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

It's the hap-happiest season of all…or is it?  According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, many people experience "the holiday blues" this time of year. "While the majority of people surveyed reported feelings of happiness, love, and high spirits over the holidays, those emotions were often accompanied by feelings of fatigue, stress, irritability, bloating, and sadness." Each of us moves into the holidays with mixed feelings—some joy and some trepidation. Even those who love this season can experience times of high emotion and demands, which can leave many people feeling stressed and exhausted. Following are a

We discussed workplace bullying, but like Charles M. Glow said, "One doesn't have to operate with great malice to do great harm. The absence of empathy and understanding are sufficient." With so many issues facing the workforce today, it is essential to recognize and understand your workforce's diversity and empathize with their daily problems. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in others' shoes, psychologically, to understand their thoughts, feelings, needs, and wants. More importantly, it's using that information to build relationships, teamwork, and effective leadership.  Studies reveal that empathy is pos

“Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own.”  -Carol Burnett (Editor's Note: This post was previously published on the blog May 11, 2015, but the author felt it was even more important today.) We live in an age where a large percentage of our communications are done via email and texts. It is convenient, and for some, a great time saver. The problem is, how are your messages interpreted? Without body language to provide insight into the delivery, a misinterpreted written communication might leave the recipient feeling slighted, criticized or belittled. An unanswered emai

As more and more companies are using personality tests as recruitment and management tools, the question arises, “Do these tests profile?” According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of profile includes, “…the extent to which an individual exhibits traits or abilities as determined by tests or ratings.” So, in the very strict sense of the word, the answer is yes. However, the way in which the question is asked often indicates that personality testing is negative and intrusive — a violation of our most personal self, and perhaps that is the issue that should be addressed. What Color Code profiles is a person’s innate persona

My sweet niece is getting married. She lives in a different state than most of her family, and consequently feels the wedding plans are a bit one-sided. She is desperate to be surrounded by her own family. I readily agreed to throw a bridal shower for this fun-loving, VERY Yellow niece in her hometown. This is how it all started: Talk about clueless. I win the prize for being clueless. And I have no excuse. I work for Color Code. Lets break down this innocent little message: I was hoping to have a little shower at your house.

How a Red reads this: I would li

I bought a Fitbit®. For those of you who have been say, on the moon, a Fitbit® is a small device that when tucked into your pocket, counts the steps you walk in the course of a day—all 24 hours of it. This latest craze recommends that you walk 10,000 steps in those 24 hours. Easy right? Ha! Being a Red, it is important for me to be challenged and I thought this handy little piece of technology would do exactly that. Ha! again. I have owned said product since February 18th and have yet to walk 10,000 steps in a day. The closest I have come is 8,044 steps and that is the day I had to visit the Apple Store’s Genius Bar and ended

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

4 Building Blocks for Charactered Children The family is gathered for the holidays. You have gone out of your way to search out the perfect gift. You may have spent more than planned, but you believe it will be worth it when you see the light in the child’s eye. Then, everything implodes. The child opens the gift and says, “Is that ALL?” or “I didn’t want this!” or “You got me clothes?!” You are torn between embarrassment and anger. You want to take the gift back from him, but fear you’ll look as immature as the child. Sadly, many of us are raising our children in a “is that all?” society. We

I’ve raised them the same, but they are soooo different. I can’t believe they came from the same family! We hear that all the time. The truth is, your children are very different−innately. And as someone with her own unique driving core motive (DCM), you respond differently to each of those little personalities. A Red parent may have difficulty with a Blue child’s intense emotion. A Yellow parent can’t understand why her White child isn’t outgoing. The chart below shows us how some colors are complementary to one another while others are non-complementary. So, as a parent, you may love your children with all your he