Colors ebook

Edition I, English.

Copyright © Ewa Blaszczak 2018

Warsaw, Poland, 2018 .

English edition

Sarah Barbour, Aeroplane Media, www.adventure.ink

Epub composition

Studio Grafpa, www.grafpa.pl

Graphic design

Kamil Gorgon, ARF Design, www.arf.com.pl

Photos

Tomasz Zakrzewski, ARF Design, www.arf.com.pl

I would like to express my gratitude to the Brain Embassy

(www.brainembassy.com) for hosting the photo session

ISBN:978-83-951408-0-8

www.ewablaszczak.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material from (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright owner. The doing of an unauthorized act in relation to a copyright work may result in both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution.

A Summary for Busy People

I always like it when a book contains a summary, which allows me to see at a glance what the text is about or helps me recall its main points if I pick it up again after having read it some time ago. That’s why I decided to include an “Executive Summary” of the concept of Colors (in corporate-speak, that’s what time-stressed managers are usually provided with). Since this book is meant to make your life easier, let’s wait no longer; here’s the crème de la crème:

People are often seem “strange,” that is, different from us, and because life is a social game, interacting with others is unavoidable. That is why it is useful to have a simple “user’s guide” to people, enhancing the probability of mutual success–a so-called win-win situation.

As we go through this user’s guide to people, we will draw on the advice of psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961), and we will categorize people on the basis of how they approach life. Combining these methods, we arrive at four types of people, to whom we will assign the following colors: Red, Blue, Green and Yellow (throughout the book, these colors will be capitalized when used to refer to the four essential types).

Only four styles of human behavior? Isn’t that an oversimplification, or even stereotyping?

Maybe so, but first of all, THIS MODEL REALLY WORKS, and second of all, no one (except maybe the Blues) would be likely to actually use a more complex system.

Successfully managing your relationships on the basis of Colors requires: (a) learning how to distinguish Colors, and then (b) learning how to work with them. Below, you will find a summary of each Color’s essential attributes and how to manage them. You can cut it out and keep it in your wallet or take a picture of it.

Understanding Colors not only allows us to build effective relationships in both business and private life, but also makes it possible for us to achieve a better understanding of ourselves and thus make use of our talents and enhance our strengths. There is little to be gained by working on our weaknesses; it’s just not worth the effort. It is more worthwhile to determine our natural talents and predispositions and align our actions with them. The Color Model is invaluable in helping us select our life path and in developing personally and professionally. (It is also a superb tool when we want to help teenagers choose their path in life, but the topic of how to use the Color Model on our children will have to wait until the next book.)

Using the Color Model has two priceless side effects: when you study your own style, you automatically direct your attention to your needs–you get to know yourself, you develop as a person. And by analyzing the Colors of the people around you, you develop the invaluable habit of observing your fellow humans, asking yourself questions about who they are, what they are like, what they need, and how best to communicate with them.

My intention in writing this book is to both give you the resources to better understand yourself and the people around you and, just as importantly, to develop a habit of curiosity and attentiveness about people, how they think, react, and function in the world.

Well, if the curiosity of impatient readers has at least partly been satisfied, we can now proceed to explaining everything thoroughly and in order (i.e., Blue style).

Introduction

This book is about Colors: a model that’s simple, cheap, and effective–and that’s the kind of model we like best, right?

When I teach workshops about the Color Method, participants often say, “Ewa, you ought to sit down and write a book–this is amazing stuff!”

So here it is: a book on the Colors Method, available to everyone. I’m really excited to share this information with you because the Color Method has the power to transform your life in ways you can’t even imagine.

I wrote this book first of all to be practical and useful–after all, I am Green, so being “needed” is one of my primary values. It is also my goal that the book be an easy and pleasant read, something you can enjoy with a glass of wine or a cup of tea; this is a simple framework that doesn’t need to be overly complicated or arduous to learn.

What you won’t find in Colors are “results of studies” or “researchers have found …” Well, okay, there’ll be some of that, but not too much. As a Green, I aim to provide material that is straightforward and accessible, not obscured by academic language and confusing statistics.

