“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and then we must use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” - Anthony Robbins Have you ever noticed how GOOD it feels to be really listened to? It’s impactful and conveys respect and value.  The ability to effectively communicate with others remains the single most important factor on a leader’s list of attributes. A big part of effective communication is active listening.  Unfortunately, one of the big communication challenges most people face is that we don't actively listen to understand.

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Just as seasons change, the world has had to adjust to so much change recently, too. With all these significant changes in our lives, it’s never been more important to stay true to our colors and reignite our passion and purpose. Additionally, it’s so much more important for us to build bridges and mend fences to find ways to get along. In Fall, we see lots of colors we don’t normally see, and as the world is re-configuring, we see lots of challenges after being isolated from the pandemic. I will never forget the first time I participated in a Color Code program, and how in ONE DAY, my life changed forever. How could this tool of

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Recently, I have been re-reading the business bestseller, "Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High" by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. Crucial conversations are defined as a dialogue where "opinions vary, stakes are high and emotions run strong." A principle premise of the book is that people well-skilled in language start to plan the conversation "in the heart." “Start with the heart” is actually the second step of the seven-step process. This refers to the questions you ask yourself when planning a crucial conversation. With over 4 million copies sold, these writers certa

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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

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A few weeks ago, a student of the Color Code asked me a great question. She said, "I'm loving learning about how to adapt to work more effectively with each of the four Color Code styles, but I'm finding it difficult constantly trying to act like a Red for one co-worker and then switch into Yellow mode for somebody else. Does it get easier to present as each of the colors over time???" While I applauded her commitment to applying what she'd been learning, I could tell she was seriously stressed over the idea of having to know everybody's Color Code all the time and constantly trying to switch her style conversation by conversation. As the r

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Yellows and Blues are so opposite, it’s kind of comical. Yellows are carefree while Blues are professional worriers. Yellows are uncommitted and Blues are very committed. Yellows are self-centered and Blues are compassionate. These two colors are quite the opposite pair! For you Yellows out there who are married to or good friends with a Blue, it’s probably hard for you to understand them sometimes. If you don’t quite always know how to handle them, here are a few things you can do to treat your Blue loved ones right and help them stay sane. 1. Help them see their worries in perspective Worrying is tough for poor Blues, even though th

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On our recent Facebook post where we asked Reds what the hardest part about being a Red is, we noticed multiple comments from Reds saying the hardest part about being a Red is zipping their lips. In other words, several commenters talked about how it is hard to keep their mouths shut. Since several of our Facebook users mentioned this challenge, we thought we’d offer a few suggestions that may help you refrain from speaking too hastily. 1. Think About Other People’s Feelings First One of our commenters mentioned the hardest part about being a Red is, “trying not to hurt people's feelings with my direct opinions all the time – keepin

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Try on their shoes... ...metaphorically speaking that is. Let us explain. If you've been reading our blog or are a fan of the Color Code you probably already know that the "antidote" to any personality limitation you may have will always be found in a strength of one of the other personality types. That's why we stress the importance of knowing as much as possible about all the colors. So with that in mind, today might we offer a small tip on how to tap into the compassion that comes so naturally to our Blue friends? It's so simple you're probably going to dismiss it, but we encourage you to take a moment this w

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One of the Time Management Tips for Whites from the Color Code Cards is to “set proactive agendas rather than reacting to agendas others set for you.” This is something I need to work on. Although I’m a core Blue, I have a lot of White, and I struggle to be a little too satisfied with letting other people do the planning while I just do the participating. Growing up, my very Blue mother was fantastic at making fun plans for the family. I was always happy to go along for the ride. Now, my Yellow husband is good at planning fun things for us to do. Once again, I’m happy to let him do it. However, I’ve realized letting other people

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Yellows can be pretty fun to buy gifts for. Their enthusiasm plays its part well in gift situations, which can make it fun for the gift giver. If you suspect your child is a Yellow, it may not be hard to pick out gifts for them, especially if the gift is fun. However, gift giving is all the more fun when you feel you have an idea that will make the recipient glow with joy. If your Yellow child has a birthday coming up, here are four gift ideas that will hopefully tickle their love of fun.

1. Surprise them with a puppy. Is there anything more fun than a puppy? ;) Surprising kids with pets is a classic, possibly cliche, but me

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