such as, “If you aren’t going to change lanes, turn off your d***ed blinker.” I am courteous to other drivers, always giving them the “thanks” wave when they let me in, or by letting them in when necessary.

I have a Yellow friend who, when driving, tends to feel that the entire road belongs to her and sees nothing wrong with straddling lanes and fluctuating her speed in tandem with the intensity of her constant chatter. Interestingly enough, this doesn’t really frighten me. In my opinion, Yellows have guardian angels, and my proximity to her saves me from being crushed in a horrible fiery accident. I do, however, find her driving habits rude, and don’t mind telling her. She, being Yellow, doesn’t mind my sarcastic comments like, “Are you going to choose a lane anytime soon?” She is oblivious to the middle fingers and curses from other drivers, as well as my constant use of the imaginary break.

My Blue husband is a different matter. Recently, he and I embarked a road trip of nearly 2000 miles. We took my Prius to take advantage of its great gas mileage and the built-in GPS. I drove.

Anyone who has had a Blue in the passenger seat knows that they have a tendency to be a bit judgmental, and a lot worrisome. My husband is no exception. Having said that, he has been married to a Red (whose tendencies are insensitivity and impatience when criticized) long enough to know better than to actually “backseat drive.”  Instead, in a pleasant, conversational tone he will say things like, “Hmm. I think I would have gone the other way, so I could make a left turn at the light,” thus feigning a polite observation in lieu of open criticism. I understand his need to voice his opinion and I really appreciate the fact that he is sensitive enough not to openly judge. Normally these little observations amuse me. Still, in an unfamiliar city at rush hour, these comments would frazzle anyone’s nerves. I finally turned to him and said, “The only running commentary I want to hear is from the chick in the dashboard!” He was quiet for a full minute when he said, “Well, I don’t think it was a running commentary.” I laughed—tension averted.

Just as the world is made up of many personalities, the highways are made up of many different drivers. A billboard might divert a Yellow’s attention, Reds might vent at other drivers, Whites might get lost in their own thoughts and miss an exit—and Blues? Well, they just want all the rules followed (their way).

We made it to and from that unfamiliar city, and needless to say, my husband and I both breathed a sigh of relief when the chick in the dashboard said, “You have reached your final destination.”

 

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.  

 

 

Workplace Culture: The Impact of Valuing Differences

Seventy percent of college graduates leave their first job within two years of starting it because they don’t feel the job is a good fit for them. Eighty-five percent of people fired last year were fired because of relationship problems at work. Approximately 65–85 percent of mergers and acquisitions fail to deliver the desired results for which the companies come together, largely because of company culture clashes that cause top talent to exit the organization or lose focus and energy.

Being able to attract and retain top talent brings bottom line benefits to any workplace. By some estimates, the cost of rehiring an employee knowledge worker is $70,000, including hiring, training, and lost productivity.

Given these staggering challenges related to workplace culture, the question is, how do we foster a company culture that will allow us to retain our top talent, to ensure the fit of diverse individuals, and to realize real value from strategic mergers and acquisitions? The answer lies in our ability to understand and value differences in a way that allows each person to contribute his or her best within the organization.

For example, the Blue approach to work is steady, ordered, and enduring. To a workplace culture, Blues bring stability and emotional security. They tend to create and appreciate beauty, including beauty in their workplace surroundings. Their best value is in their loyalty—both to people and to the organization. They are sincere and trustworthy in relationships, and can keep employees focused and productive during times of stress and transition. Blues value their connections to others and consistently appreciate others’ contributions. If you don’t value a Blue’s loyalty, honesty and creativity in the workplace, then the Blue’s capacity to provide stability and assurance will wane; he or she will shy away from public exposure and may become confused and vulnerable.

In contrast, the Yellow approach to work is based on quick results and a willingness to take some risks. Yellows feel valued when they are given the space and freedom to creatively achieve their goals. A Yellow’s best value is often with short-term, people-oriented projects with visible results. If you don’t use a Yellow’s passion to your advantage, then you may end up with a noncommittal employee who doesn’t get around to following through on his or her commitments.  Energy will flag, and the morale of the team will be negatively impacted.

Reds thrive in leadership positions, and they relish opportunities to be fully responsible. A Red’s best value is often in a task-oriented environment, where he or she can make decisions and delegate some of the work to others. Reds tend to expect loyalty and obedience, especially when they are in positions of power, and this expectation can exacerbate office politics. On the other hand, if you don’t let Reds own or be responsible for the results they commit to, then you may lose the energy of some of your most tenacious, resilient, and high-potential employees.