Think of this book as a user’s guide to people. Consider it a cocktail of all the knowledge I’ve gathered over ten years as a management consultant, a trainer, a business coach, a leader, and a human being, a summary of everything I’ve learned about communication, motivation, talent, human development, neurology, neurolinguistics, management, and life. This accumulated knowledge is based on around 2000 hours of coaching sessions and over 100 hours spent with teams which I built on the basis of Colors. I’ve helped hundreds of people successfully identify their most fulfilling path in life, and I’ve used the Colors method on my own–and sometimes other people’s–children, for whom it worked better than anything Supernanny could have dished out.

In the end, the book will be published pretty much just the way I wrot

As you read, you will notice that most of the examples 1provided are extreme. Like a caricaturist, I will try to highlight the characteristic features of each Color, and I will often illustrate my point with exaggerated or humorous situations. There’s a reason for this: before I send you out into the world to start working with Colors in practice, I want to make the differences between Color styles very clear, to polarize them for you so that it’s easier to grasp the fundamental differences between them. This foundation will be useful when you start to deal with the nuances of everyday reality. And, as I already mentioned, I want the book to entertain as well as educate.

Warning! Colors are contagious and addictive. Don’t be surprised if, once you start using them in your life, you won’t be able to stop.

How do I know?

One day while I was visiting my family, I told them all about the Colors method. I explained that my mom and brother were Blue, which was why their closets were immaculately organized, and why my brother had painted the window frames in his house seven times to make sure they were exactly the right shade of brown. My dad is Red, meaning–I’m trying to say this diplomatically–you can count the number of times that he’s admitted to being wrong about something on one hand. My younger brother is Yellow; he has a tendency to make unrealistic promises, but he’s a lot of fun to hang out with. And I myself am Green, so even though I’m the first to say, “I can’t, I don’t know how, I’m too busy,” I always manage to get the job done anyway.

A few months after the Color conversation I had with my family, I called my mom to tell her about another “terrible, horrible, hopeless” situation in my life (Greens have a tendency to slightly exaggerate their misfortunes, but don’t you dare use the word “exaggeration” to their faces). So there I was, telling her my story and expecting a sympathetic ear, and all she had to say was, “Oh, come on, you have to act more Yellow!” –the Yellow motto being: “It’ll work out somehow.”

And she was absolutely right.

The same goes for our work environment. As someone who designs development projects for about 5000 managers a year, I have implemented dozens of various models of management. Only the Color Model gets “absorbed” into the organization quickly and permanently. When I meet managers even years after they’ve completed our management academy, they’re still talking about the Colors, the impression our model made on them, and the ways they’ve been able to improve their businesses as a result of learning about them. That’s where the power lies! Learning Colors is an investment which offers high returns.

I believe that everyone should have the chance to understand themselves and other people better, and that the Colors model is one of the most efficient ways to do that. Understanding your Color will help you understand:

What you need most;

What motivates you most effectively;

Where your natural talents lie.

Above all, though, it gives us clues about how to communicate.

Imagine knowing how to communicate effectively with anyone: spouse, child, employee–even your mother-in-law! (My research suggests that ~70% mothers-in-law react positively to applications of the Color Model.) Being aware of your own Color–in other words, knowing what type of person you are–will make your life easier. You will understand why some tasks are a piece of cake while others pose a major challenge, why some people have no trouble sticking to a diet and others can’t make it to the 9 a.m. morning meeting before eating a donut. Your frustrations with yourself and with other people will decrease dramatically because you’ll understand where certain behaviors come from. It will easier to plan your own personal development and that of your employees because you will know both your potential and theirs. When you match communication to a particular person, then negotiations, sales, or an engaging talk run smoothly, practically of their own accord. Nothing but benefits!

There’s your introduction. Now let’s get to the nitty gritty.

What is the Color Model?

Select and build a team

Help your employees achieve ambitious goals

Give effective feedback and help your people develop professionally

Mind you, the above are only a few of the MANY uses of Colors.

Why use the Color model?

The Color Model:

For academic purposes, I’ve separated the Colors by their most extreme traits and enlisted some stereotypes to help you to see the differences more clearly and to learn to use Color communication in practice. Reality is, of course, more nuanced.

