Revolutionize the Way Your Team Communicates

With 45 people and four hundred deadlines competing for attention, sometimes you need to use colorful language to be heard at Balcom Agency. Words like GREEN, BLUE, ORANGE and GOLD.

These are four personality types defined by True Colors, a communications program with roots in the Myers-Briggs personality assessment.

With 16 different personality options available in Myers-Briggs, how can you remember if you are an INFJ or an ESTJ? With True Colors, there are just four personality types: GREEN, BLUE, ORANGE or GOLD. Being able to quickly assess a person’s brightest color helps you understand and appreciate personality differences, recognize the strengths and frustrations of others, and build a more harmonious – and productive – environment.

We originally took the True Colors workshop as an agency in 2015, and found it so handy that we sent our own Lesley Dupre through 20 hours of training to become a Certified True Colors Facilitator for all our new team members and our clients, as well.

As Lesley says, “When you and your coworkers better understand each other’s values, motivators, stressors and social preferences, you have the opportunity to greatly improve communication and cooperation.”

What Is Your Brightest Color?

GREEN: An independent thinker who always considers the big idea. But their need to know all the facts borders on obsessive. Not surprisingly, most of our creative staff is in this group. The most important thing to remember is to not interrupt their creative thought process. Let them come up from their work and meet you in the conversation first, or they won’t hear what you say.

BLUE: Very relationship-driven and express genuine empathy and concern. Our account managers make up the bulk of the Balcom BLUEs. Ask them how their weekend was before moving into project details.

ORANGE: The ORANGE values freedom and fun and sees life as an adventure. They motivate others and are confident that they can overcome obstacles. They tend to be great salespeople. Stuart Balcom. Need I say more?

GOLD: Responsible, dependable, loyal and organized. GOLDs make lists and check things off. We do your estimates and schedules and invoices. We get things done. Yes, I am a GOLD. Who is surprised?

The Bs are embracing these concepts within our office. Our name plates and phone list have both been color-coded to remind each of us to ask Lesley (a BLUE) about her beautiful little girls to establish rapport before jumping into budget questions, or to wait at the doorway for Brian (a GREEN) to acknowledge us before launching right into our questions.

True Colors can also help eliminate the mentality of we vs. they when conflict arises. Being able to acknowledge another person’s communication style and meet them in the middle helps us focus on solutions and not just personalities.