In comparison, the White approach to work is to effectively handle bureaucratic environments. Whites tend to stay calm under pressure and prefer a somewhat slower pace in order to take time to reflect and think through the task at hand. Their best value comes in their clarity and diplomacy. Whites are very self-regulated and bring a sense of balance and peace to the workplace. If you don’t value Whites, then they may increasingly avoid conflict, and may demonstrate passive aggression to resist the dominance of other personalities. More than any of the others, Whites may disengage from the team and/or withhold their points of view if they do not believe their insights and approach to work are valued.

One tendency I’ve noticed in the workplace is for hiring managers to hire people they perceive to be just like them. So, a Red manager will have a preference for hiring Red employees and promoting Reds into management; a Yellow manager will have a preference for hiring other Yellow employees and for promoting Yellows into management. The unconscious thought is that if someone has the same approach to work that I do, he or she will be a good “fit” for the job. However, there are risks inherent in homogeneous environments—the dominant group will inevitably overlook opportunities or important data that another of the groups will notice and act on. The dominant group may also alienate the other groups and thereby lose their talent and capabilities. As a consequence, the homogeneous organization will lose its ability to adapt to change, to innovate, and to lead.

In my experience managing the training and delivery of worldwide sales kickoff events, where we bring 1,500 employees together to celebrate their accomplishments and to prepare for another successful year, I’ve seen the benefits of a workplace culture that allowed each of the colors to effectively contribute to the event.

In preparation for the event, the Blues on my team thought through every detail of the training from a participant’s perspective, including who would be in the room and what each participant would need in order to learn. The Blues paid attention to the various learning styles, including the visual, audio, and kinesthetic aspects of each training session. They also made sure every presenter and support person was personally acknowledged and appreciated for their contributions.

The Yellows on the team ensured that the event was entertaining in a way that would keep the sales people’s attention. The Yellows understood that the kickoff was not just a learning event, but also had the potential to be an experience that could thoroughly engage and excite the participants long after the event was over. They provided high value in brainstorming ideas, finding creative ways to interact, and generating excitement for the new approaches we wanted to try.

The Reds on the team could instantly see everything that needed to be in place to make the event actually happen. The Reds kept the planning team on track by organizing and assigning tasks and by identifying key decisions that needed to be made. They ensured that executives were involved as champions of the learning program and that communication was efficiently cascaded. They were enthusiastic and insistent and made sure nothing fell through the cracks.

The Whites could see with clarity even during the most chaotic of times. They could anticipate potential challenges, especially when it came to conflicting priorities. They took time to think through decisions that others wanted to make on the spur of the moment. Even during periods of high stress, the Whites kept us calm and level headed, ensuring we stayed focused on the goal we were trying to achieve.

Imagine what would happen if the culture of our workplaces was similar to the event team I’ve described—with the talent and capability of each of the colors appreciated and allowed to provide their fullest value. New college hires would find themselves in a workplace where they are able to help create an environment that works for both them and the company. Mergers and acquisitions would have a higher rate of success because employees would welcome diverse opinions and learn from those with different work styles. Firings due to relationship difficulties would become less frequent because managers and employees would value diversity and expect less conformity.

As a result of appreciating and leveraging what each individual has to offer, we will be able to attract and retain top talent, and bring measurable value to the bottom line of the organization. <

Karen VanUitert, (Yellow) has been passionate for the Color Code over the last ten plus years. She currently runs her own business after  working for Novell Inc. for 18 years. Karen certified in the Color  Code Training in March 2007, she continues to use the Color Code to help people in  their professional and personal lives. which in turn helps them to be more successful in work and life.

Diversity Defined

Workplace diversity is a people issue, focused on the differences and similarities that people bring to an organization. It is usually defined broadly to include dimensions beyond those specified legally in equal opportunity and affirmative action non-discrimination statutes. Diversity is often interpreted to include dimensions that influence the identities and perspectives that people bring, such as profession, education, parental status and geographic location.

As a concept, diversity is considered to be inclusive of everyone. In many ways, diversity initiatives complement non-discrimination compliance programs by creating the workplace environment and organizational culture for making differences work. Diversity is about learning from others who are not the same, about dignity and respect for all, and about creating workplace environments and practices that encourage learning from others and capture the advantage of diverse perspectives.

Reprinted with permission
Susan Woods, Managing Partner, Henderson Woods, LLC
Cornell University ILR (retired)

Deb Schmidle, Director
Collections, Reference, Instruction, and Outreach
Olin and Uris Libraries
Cornell University

 

Flying Colors

The Color Code is everywhere, even 30,000 feet in the air. I recently flew across the country with my 15-month-old baby. My husband had a conference to attend in Florida. And, Yellow that he is, he insisted that our baby and I tag along to make a vacation out of it. A five-hour flight with a one-year-old? Sure, what could wrong?