Therefore, when you read here that Yellows have a problem with time management, interpret it as a characteristic feature of the general Yellow population, not a defining trait of every last one of them. There are Yellows who don’t procrastinate and have everything ready on time (though to be honest, I have never met such a specimen myself), but more frequently, Yellows tend to show up late and prefer jobs with flexible working hours because time management simply isn’t their strong suit.

Colors: basic programming and development

That said, I need to make it clear that if you are a leader or if you deal in sales, it is absolutely crucial that you learn to switch between styles. Leaders and sales person are most efficient when they are flexible, i.e., when they can communicate effectively with anyone regardless of that person’s “Color programming” and can fluently adapt to the situation.

1. Colors by Person, or Colors by Country?

I don’t know about you, but I found that last chapter quite overwhelming. I think we deserve a cup of tea or coffee and a dip in the ocean.

Why the ocean? Well, to make sure there’s plenty of positive energy flowing your way when you read, I decided to write this book in my favorite place on Earth, the island of Bali. While you turn these pages, imagine you are here with me, surrounded by lush green vegetation, listening to the gentle swoosh of the surf and the songs of birds, sipping fresh mango juice. (You’re not crazy about mango? I understand, and as I’m Green, I’ll provide you with whatever juice you like best. Unless you prefer coffee. Coffee is good for anything! In the meantime, I’m going to go for a swim in the ocean and have a drink of that mango juice.)

The ocean water is delightfully warm and crystal clear, and the delicious mango juice is served by charming staff. Everyone is charming on Bali. Cultures, just like people, have their own Colors. The culture on Bali is Green. Everyone here is extremely nice (you will probably notice that as a Green, I tend to overuse such adjectives as “charming” or “nice”), and the people exhibit a calmness and harmony typical of a Green culture. Here, the needs of other people are always given priority.

This is my second visit here, and I was sure I’d be just another anonymous hotel guest, but when I arrived at breakfast on the first day, it turned out the staff remembered me from my previous stay. It gave me such a nice feeling (see, there I am with the “nice” again). The Green staff give every guest individualized attention. They make eye contact when they greet you. They remember details: a person’s likes and dislikes, what you ordered for dinner. They are embarrassed that six months after my last visit, they don’t remember my name. They dedicate time to talk to everyone. There is no service giver/service taker hierarchy here, there are just human beings. (Okay, I am biased, I like Green culture. Forgive me my partiality, though, and remember: there are no good or bad Colors. Each one is valuable, and each has its positive and negative traits.

Back to culture, though. I come from Poland. The question arises: what is Polish culture (the culture I was raised in) like? Is it also Green? On the contrary. Our national culture is blood Red, with a history of uprisings, revolutions, and fighting over everything from independence to who gets the best seat at church.

The Redness of the Polish culture is clearly visible on Polish roads. Not so long ago, I was driving home from the Italian Alps. First I drove along Italian roads, in the sunshine, admiring the views. Everyone was going as they pleased, at their own speed, in the characteristic mild chaos of the Italian Yellow culture, without much regard for traffic regulations, which in the case of Italy inspire rather than limit people. The light nonchalance of the traffic gave a feeling of relaxation and leisure.

Then I entered Switzerland. The Color of culture on the road immediately changed to Sky Blue. The Blue culture can be defined with three words: order, rules and regulations. I slowed down carefully. I had spent too much money on skiing and food in Livigno to risk a high-priced speeding ticket. I kept my foot light all the way through Navy Blue Germany.

And then I entered Poland. After just a few seconds of driving in the left lane, I lglanced in the rearview mirror and saw the meaningful blinking of lights from the car right behind me. As the vehicle’s bumper approached dangerously close that of my car, I could almost feel the driver’s breath on the back of my neck, the breath of a man hungry for victory and competition, hungry for blood. My pulse raced. The shot of adrenaline and cortisol into my bloodstream activated the amygdala (the part of the brain responsible for survival). Beads of sweat shone on my forehead. My brain gave the signal to flee (Red Poles react with another primitive reflex: they fight, and in order not to allow their rival to win, they nearly squeeze their cars’ guts out; forget penalty points and tickets from the police–what matters in Poland is honor and victory).

Little Green me, desiring safety above all, swerved to the right, and the daredevil from behind zoomed past me, only to stop at the bumper of his next victim, who was most insolently driving in the left lane.

