I work in Human Resources.  It’s important for our employees to know if we are in the office when they come to the department with questions. The admin of our department (a purist Blue) sets up a weekly meeting reminder for us to submit our calendar for the following week to her by Thursday morning at 8:30 AM.  Seems simple, right?  The question really is, when is the deadline? We have three of the four of the color personalities represented in our department.  The majority of us are Blue personalities.  This makes sense, given Blue’s natural talent to serve others.  Many of us think the calendar is silly, but we do what the admi

I’ve been teaching Color Code interpersonal communication workshops for nearly ten years. Early on, I came across a question from a participant for which I thought I had an answer. “But what if I don’t know THEIR color?  It’s not like everyone has taken the assessment.” “Well, there’s an addendum to this course called ‘quick-coding.’” At this point, I transitioned to the quick-coding slides and pointed out the cards that teach some quick-coding strategies. Then the student said, “Yeah, this is a little helpful, but I don’t think it’s fool-proof. What if we get it wrong?” The whole class delved into a r

Many of us would be surprised to see how others view us. We have taken the Color Code assessment, and we now know our strengths and limitations, right? It turns out that there is a lot more to it. Color Code measures personality, which is innate. But throughout our lives, we develop strengths and limitations based on our experiences—Character. These behaviors can be both good and bad. CHARACTER CODE Character Code, Color Code’s new online assessment, transitions from personality to character development by inviting others to assess us anonymously. Because I was the project manager for Character Code, it was important for me to te

Recently, the Color Code team was challenged with this scenario: "I am a Red...I live with my husband and daughter who are both true Blue. They love to sit around and 'complain' about everything and anything...it drives me crazy! Always sounds like they are negative, but they say they are not. On the other hand, I love a good debate...I call enlightening conversation, they think I want to argue all the time, but I just like swapping ideas! How do we enjoy each other's style of conversation without frustration?!" As a Red daughter with a Blue mother, this scenario connected. I’m convinced my late father was a Red too, so when we

First Off, The Two Blue Parents — A Bit Of History We met about 40 years ago and got acquainted by way of introduction. My friend mentioned to me that there was this girl…so off I went with him on this girl-finding mission. We met and got to know each other better, finding over the course of a few short visits that we had a lot of common interests. She was from Eastern Canada, and I from the West, some 1600 or so miles apart. Feeling homesick, she decided to go back to her Eastern stomping grounds. I let her go without much being said or done to prevent her from going back. Of course, letter writing was part of the deal, b

It goes without saying that 2020 was a year that we won't ever forget, but there is now some light at the end of the tunnel. The question is, after a year of fear, grief, and solitude, how will we handle a new normal?   Now, halfway into 2021, we see some light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. Many of us are apprehensive, asking ourselves what that light brings. What is the new normal? THE NEW WORKPLACE For some of us, it's time to put away the PJs and sweats, squeeze into our office attire, and head back to the brick and mortar of our jobs. For others, it's possible that your company has embraced the idea of remote working and pla

When I first started using the Color Code in my team-building trainings, I was imparting to individuals this magnificent tool that establishes motive and gives you ideas to help with people unlike you. Each personality type has a bright side and a ‘not so bright’ side.  I’ve witnessed team-building exercises be so helpful for leaders because once they know their company's color portfolio, they have an easier time when team members come to discuss their problems. Usually, they don’t drop in with how happy they are and how great their job is!  So my question to you in the midst of this global shuffle we have been experiencing (i.e.

As an HR professional with years of corporate and consulting experience, I’ve had the privilege of working with some very savvy managers and business owners. Interestingly, it always seems that the number one issue they all face is difficulty understanding and connecting with the very people they are closest to, whether it’s personal or professional.  They all ask, “How do I get better at understanding and communicating with these people that I need in my life?” Just the other day, I had a long-term CEO client call me (we’ll call him Mr. Big), and he was at the end of his rope. He said the key person he’s been working with for

I remember the first time I did yoga. I was in a warm, smelly gymnasium, surrounded by my fellow sixth graders. The lights were dim, and my hippie-dippie sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Harris was leading us in the zen practice she loved so dearly. I stifled laughter the entire time. The idea of pretending to be a tree or a chair could not seem crazier to me. I thought it was so stupid and did not care for the experience at all.  More than 17 years have passed, and I’ve not only come to love yoga since then, I recently started my training to become a certified yoga instructor. Maybe it’s the added stress life has handed me since the somewha

High school seniors, in October, right after lunch.  As teachers, we understand what this means as far as classroom dynamics go for about the first 5 to 10 minutes of class.  Students go off campus, load up on sugars and carbohydrates, chat in the parking lot with friends, conjure up the next plan for the weekend events, commentary on social media, and have a moment of disconnect from the demands of performing on AP assignments and exams and college preparation as well as maintaining a work-school-home balance. It was this class that prompted the utilization of Color Code as I recognized a disconnect with clique-like groups that had form