The flight there was heavenly. Our baby, Maggie, was a dream. She ate her snacks, she played with toys, she waved sweetly to the people seated around us. What was I so worried about? Traveling with a baby is a piece of cake. I’d seen those frazzled, sweaty parents running through the airport. I’d watched as they chased their toddlers up and down the airplane aisles. I’d even laughed at the juice stains and discarded fruit snacks stuck to their clothes. Not me. Not my baby. Someone might as well just give me my “Mother of the Year” award now.

We had a fabulous stay. The hotel was lovely. The ocean water was warm. Maggie slept well and charmed the fellow hotel guests with her repertoire of animal noises. The only problem was the size of my growing ego. I arrived at the airport for our return flight with all the confidence in the world. And that is when reality kicked me in the gut.

Somewhere along the drive from our hotel to the airport, our perfect baby was replaced by a wild, screaming, kicking machine. The flight was a nightmare. The only thing that would keep Maggie semi-quiet was to kick the back of the (occupied) seat in front of us. She threw every snack she was offered onto the floor. She spit out her juice. With a strength I did not know she was capable of, she spun her whole body out of my lap and onto the floor, where she would stick who-knows-what in her mouth and then make a mad dash for the aisle. If I would have had my “Mother of the Year” award handy at that point, I might have used it to knock myself out for the remainder of the flight.

But alas, that was not an option. So instead I kept myself sane by playing one of my favorite games: What Color Are They? The woman seated across the aisle who simply couldn’t keep her concern to herself…what color is she? “I think maybe her ears are hurting her. Oh, the poor thing! I remember when my babies were that age and their ears caused so much trouble. Here,” she says, grabbing my baby’s ears and tugging, “try this. This always worked. I just hate to think about her ears hurting her. There’s really nothing worse…” and on, and on, and on. “Blue,” I think to myself, as I smile and nod at her.

The gentleman seated in the row ahead of us, who acted as if he’d been waiting years for the chance to play peek-a-boo…what color is he? One glance at him turned around in his seat, making every ridiculous face and sound he can think of to try and make my baby smile, and there is no doubt: Yellow. Or how about the woman who marched right up to me (as I stood bouncing a squirming, wriggling baby in the one-inch space in front of the lavatory), and, without any introduction or time wasted, offered me one sentence of advice. “Give her Benadryl next time,” she commanded. Red.

And finally there’s the man sharing our row. The man who was repeatedly hit in the head with toys. The man whose magazine was ripped away from him by the chubby hands of a demanding toddler. The man whose tray table was pounded on and whose ear was screamed in. The man who did not say one word, let alone make eye contact with me, for the entire five hours. Hmmm, I’m thinking White. We landed and I turned to him and began spewing out every apology I could think of. I got two words out of him: no problem. Yep, definitely White.

And so it was that I survived the flight with the help of the Color Code. Now if only it could help me get these juice stains out of my clothes.

 

Lindsay has been working with the Color Code for six years, first as Dr. Hartman’s assistant, then in the trainer services department. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University, where she studied English Language. She is a core Blue with a strong secondary White. 

 

Ask The Expert

Dear Jeremy,
I work in sales, and I was wondering if there is a way to read a person’s Color Code without having them take the profile?
– Doug

Hello, Doug.

There sure is! In fact, it’s pretty simple. I call the technique, “Quick Coding”, and I’ve put together a little training video that will show you how to do it. Quick Coding is an extremely valuable skill to master whether you are in sales, leadership, or simply trying to manage your own personal relationships. You don’t want to miss this one!

Check out the video here:

Training Video: Quick Coding 101

Very best of living,

Jeremy Daniel
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.

Secondary Color Advantages and Disadvantages

If you are like most, your pie chart looks similar this one, which means you have a primary color (one driving core motive) but you also have a secondary color (another motive that influences they way you think and/or behave). Just as no two snowflakes are alike, no two Reds, Blues, Whites, or Yellows are alike either. We all have our differences, our nuances, our quirks. Just because the Color Code assessment indicates a person is a Core White personality, doesn’t mean that person necessarily possesses all of the White strengths or limitations. In most cases, an individual will naturally possess both strengths and limitations from one or more of the other colors outside of his or her driving core motive as well.     

Since a secondary color directly affects the way a person thinks and behaves, it carries with it both positive and negative implications.

Advantages of Having a Secondary Color

There are three significant ways that a secondary color can enhance one’s life.