Let’s not demonize the Red culture, though. It deserves respect: it won Poland independence; it takes some credit in the victory over the communist regime; it allows Polish volleyball and handball teams, as well as skiers, to achieve notable successes despite less-than-competitive budgets for training; it enables Poles to set and obtain ambitious goals. Observe that our nation has quickly picked up sports and a healthy lifestyle like no other. The determination and discipline so characteristic of the Red culture are the reasons why nowhere outside of Poland have I met so many triathletes, marathon runners, and well-groomed women who, at the behest of Ewa Chodakowska, an extremely popular Polish fitness trainer, sweat out their last energy to have beautiful, slim bodies. (I would like to thank Ewa Chodakowska here for my own leg muscles, which she helped me develop and which saved my life while skiing this year.)

Another great example of a Red national culture is the USA. The iconic “American dream” indicates perfectly what the culture is all about–setting audacious goals for the future, reaching the for “unreachable,” being a pioneer, determination, and hard work. It is so Red. Yet the Redness of the American culture is streaked with Yellow: when I went to the States for the first time I was struck by enthusiasm, openness, and cheerfulness of Americans. When my American friends were talking about someone, the biggest compliment they could give was, “He is so much fun,” or “She is hilarious,” which shows how highly valued is the Yellow attitude. The Red-and-Yellow culture sets a great climate for innovation, creativity, bold risk management, and leadership–the factors which have driven the American economy for centuries.

The chapter title implies that there is a question as to whether one is born a certain color or whether one’s color is influenced by the Color of one’s culture. If Poland is so Red, how am I still Green?

Our individual Color is developed mainly as the result of our innate traits (our DNA) and the unique circumstances of our upbringing. Of course as a Polish citizen, I am influenced by our national culture, so I will be show certain typically Polish behaviors like bravery, blaming, or sarcasm. However, my Green behavioral blueprint will dominate the Red behaviors.

On the other hand, the Color of a culture is not a simple sum of the Colors of its members. So the fact that the majority of the Polish people are Green doesn’t make the culture Green. The reason underpinning this phenomenon is the fact that a national culture functions an organism itself, with its unique origin, experiences, attitudes and, eventually, Color. You can perceive this mechanism of personalization of groups when you watch a crowd. A crowd presents its unique characteristics, usually widely different from the characteristics of the individuals who make up the crowd.

2. A Chapter for the Green-and-Blues, i.e., The Theoretical Foundations of the Model

Everyone, everyday, uses various “filters” through which we perceive reality, organize data, and evaluate it. We see, hear, and feel differently, and have our unique experiences and personal system of values. As a result, every person produces a different image of reality; a different map of the same world.

And if we have different maps, then naturally we will select different routes to get to our destinations, the result of which is a wide variety of human behaviors. In short, the difference between people lies in their PERCEPTION of reality. Every one of us looks at the world from a different perspective, which translates into an individual way (style) of managing that reality. Carl Gustav Jung, whose works I will refer to shortly, used to say that “The world does not exist as such, but such as we perceive it.”

The Colors represent four basic behavioral styles. These styles were identified by Jung as four preferences (so-called psychological functions), which he organized in the following contradictory pairs:

In Jolande Jacobi’s book, The Psychology of C. G. Jung, we learn that Jung understood psychological function to be “psychological activity, always the same in various circumstances and completely independent of temporary content. What is important is not what a person thinks, but the fact that they use the function of thinking, and not, for instance, intuition, when receiving and processing the content they receive from the outside or inside. It is above all about the way of capturing and processing mental data regardless of its temporary content.”1

I will now present the above-mentioned pairs by means of a graph (compliments of the analytical Blues).

The functions or preferences as described by Jung are types of habitual strategies which come naturally to us and which we use spontaneously and, usually, unconsciously. Of course even if someone has a tendency for a thinking approach to reality, they also make use of feelings and the other way around. It is worth establishing which style we are predisposed to because such behaviors are naturally less energy consuming and more effective.

THINKING AND FEELING

The first pair of preferences, Thinking and Feeling, refer to the lens through which we perceive and evaluate the world. They answer the question of WHAT IS IMPORTANT.

Thinking is a way of analyzing and evaluating the world based on facts, goals, and reason-result logic; reality is evaluated on the basis of true/false.

Examples of statements representing Thinking: