I was raised by a mom who is about as Blue as they come. She plans family events months (or even years) in advance, she is easily moved to tears, and she is passionate about her relationships. What throws me for a loop, though, is her secondary color is Yellow. Blues and Yellows are complementary opposites (emphasis on OPPOSITES), so it’s a combination that is hard for me to grasp. But something my mom always says, which is so true, is that her Yellow really shines through when she is on vacation.  One of my mom’s favorite things to do on vacation is to rent bikes and ride along the beach, park, mountain trail, or wherever it is we ar

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

Have you ever watched and listened during a work meeting and wondered about your co-workers? Before learning about Color Code, I did. Years ago, I can remember sitting in a meeting and listening to all the statistical data about the end of the current fiscal year and how it affected the numbers for the next fiscal year budget. My boss at the time was merely giving facts. There was a note of compassion in that he felt we needed to know what was going on with the agency, but the focus was more on what needed to be done, what would be cut out, and how he wasn’t going to be hiring additional staff to keep from being in a position to have

Picture this: Two people are in love, and since one of them had been married before, they endeavor to do all the right things and plan pastoral premarital counseling. They failed every test. The pastor said, “Are you sure you want to do this? The couple said, “Yes!” And they did. Several years later, they were listening to a speaker talk about the Color Code personality test. The woman enthusiastically said to the man, “I’m a Red, you’re a White, and this explains EVERYTHING!” Less than two years later, I (yes, the woman is me) certified as a Color Code personality trainer. Knowing Color Code was a game-changer

Have you ever thought about your habits and how much they really influence your life? If you’re like me, you might have never given it much thought. However, I recently had the opportunity to do this and can safely say I was surprised to come to the realization that more often than not, it’s been my HABITS which have had the greatest impact on my life in almost every facet. For example: My habits surrounding study and school were ultimately what determined much of my educational success and opportunities—or lack thereof. My habits surrounding eating and exercise have determined much of my health—or lack thereof.  My habit

I was facilitating Color Code workshops in a large organization that had tens of thousands of employees and around 3,000 leaders at various levels. This organization had well over 100 locations and depended on Location Leaders to be in charge of each of those locations.  Location Leaders had hundreds of employees under their purview. They were compensated well, and they carried a massive basket of expectations put upon them by the organization.  The organization worked hard to build a pipeline of lower-level leaders to fill these ranks as spots opened up, and over time, a common thread appeared—the candidates often hired into the Locat

You put a lot of attention into your search and hiring of a high-quality employee. It took 42 days and cost the company $4,129, but it paid off. He accepted your offer. This new employee received a competitive salary and excellent benefits—everything that will make him happy. You put him in a department that best suits his impressive hard skills; confident he will bring much-needed value to the team. At first, he proved to be everything you had hoped for. His enthusiasm was infectious, and the team began outperforming their previous numbers. Then, the subtle changes begin. He still has a strong work ethic but no longer seems excited a

Editor’s Note: Names have been changed in the following story to protect the individual’s identities  In my executive coaching practice, I have found that differences in communication styles can play a larger role in someone's success in an organization more than other skills. That was the case when Barb reached out to me about some difficulties she was having with her boss in her new job.   In addition to training webinars, I use the Color Code as a tool to help solve real-world business problems. Barb was brought into a mid-size industrial organization to lead their HR department.  She was so excited fo

Many of the world’s most successful business people such as John D. Rockefeller and Jack Ma as well as renowned psychologists and researchers including John Mayer, Peter Salovey, and Daniel Goleman, have for years touted the importance of emotional intelligence in leaders as a critical factor for a company’s success. 

But what about the rest of those at a company? 

Does increased emotional intelligence in managers, employees, and staff directly translate into more effective, higher producing, and happier teams at work? 

In an article titled “What Makes a Leader,” written for The Harvard Business Review, D

Sometimes people ask me why we bother talking about limitations in our program. I hear things like, "Doesn't that just create negativity?" and "We want people to feel good about themselves, so can you just skip the discussion on limitations?" In fact, several years ago, we walked away from a very large client who represented a significant amount of ongoing revenue, over a similar question. I remember talking to the executive on the phone. I knew that they had vetted several personality-based programs (Color Code being one of them), and she called me to share their decision. She told me that they all "LOVE the Color Code program," and