1.     Create Balance. Having a secondary color can be very positive in that it can help balance you. The strengths from a secondary color can be very complementary to the core color. Take a bold, driven, and confident Red personality, for example, and add a Blue secondary color that brings out a side of compassion and genuine care for others. The characteristics from the Blue secondary color can really temper the tendencies of the Red to be selfish and insensitive of others. Mother Theresa fits the mold of the current example. People are often surprised to hear that she was Red, in fact, and not Blue, because she exhibited so many of the admirable Blue characteristics. What they don’t recall so readily was that Mother Theresa was extremely driven, efficient, and visionary—a Red complemented by compassion from her Blue secondary color.  As you can see, someone like this is hard to beat.

2.     Develop Other Positive Secondary Color Characteristics Easily. Another advantage to having a secondary color is the ease with which you can develop positive characteristics within that color—this is the “charactering” process. For instance, if an individual already has many secondary White strengths, it is far easier to understand how to develop additional White strengths. The charactering process flows more smoothly because a base of familiarity already exists.

3.     Understand Other Driving Core Motives More Easily. A third way a secondary color can enhance someone’s life is in his/her relationships. It is much easier for someone to understand a Red if he/she has a secondary Red. In many ways, they think and process similarly. One of the most common causes of conflict is the inability to see life from the perspective of others. Put a flippant Yellow student in a classroom, with a serious and rigid Blue teacher, and you’ve got a sure recipe for disaster. How can they understand and appreciate each other? At best they will learn to cope and tolerate one another rather than develop any sort of positive and constructive student-teacher relationship. Having a secondary color might help the Yellow student know when it’s appropriate to be serious and show respect to the teacher. The teacher would undoubtedly benefit from some secondary Yellow to understand how to breathe new life into her lectures and roll with the playful teasing rather than get upset and turn resentful.

Disadvantages of Having a Secondary Color

Having a strong secondary color can also bring with it some drawbacks. Here are three ways a secondary color can negatively affect behavior.

1.     Creates Personality Incongruence. This first struggle is probably the most significant. A secondary color can make an individual incongruent, and thereby less effective. This generally occurs when the characteristics of the secondary color are predominately negative limitations.

For example, let’s look at a White man who is generally pleasant, inventive, and kind. Then consider how he would be perceived if all of a sudden he began to display the very negative Red secondary characteristics of being bossy, argumentative, and insensitive to others. This man would make very little sense to those around him. He would seem to be a Jekyll and Hyde. This phenomenon is personality incongruence, and is very damaging to an individual’s ability to create positive relationships.

2.     Mistrust of Incongruity by Others. The problem with incongruence is that others will find it hard to trust you. Even without knowing the Color Code, people get an intuitive read on what others are naturally like. It is easy to perceive when someone is not acting true to him or herself. We find the person to be phony and certainly unworthy of complete trust.

People are more inclined to forgive others for the limitations they display from within their own core color than those that come from a secondary or other non-core color.

For example, if a Yellow is irresponsible, others will tend to write it off as “that’s just the way he or she is.” However, if that same Yellow exhibited the Blue limitation of being judgmental, people would not excuse the behavior so readily. Further, it would actually seem much worse than if a Blue were to display judgmental attitudes and behaviors.

In Summary

Having a secondary color is a positive condition if the strengths of one’s secondary color are developed and the limitations are minimized. It is true that the strengths of a secondary color are generally easier to develop because we are already somewhat familiar with them. On the contrary, trying to develop strengths from a color other than our core or secondary color is usually more difficult. We don’t have the luxury of natural familiarity with how those characteristics function and we may find we accidentally take on a limitation as well.

 

Ask the Expert

Dear Jeremy,

I am a blue married to a white and we are so struggling.  Any tips for us?

Linda

 

Hello, Linda.  I’m so sorry to hear that you are struggling. That is heartbreaking, but I ABSOLUTELY have some tips for you that can help if you are both open to hearing them.

First of all, I obviously don’t know you or your husband and we haven’t talked specifically about what is going on, so I’m going to speak in more general terms here. Whenever advising couples, the first questions I have to ask is “Do you both know the Color Code? Have you both taken the assessment, and have you read the book?”

I know sometimes one spouse is willing to do the reading and the other is not. In classic Blue/White couples, the Blue is generally more into self-improvement, but to the credit of Whites, they are introspective and interested enough a lot of times to do the reading as well as long as they don’t feel like you are forcing it on them. They are also very objective, which means that they will give what they learn a chance. I think that you could be in a very good situation in that regard.

The reason that I feel this is an important step one is that often times people gain such great clarity on both themselves (personal self-awareness) and on their partner. That clarity in and of itself can help unravel a lot of common misunderstandings and areas where just by nature, Blues and Whites see things differently. Sometimes that awareness can really aid in helping both parties to let go of petty grievances that really aren’t as important as they had previously seemed.

