Colour Characteristics - Check out how they work!

Lets face it, dealing with how and why we behave the way we do can be a daunting
task made even more complicated by the abstract nature of the whole thinking
process. To help us out we have enlisted the help of a typical (maybe not too typical)
team in an organisation. However, the more we examine their behaviour they begin
to become quite distinguishable from many others in a range of interesting ways.
What sets them apart in the following descriptions is that they each exemplify one
of the dominant behavioural patterns found in our 'Colours' model. As you might
imagine, with such different styles, the ride can often be anything but smooth!

Perhaps you will be able to relate to one or more of the characters described below. Which team member sounds most like you?

 

The Colours Team

Blue

Blue demonstrates a strong drive for achievement and tends to become the leader of his team.

He is a very focused person who usually knows precisely what he wants to do and fortunately has the ability to achieve it.

When communicating he normally does this with a sense of urgency and this can be sometimes intimidating to less assertive colleagues. However, his intent is usually very clear in that he wants his colleagues to quickly take action to complete whatever tasks they have been assigned.

Blue tends to be choosy in who he forms relationships with, as he will tend to associate with like-minded hard working people who demonstrate an equal sense of urgency. Therefore, he tends to seek out similarly competent people with whom he can form mutually beneficial relationships.

Having a strong pragmatic orientation enables him to quickly identify solutions and to implement them with equal speed. The end result tends to be a sound resolution of the problem whilst on occasion it can be a quick `fix' that only keeps the process going. Fortunately for everyone he tends to realise in hindsight that it has not been enough to meet longer-term needs and this triggers a desire to work with colleagues to discover a more sustainable outcome.

Blue is at his best socially when he is responsible for some of the action and thus is kept busy seeing to what needs to be done. He demonstrates an ability to interact with most people however, he is not particularly good with small talk and he will tend to gravitate towards like minded people with whom he can have a purposeful discussion. He usually does not stay too long in the one place.

 

Yellow

Yellow demonstrates a strong drive for bringing people together and helping them to work in harmony and therefore is considered a very valuable team member.

He is a very open and approachable person who relates easily to almost everyone he meets. This enables him to usually achieve a high level of collaboration that produces the desired results for the team.

When communicating Yellow normally does this in a warm friendly manner with the aim of putting his listeners at ease and presenting the information in a non-threatening manner.

There are times when he appears to take too much time to come to a conclusion and this irritates Blue with his sense of urgency. In most instances colleagues make allowances for Yellow's procrastination because they know his heart is in the right place.

As mentioned above the most obvious characteristic of Yellow is just how easy it is to relate to him. He comes across as an open and friendly person who appears to be very interested in every member of his team in a genuine way.

He can empathise with a wide range of people and being a good listener can identify the common ground between different perspectives in a discussion. This makes him welcomed in groups because of the way he can facilitate solutions based on finding the common ground.

He prefers group working, particularly if it is founded on collaboration and harmonious working practices. He can be depended on to provide help and support when needed and this is made easier through his skill at building constructive relationships.

He is an ideal colleague for Red because he is prepared to patiently listen to her stories and exploits without interrupting. He enjoys having many friends and will make the time to talk to and be involved with them on a regular basis.

Being generally modest in his attitude he doesn't need praise and yet is willing to praise others. However, he does like to belong to lots of groups and is usually a welcomed asset as he helps to create harmony.

 

Red

Red demonstrates a strong drive to seek creative and innovative solutions to the issues that she and her team encounter.

She is usually a very outgoing and energetic person who loves getting involved in new projects that interest her, are not too detailed and won't last too long.

When communicating she normally does this with passion and in ways that can inspire and motivate colleagues to follow her proposals.

Red is considered to be a real asset to her team in that she brings energy and fun along with a sense of adventure and its associated risks. However, her intent is usually very clear in that she only wants her colleagues to quickly take action to complete whatever tasks they have been assigned.

Red is recognised by her level of enthusiasm and energy displayed along with the speed by which she tackles almost everything she does.

She enjoys being the centre of attention as long as it is for the right reason and likes being centre stage as this gives her the opportunity to demonstrate her considerable communication skills that are facilitated by her creative ability.

She is seldom stuck for an answer and usually first to express her opinion in a confident and assertive manner.

Adventure and risk are a normal part of her life and as such she can be impulsive in her decision making with the result that she can at times be either the 'star' or 'failing' with distinction. However, if she fails she is very seldom depressed for long as a new idea will attract her and away she goes with her usual optimism and energy.

Much of her time is spent with other people as she tends to be energised when interacting with others. She is very proficient at social events, as she will be happy connecting with a wide range of people including strangers.

Green

Green demonstrates a strong drive for accuracy and efficiency in everything she does and tends to be regarded by her team colleagues as a very valuable member of the team.

She is a very detailed person who usually knows precisely where to seek the information that enables her to be fully informed on each important issue her team is facing.

When communicating she normally does this in a factual, considered manner.

If challenged she is likely to respond by presenting her case with considerable intellectual merit. Having carefully researched each issue she is inclined to form an opinion on what should be done to deal with it and if others differ with her solution she can be very stubborn by holding on to her views longer than is appropriate.

Green has an active interest in the environment and is seen to be keen to conserve resources. Whatever activity she gets involved in is tackled with dedication to achieve the best possible result even if it takes a high personal toll. This is very much due to her drive for a degree of perfection in all that she does.

Knowledge and competence is high on her list of desires and this drives her to seek every opportunity to learn and acquire new knowledge.

She is often the most informed member of the team and can usually be depended on to have the details at her fingertips most of the time.

When developing relationships she tends to seek like-minded people who she respects and will form deep relationships based on mutual trust and respect.

Green likes a structured working environment in which the rules and procedures are explicit and everyone sticks to them.

Central to her character is a drive for certainty and this produces the need for accuracy. She can usually analyse complex information and make sense of it in ways that her colleagues find difficult.

She gets satisfaction from being involved in meaningful discussions in which the arguments have sound intellectual merit.

Being generally reserved in nature she tends to flourish in an intellectually stimulating environment that engages her interest and in which she can debate with people she respects.