Today’s businesses, faced with a changing workforce, globalization, technology and the need to stay in the forefront of their market, are finding the old organizational hierarchy is no longer working. Instead they are creating collaborative team environments as part of their performance management strategy. By forming teams who own a project from inception to completion and by providing a reward system based on performance and not position, you increase employee satisfaction and engagement—thus a higher rate of commitment and performance. Initially, when building teams, it made sense to for companies to choose teammates based on their h

Read More

Dear Jeremy, Do you have some suggestions for interview questions to help determine a good fit with the company? Sincerely, Lori ==================== Dear Lori, Thank you so much for submitting your question! Many people utilize the Color Code Personality System in the selection process, even though we do not officially endorse it as a hiring/firing tool. It can, however, have some strong applications in that arena if utilized properly. So, yes, I do have suggestions for the types of questions you might want to use in the interview process, and I'll be happy to share those with you in this post. First, please allow me to state somethi

Read More

How to Hire and Retain Great Employees We’ve all heard the term “a butt for every seat” and it has never been truer than when applied to business. With employment rates climbing and jobs becoming more plentiful, the question is “How can I be sure it’s the right butt, and if it is, how do I keep it in the seat I provide?” Right Butt/Right Seat Finding the right person for the job is half the battle. There’s no doubt that certain jobs are best suited to certain personalities. According to Susan M. Heathfield, Human Resources Expert, you should “Select the right people in the first place through behavior-based testing and compete

Read More

SCENARIO: While the economy seems to be improving, and unemployment numbers are stabilizing, we are still seeing employers that are faced with a reduction in force. As difficult as it is for managers to give this terrible news, it is even more difficult to be on the receiving end. So what can you do as a manager? How can you make the news a little more bearable? Each color will prefer to have this conversation differently. LIKELY REACTION: REDS: In having this difficult conversation with a Red, don’t bother beating around the bush. Reds respond best to direct communication. Don’t ramble on with excuses, personal feelings

Read More

SITUATION: The CEO of a software company met with her vice presidents to plan the agenda for the annual all-employee meeting. The purpose of the meeting each year is to update and energize the 120 employees of the organization. The CEO’s address is the capstone of the meeting. One vice president conducted the meeting and it all progressed according to plan until the website update came up. The woman giving the update had worked with the company less than six months. However, she was very experienced, well spoken and clear in her presentation. The sales team started asking questions one after another with increasing criticism about the new d

Read More

With a demanding new project on the horizon, you have decided to appoint a group leader to head it up. In the past, employees within the group have worked independently, without any defined leadership. However, you feel it would be beneficial to appoint a formal leader for the group. Each color will bring with it its own set of leadership strengths and limitations. Knowing those characteristics will help you select the person best suited for this project. Red A healthy Red will make a wonderful leader. Reds are visionary; they are always thinking a few steps ahead. They will set a structured course for the team and give clear directions. Team

Read More

Taking Ownership For Your Relationships

Taylor Hartman, Ph.D.

When was the last time you accepted full responsibility for a problem in your life?  When was the last time you heard anyone say, “That’s completely my fault.  I am 100% Responsible for what happened and will do whatever is necessary to make it right!” We have created a society of victims with a cultural backdrop that actually promotes ”blame, denial and rationalization” rather than responsibility and ownership.  Today, if you smoke three packs of cigarettes a day for forty years and die of lung

Read More