Now, let me get into some common dynamics of the Blue/White relationship and maybe give you some tangible tips that you can begin to work with. I’ll primarily address these to you, as you are the one who asked the question, but I’ll include the White perspective as well.

Generally speaking, the Blue/White relationship is pretty compatible. The reason why is that there is typically not a power struggle unless the White moves to stubbornness. Blues like to be in charge and are generally more controlling, and Whites focus more on controlling only themselves and refusing to be controlled by others. Both are typically quite well-mannered and strive to treat people with respect. Blues bring the compassionate side to that equation (with lots of heart), and the Whites balance things nicely with a lot of kindness and diplomacy.

This relationship, of course, can also go awry in certain ways. For example, Blue women a lot of times can begin to view their White husbands as being too lazy, stubborn, or non-committal. Whites husband can begin to view their wives as being too much of a “nag” or overly controlling/emotional and smothering. Incidentally, this doesn’t happen as much in the same relationship when the gender roles are reversed, though it still could.

When the relationship hits bumps in the road, the Blue, by instinct, wants to control things more tightly and demands more intimacy and connection from the White. The White views this as irrational, emotional control and wants to push back by digging in and becoming stubborn. So, the Blue pushes more, and the White pulls back more, and away they go.

My main suggestion to you:

  1. Assess your thinking and behavior to identify patterns that are often irrational because they are driven by fearful emotion. As you identify those patterns, try to let them go and come back to a more rational state of mind. This will help you speak the language of the White more effectively, and it will cause them to respect, listen, and pay more heed to your position.
  2. Give your husband space instead of trying to force a more intimate connection. This will go against everything your gut is wired to do, but I promise with a White, it will help. This could mean just giving him more time and space. It could also mean not pushing for answers to all of your unresolved questions.
  3. The last suggestion I will make today is that you perhaps try some written communication with him instead of purely verbal interactions. This will allow you to filter your thoughts/emotions so that you can say what you need to say more rationally. It also plays to the White’s preferred mode of communication. Most Whites far prefer written to verbal communication. They feel more comfortable, they have time to process, and they have an easier time truly putting their feelings to words. Again, keep it as rational/logical as possible when doing this, and you may be surprised to see just how willing to engage your husband actually is.

I’ll put down some suggestions for Whites as well, though it might not be the best idea to hand these to your husband directly – at least not at first. If your husband were asking the question, however, this is how I would respond:

  1. Be willing to be more connected/close/intimate. When you feel the knee-jerk reaction to pull back and withdraw, do your best to realize that sometimes Blues reach out, and in their desperation, just need to know that you are committed. Resist the urge to go into stubborn mode.
  2. Work on being more “present” and engaged. This will communicate to your partner that you are committed, which they fear you are not when things are not going so well. A lot of times for Whites, this has to do with increasing both the quantity AND the quality of your communication.
  3. Initiate more… in general. Initiate real conversation. Bring up important issues, and be willing to take action towards making improvements in general, whether those are specifically related to your relationship or just your general life progress as a couple, especially in areas in which you know your partner is concerned. This will help to abate your partner’s fears, which should bring the intensity down with it… and if I know you as a White, that’s exactly what you want to happen. 🙂

Thank you so much for your question on Facebook, Linda. I really hope that my answer can help you somewhat. If you need a recommendation of a counselor who understands Color Code, we can help you with that as well. As a family man myself, I understand how critical this relationship is for you, and I truly believe that the Color Code can help with a lot of it – especially in creating some more mutual understanding. You can start with that and use it as a building block to take your next several steps forward. You can do this!

Very best of living,

Jeremy Daniel

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.

1927 New York Yankees

With the baseball season underway, we thought it would be fun to go back in time and describe the personalities of two of the most popular players from the famous 1927 New York Yankees. Quick Code Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, be one of the first 10 readers who correctly code the players and you  will win a Color Code t-shirt of your choice. Be sure to include the answer, the t-shirt size and the t-shirt color you prefer when sending answers.

In 1927 Lindberg completed his first solo across the Atlantic; new cars were being sold for $375.00; and the New York Yankees won the World Series.

The 1927 Yankees have been called the greatest team in the history of baseball, with an all-star line-up dubbed Murderer’s Row.

Two of the players on the team, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, both contributed to the win in big ways. Babe was the first player to hit 60 home runs in one season (714 lifetime). Lou Gehrig was the American League’s MVP that year and went on to set a lifetime record of 2,130 consecutive games.

Babe Ruth was larger than life and enjoyed the spotlight. While dominating the game on the field, he lived recklessly off the field. His eating, drinking, and carousing have contributed to his legacy. He was quoted as saying, “I’ll promise to go easier on drinking and to get to bed earlier, but not for you, fifty thousand dollars, or two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars will I give up women. They’re too much fun.”

