What Colour Are You? 🟡🔴🟢🔵
No. I’m not talking about your looks, instead I am talking about your colourful personality! You may have heard the phrase “you have a colourful personality” passed around; however, what most people don’t know is that there is an element of truth in this.
Our personalities can be divided into 4 colours. Each colour has particular traits, and it can be valuable to not only understand your own traits, but also those you are directly responsible for. This will help you to psychologically understand your team better, and will allow you to interact with them in the most effective way. If you know how to get the best out of a person, you will see great results! Better still, if you recognise what colour you are, you can advise people how to get the best out of you, your likes and dislikes, your strengths, and your weaknesses.
So what are the 4 colours and what traits fall into each colour?
🟡 YELLOW
Yellows are the life and soul of the party; they are sociable, expressive, creative, and energetic. Yellows are laid-back, optimistic, and vivacious. Because they are fast thinkers, their imaginations can often run away with them. Yellows are visionaries with a lot of energy who are particularly focused on their relationships. They don't like it when their opinions are suppressed, when you provide too much information, or when your relationships are impersonal.
🔴 RED
Reds are powerful leaders, quick thinkers, risk takers, drivers, strong-willed, high-energy, competitive, and sensible. You may recognise many of the attributes in leaders, such as taking responsibility, needing to think quickly, taking risks, and being purposeful and confident with it. They dislike waffle and have a short attention span.
🟢 GREEN
Greens are calm, collected, unhurried, and patient. They are easy to get along with and have a very relaxed demeanour. Greens are emotional because they are social and focused on connections. They think at a much slower pace and are a very democratic people. They're really accommodating and understanding. They don't enjoy being 'pressed' or put on the spot, and they can tell whether you're being serious a mile away!
🔵 BLUE
Blues are analytical thinkers who are detail-oriented and formal in their thoughts. They may appear distant, but they are methodical, precise, and pay close attention to detail in their approach. Blues prefer things to be in their proper position, are extremely organized, and have excellent time management abilities. They are time-conscious and capable of arriving at their own judgments without the aid of others' examples. They are significantly slower paced than the reds or yellows and take their time pondering. Due to their logical, systematic, precise, and intentional approach to problems or solutions, blues can come across as perfectionists. Blues prefer to acquire all of the facts before logically putting together a proper response. They dislike ambiguity, lack of specificity, and a lack of facts or data.
Okay, that’s great. But I identify with more than one colour? Something must be wrong?
This is totally normal. Everyone is a combination of all 4 colours. However, the majority of people have a dominant colour which they associate themselves with and that others associate them with more than any other colour.
The best way to find out for sure is by taking a short free online personality test. Google “Personality Test”.
Now you’ve understood what the different colours are. How do we adjust your communication style to each one?
🟨 YELLOW
Things Yellows don’t like:
Yellows don't like it when you don't listen to their thoughts or go into too much detail. They are sociable animals who dislike it when you are impersonal, businesslike, or task-oriented; you must incorporate this into your discourse. Try not to stifle their creativity by appearing aloof or indifferent.
How to interact with a Yellow Personality:
The key to communicating with a yellow is to get to know them and be interested in them before introducing any business. To get into their good books, discuss possibilities and other people, as well as the advantages of assisting others. When communicating your ideas to them, be enthusiastic and dynamic, and deliver them quickly. Offer your thoughts and, more crucially, employ comedy while doing so, while being friendly and acknowledging their contributions.
🟥 RED
Things Red’s don’t like:
If you have a red personality on your team or want to attract one, don't waffle, remember that they are impatient, and whatever you do, don't be vague or ramble. They value their time, so don't waste it; don't get too personal, since REDS prefer to keep to business; don't get off track; these personality types are concentrated in their thinking and don't ask irrelevant questions; they get impatient, which contradicts their reasonable thinking habits. Don't try to take command; Reds are natural leaders who enjoy feeling in charge, so don't step on their toes; instead, let them lead.
How to Interact with a Red Personality:
When dealing with a red, be quick, straight, and exact; give them facts rather than details. Talk to them about results and outcomes; they need to hear this in order to make quick judgments. Use their time wisely; they are sharp thinkers who move swiftly through their thoughts. They are fantastic people to bounce ideas off of; be confident when speaking with a red.
🟩 GREEN
Things Green’s don’t like:
Green's will be irritated if you are forceful or put them in a corner; they despise it. Don't try to take over the conversation or rush things; they don't like it when you make decisions for them, so stay away from it. Don't be abrupt, explain everything thoroughly, and don't make outrageous claims or demands. They can also detect insincerity, so try not to be.
How to interact with a Green Personality:
Before getting down to business, be cordial and show genuine interest in them. It's crucial to build trust first to be casual and non-threatening. However, be on the lookout for nonverbal cues that they are worried; remember, they may say yes but mean no, but their body language will make this clear. If you see any nonverbal signals of distress, ask open questions to find out what they need. Allow them to make their own decisions.
🟦 BLUE
Things Blue’s don’t like:
With a Blue, you won't come out as disorganised because they are quite tidy. Try not to be late because they are very punctual. Try not to be sarcastic or forceful around them. They don't like vagueness, so make sure you have a lot of information and be ready to answer a lot of questions. Don't rely on testimonials or make exaggerated claims; they are more interested in facts and data. Don't show too much emotion since they can't take it.
How to Interact with a Blue Personality:
When dealing with a Blue personality, you must be well prepared; go into great detail because they enjoy having all the data in their heads. With your approach, be factual, specific, and reasonable. A Blue values listening, so pay attention to what they have to say as they verbalise their thoughts through in-depth questions. Allow time for them to answer because they are slower thinkers. They are quite businesslike, so be formal in your approach.
Summary:
I hope this has been an informative whistle-stop guide into the different personality types. If this topic has caught your interest, then I would highly recommend “Surrounded by Idiots” by Thomas Erikson to further deepen your knowledge.