Reds rarely if at all tend to show emotional vulnerability. To put themselves out there, whether consciously or unconsciously, is totally opposed to their personality. When emotional vulnerability is demonstrated, it is best to allow the Red to express himself without too much reaction from you. To empathize and express compassion is not the best way to handle it, either. The Red will feel uncomfortable to hear such reactions of understanding and consolation. What has worked for me in dealing with Reds is to pretend to ignore emotional vulnerability. Instead, I make an objective statement about the reason for his or her response without touch

In March 2007, Van and I had been training out West and were traveling back to Missouri. We were really, really hungry for an old-fashioned hamburger and had stopped several times along the way looking for one of those “greasy, hole-in-the-wall” kind of places, but we couldn’t seem to find one.    We stopped at an old truck stop on the Missouri/Iowa line to buy a bag of M&M’s and a cup of coffee. Much to our surprise, when we walked into the truck stop, we were met with a most wonderful fragrance: the smell of “the old-fashioned hamburger” we had been looking for the past 200 miles. We were so excited! We knew we had fou

During a 26-year naval career, one of my tours of duty brought me to the Washington DC area. It was around this time that I married and brought my new bride there to start our life’s journey together. She is an operating room nurse and eventually took a  department manager position at one of the largest metropolitan hospitals in the area in  the mid-1990s.  Her hospital’s management team scheduled an offsite conference for all department  managers, which included a Color Code workshop facilitated by Dr. Taylor Hartman. At  the conclusion of the workshop, she and her colleagues were amazed at how accurately the descriptions of thei

GRATITUDE If you're thinking that I'm being cheesy or a little too "Pollyanna" about this - please hear me out. There is a scientific foundation for what I'm saying. Psychologist Robert Emmons has been researching gratitude from a scientific perspective for over 15 years. The following is a list of benefits that have been linked to increased levels of gratitude: Improved physical, emotional, and social well-being Greater optimism and happiness Improved feelings of connection in times of loss or crises Increased self-esteem Heightened energy levels Strengthened heart, immune system and decreased blood pressure

I’m a big Harry Potter fan. I own the audiobooks, two sets of the series printed in Britain, one set printed in America, a Russian version and a Chinese version. What can I say, I am a nerd. I’ve even found myself in conversations relating Harry Potter to the Color Code. My brother once asked me to quick code each of the four Hogwarts houses into the four personality types. Of course, I sorted the resourceful, power-hungry Reds into Slytherin, the adventurous, fun-loving Yellows into Gryffindor, the peacemaking, easygoing Whites into Hufflepuff and the responsible, perfectionistic Blues into Ravenclaw.

I’m

Let’s Get Organized!  Oh, how we love our Yellows! The enthusiasm and energy these fun-loving creatures bring into our lives make the world that much more of an enjoyable place to be. With the world being such a fun-filled adventure, Yellows need the freedom to experience creativity in a work environment that maximizes their opportunities.     Yellows are unique individuals and need to be organized in their own way. Even if you don’t understand their rhyme or reason, Yellows must have a degree of autonomy to build out their tasks for the day. I do recommend that when giving Yellows this freedom, refrain from barking at them t

There have been significant changes. We've all noticed them. Buzz phrases like 'the great resignation' and 'the era of the employee' are all over the news and business blogs. There are help wanted signs in many establishments. The U.S. now has more job openings than at any time in history. Employees are jumping ship in record numbers. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in September of '21, over 4.4 million people voluntarily left their jobs. It's being called, 'The Era of the Employee.' With nearly 11 million job openings in the U.S., workers have the advantage and are making decisions to improve their working condit

As a Transformational & Intentional Creativity Life Coach, I am a fan of self-help books.  Many are full of very insightful perspectives and insights that have shifted my thinking, and some have truly been a catalyst for significant healing in my life. And I’m not alone. It’s estimated that the self-help industry will reach $14 billion by 2025.  Despite my being a fan of self-help books, there is one thing that gnaws at me about many of them. Many of them overlook that we’re not all the same. They give cookie-cutter solutions versus giving tools or recommendations based on understanding who we are as individuals (i.e., what's good

Each of the personality colors has their own strengths, and they also have their own areas that they need to work on, known as natural limitations. Relationships are a constant learning process, and when you’re stressed, you might find that the challenges linked to your personality color become enhanced. Life coaching is a process that aims to help you alter your mindset in order to manifest a more positive lifestyle. You might be familiar with seeing a life coach for career motivation or for increasing your confidence, but how can seeing a life coach lead to forming stronger relationships with your loved ones? By addressing individual p

“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.