As a student Ruth was often dubbed “incorrigible” and continued to be undisciplined his entire professional life. One night, when he was supposed to be in his hotel room, he was out carousing. When stopped by a policeman for driving the wrong way on a one-way street, Babe said, “Well, I was only going one way!”

At the beginning of the 1922 season, Ruth, frustrated by a heckler in the stands, kicked dirt at the umpire and then went after the heckler. He was quoted as saying, “I didn’t mean to hit the umpire with the dirt, but I did mean to hit that bastard in the stands.”

Lou Gehrig is also remembered as one of the most talented and phenomenal baseball players of all time. More than that, however, he is remembered for his kind heart, humility, and winning attitude. “Lets face it. I’m not a headline guy. I always knew that as long as I was following Babe to the plate I could have gone up there and stood on my head. No one would have noticed the difference. When the Babe was through swinging, whether he hit one or fanned, nobody paid any attention to the next hitter. They all were talking about what the Babe had done.”

Regarding Gehrig, New York Yankees manager Joe McCarthy said, “I had him for over eight years and he never gave me a moment’s trouble. I guess you might say he was kind of my favorite.”

When actor Edward Hermann played Gehrig in a movie, he had trouble capturing the essence of the reserved, quiet Gehrig. “What made it so tough is I could find no ‘key’ to his character. There was no strangeness, nothing spectacular about him. As Eleanor Gehrig told me, he was just a square, honest guy.”

Both players were extraordinary on the field and off, but in two very different and distinct ways.

Ruth has gone down in history as a hard-living, hard-playing man with a big ego and big talent to match. He is still considered by many to be the greatest baseball player ever. He died August 16, 1948 at the age of 53. At his death the New York Times called  Babe Ruth, “a figure unprecedented in American life. A born showman off the field and a marvelous performer on it, he had an amazing flair for doing the spectacular at the most dramatic moment.”

Gehrig’s legacy will be his quiet dedication to the sport he loved, exemplified by his record of consecutive games. Tragically, he will also be remembered as the person who has a hideous disease named for him. Lou Gehrigh Appreciation Day was held July 4, 1939 when nearly 62,000 fans wished their dying hero goodbye.

References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Ruth
www.baberuth.com/flash/about/biograph.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Gehrigh
www.lougehrig.com/about/bio.htm
www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/quoruth.shtml

 

It’s Not My Fault!

Who is to blame? It wasn’t my fault! Far too many of today’s organizations are afflicted with this pandemic of finger pointing. If it is not a person, it is a circumstance or somehow an act of God. Similar to the backseat that creativity has taken in many organizations; the lack of personal accountability has been even subtler and more elusive in the manner by which it has infiltrated businesses worldwide. Although it is difficult to quantify the hard costs, we understand that the lack of personal accountability within an organization has a drain on time, resources and overall employee morale.

Understanding this, we as leaders, must be willing to practice what we preach. We must take on the challenge of teaching responsibility.  The first principle that we must embrace is that each individual has specific tasks that define the expectations of their role within that organization. The individual is completely responsible for their behavior within these expectations. Because behavior is only skin-deep, we must examine the motive of each individual when these expectations have not been fulfilled.

All motive-types can have difficulty taking on responsibility, each for different reasons. Reds by nature tend to be responsible but can choose to not take responsibility for a specific task if they think it is superfluous and doesn’t directly contribute the bottom line. Blues can choose irresponsibility if they have cornered themselves into a victim role. They can tend to blame outside forces that are out of their control to justify why something did not get accomplished. Whites can choose irresponsibility by not taking the necessary steps to accomplish the task for fear of the potential conflict, which might arise. In the moment, it is easier to choose to avoid conflict in the hopes that no future repercussion may take place. Yellows are at somewhat of a disadvantage because they are innately irresponsible. They tend to fly below the radar hoping to take on just enough responsibility to get by but not enough to drive them to overwhelming success within the organization.

The second principle that we must master as leaders is to support each individual to be successful. This may be difficult due to natural biases we have with specific motive types but our goal is to achieve a balanced expectation for all employees so that they are held accountable in an impartial and consistent manner.  If you begin to implement 100% Responsibility within your organization but do not hold all employees (yourself included) to one ultimate standard of accountability, you are undermining its efficacy in your organization.

The third principle is the most crucial and can be the most difficult to master effectively. This is the understanding that fear only creates compliance, not learning. Employees need to learn to be accountable for their own actions but must also be allowed to make mistakes as they learn and develop. Among the greatest enablers of irresponsibility is fear. Fear of backlash or punishment is the justifier of the majority of employees in today’s workforce. If they only take responsibility for just enough to get by, it creates as safe, comfortable, habitual pocket, which disables them from achieving their full potential.

As a leader, you must understand that employees will make mistakes. Mistakes can be opportunities for growth. Recently, I spoke with a former classmate from college about his current employer. He talked with such exuberance about his company and his boss and I asked him what made his organization so different. He related to me that he made a business deal with a distributor back East. The deal was all but done but due to a mistake, which he made, he lost the deal. His mistake cost the company nearly $65,000 in profit and he believed that he was going to be let go. When he was called into his manager’s office, believing that he was in for a tongue-lashing, he was surprisingly met with humorous understanding. His boss had made the same mistake 6 years prior but rather than costing the company $65,000, it was nearly double that. He told him the same thing that his previous manager had told him. There is no way that he could fire him after making that kind of investment into his business education.

As you lead your employees and organization to adopt the daily practice of 100% Responsibility, you must understand that the results will not be immediate. You must also accept that this may be too much for some. An individual’s inability to embrace accountability is by no means a reflection of your leadership ability if he or she chooses failure.  If they choose this path, at least permit them to fail with dignity without the additional distress of being judged.

As leaders, we have a distinct opportunity to increase moral and employee commitment by teaching them to be responsible. For the first few months, the employees will skittishly test the water on a daily basis like deer in the forest.  As long as it is enforced consistently on the principles provided above, you will find an overwhelming change overtake your organization.

In the case of my classmate, he told me that it would take an act of God to pry him away from his current employment. He is safe to take responsibility and engage for the greater good of the company.  Invest in your people today by teaching them 100% Responsibility and they will undoubtedly earn back the “$65,000” you spend on their business education for the future. ✜

 

This Journey We Call Life

How Color Code Changed My Life

Becky:

In this journey we call life, we believe what we have been taught and conditioned to believe. We give little conscious thought to our behaviors and actions; we respond subconsciously and often speak before we think. It usually takes some major event happening in our lives (such as the death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, or life-threatening illness) to stop us in our tracks and make us reflect on who we are and exactly what it is that makes us tick.

Prior to me knowing the Color Code, I spent 20 years in a sales and marketing role in the corporate world. I considered myself fairly intuitive about people, though I never really gave it much thought. I connected with those people I wanted to. I understood the value of showing empathy and compassion because it got me where I wanted to be. I knew I was decisive and that my passion was often interpreted as arrogance or aggression. I scared some people, but I didn’t quite know why. Then I experienced my fair share of life-changing events, and that got me seeking answers.

I lost my mum to lung cancer, my job became redundant, I started my own business, and then within 6 weeks my husband announced he didn’t think our relationship was working and he wanted to leave. As a core Red with secondary Blue, you can imagine what an insult that was to my need for respect and intimacy. I dealt with the loss of my mum in a very pragmatic way (Red), which left me feeling guilty (Blue). I was totally frustrated, annoyed, and hurt regarding my husband. I felt that I had spent 10 years of my life trying to support him and then when I needed him most, he was running away (at least that’s how I saw it at the time).

And then I found the Color Code. It made total sense to me and in the space of only a few days, I had decided I was going to attend the Color Code Trainer Certification Course. My business partner, Gwen, was unsure of my decision, but as a nursing professional, she recognized there was a need within me to go. And so I did. When I got back, naturally I imparted my newfound awareness to her. My enthusiasm was contagious and Gwen soon found her own life changed by the Color Code.

Gwen:

The Color Code not only changed my life and the life of my better half, but it is still impacting my family daily. Having been a nurse for over 30 years, I understood emotional intelligence, intuition, and compassion. But I had no idea why I was so successful in changing people’s lives, or why my husband, Stuart, and I would get entangled in arguments that created a rift in our usually great and close relationship.

I spent a day with Becky talking about her passion for people and the Color Code course she had attended. While I thought I might feel “boxed in” after taking the profile, instead I felt free to be me. After studying my profile results, I was different. And Stu could see it. He wanted to know what had happened—yep, you guessed it, he took the profile too. Finding out I am a core Yellow with a secondary Blue and he is a core Blue with a secondary White really altered how we behave.

The Color Code explained my erratic, impulsive, joyful sense of fun. It also helped me discover that I often let the Blue in me overshadow my best Yellow characteristics. I finally understood Stu’s silent stubbornness and how to chase him out into the open. I can use my compassion to help him know his opinion is important to me and that confrontation can be good, as long as it is healthy. Stu appreciates that we can embrace my unpredictable, impulsive side and that I’ve learned to contain it when he needs space to simply be.

Of course we couldn’t stop there. Stuart’s brother James took the profile, then my four siblings, and the rest of his family too. We are successfully negotiating each other through our improved communication. My relationship with our family was already pretty good, but it has improved even more by talking through what is happening and why we all respond the way we do in certain situations. I am more sensitive to the strengths and limitations of each of them. Things Stu says that I might have taken personally before, I now recognize as his logical White secondary color coming through.  And he is way more patient with my ebullience, when at one time he might have thought I was deliberately winding him up.

I can strongly recommend this profile to others for an instant better understanding of their loved ones, with the added bonus of developing relationships at work. It is a user-friendly, practical, and extremely accurate way to understand yourself, and those around you. Go for it!

Becky Lacey is based in the UK, a serial Entrepreneur who is passionate about people and dedicated to challenging the status quo, through thinking differently. Solutions 42 Ltd is her UK Healthcare business focused on education and practical application. She is just launching Dynamic People in support of The Color Code for the UK.

 

 

Confessions of a Red—Wedding Plans

My oldest son is getting married in June. He is forty years old and this is his first marriage. No, he isn’t ugly, stupid, or unmarriageable in any obvious way. He is a White. He has been in long-term relationships before, but nothing ever happened. He seemed content, and as is with many Whites, that was enough. Not so for the other halves of those relationships.

Finally, he found his Blue fiancé—or to be more precise, she found him. They have been together for 3 years and it looked to me as if the relationship would be the same as the others, until one night he called to let me know that he had proposed. Stunned, I didn’t ask why, but my guess is she wasn’t as complacent with the status quo as he. Thank goodness for Blues.

She is the perfect companion for my White son. On the surface it appears as though they have nothing in common—he loves music, she loves sports; he is a bit granola, she is all girl. What they do have is a mutual respect for each other’s needs. He attends concerts—she, baseball games. Like many White/Blue relationships, there is no forced companionship and each is content to do what they enjoy—without reprisal. They are each comfortable in their own skins.

But wedding plans are a different story. It is a stressful time for all brides and grooms, but particularly for my White son. Imagine his delight when his father-in-law-to-be offered the couple an outrageous amount of money to elope. Then imagine his confusion when his Blue fiancé flatly refused. Like many women, she wants the storybook wedding. Like many men (especially White men), he is ambivalent.

My son lives three states away from me and consequently we use Skype as our communication method of choice. A few months ago, I detected a strain in his voice and I have to admit, it made me a bit nervous. “Ma,” he said, “I need you up here. I can’t take all this wedding planning stuff.” Turns out, my son was being overwhelmed by all the Blue emotion and was in need of a logical ally. When I confided to a friend my unwillingness to go, she asked me if my son had ever asked me for anything. I had to admit, he hadn’t.

Being the Red that I am, I figured I could make all the necessary arrangements for my part of the wedding (flowers, tuxedos, rehearsal dinner, etc.) using my BFF, Google, and my other BFF, iPhone. I don’t need that warm fuzzy feeling that comes from constant discussions and committee meetings. Look it up, get it ordered, cross it off the list.

Still, as my carbon-based friend reminded me, my son has always been one of those maintenance-free kids. With all the maintenance his Yellow brother has required throughout the years, I figure my White has an account with interest. I went.

Because we decided to opt for suits rather than the traditional tuxedos, my only goal for the trip was to purchase a suit for the groom. And because all the wedding party would be wearing suits, the mother, father and brother of the bride asked if they could come along on the shopping trip. It didn’t take me long to quick-code them as Blues. All of them. I know that any White would be overwhelmed by the idea of shopping with six other people, but in this case he was made to shop with five Blues and a Red. I could already see the silent stubbornness starting to assert itself. We hit the stores and immediately we had as many opinions as we did people. I commented in a sarcastic tone that only waiters and undertakers wore solid black suits and that the suits should have a subtle pin strip. The mother of the bride felt that a solid black suit was more formal. You get the picture. It wasn’t long before my son shut down completely. Being the procrastinator that some Whites are, he wanted to postpone the purchase indefinitely and go eat.

The next day the three of us went shopping. I stayed in the tie department and left the suit decision to my son and his bride. Mission accomplished, and lesson learned.

With all the different personalities that go into planning a wedding, it is best to recognize and respect the needs of each color. Reds, like me, need to get the job done, cross it off our list with as little fanfare as possible. Blues need think about and discuss each decision made, going through all the possible problems that might arise. Yellows…well they will love the bringing together of a party, and will happily leave the difficult decisions to others. And Whites? Well, they need to have space and distance from all the Blues and Reds that pester them.

So, in conclusion, my advice to brides and grooms is that if you can survive the wedding, the marriage should be smooth sailing.