Working together
So, now that you know all four types, it helps to picture them in a two-by-two square, with the top two, from left to right, being Blue and Red, and with Green positioned below Blue and Yellow below Red.
Now, each side of this square shows how these different personality types share some common traits. At the top, both Blue and Red tend to place importance on tasks and issues. On the bottom, Green and Yellow tend to focus on people and relationships. Likewise, on the left you have Blue and Green, who tend to be reserved and introverted. On the right you have Red and Yellow, who tend to be extroverted and proactive.
Generally speaking, while people will predominantly be one type or another, we all tend to have elements of two types. And while it’s common to find an analytical Blue mixed with a stability-seeking Green, or a dominant Red mixed with an optimistic Yellow, it’s rare that you’ll find Green/Red or Blue/Yellow. In fact, it’s wise not to pair up these conflicting personalities unless you want to see sparks fly.
The way Red and Yellow personality types are perceived by others can cause problems.
Now that you know some of the traits behind the four personality types, it’s important to know how these types may be perceived by others. Intention and perception are often two very different things – but once you’re familiar with the four types, you can become better at recognizing their traits for what they are and not mistaking them for what they’re not.
For example, since Reds are ambitious and quick to express their opinions, they can be perceived as rude, impatient and aggressive – or even as tyrannical control freaks.
However, when you confront Reds with accusations of being overbearing, they may not understand where the problem is. As Reds perceive it, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with stating one’s opinion.
Reds are often passionate – plus, they see nothing wrong with a bit of confrontation every now and then. In fact, it can be refreshing! Never mind that confrontation is a Green’s worst nightmare.
Like Yellows, Reds are confident. Though some, like the analytical Blues, might say they’re overconfident to the point of being annoying. Nevertheless, Reds will be so confident in thinking that they know what’s best that they often end up thinking they’re surrounded by idiots. But remember, when people think they’re surrounded by idiots, what they’re really noticing is that they’re surrounded by personality types different from their own.
As for the boisterous Yellows, they can often be perceived as overly talkative, bad listeners, superficial, careless and easily distracted – especially by Blues, who pride themselves on being the opposite of all those things. Now, since Yellows value people and relationships, they can be hurt if they find out they’re being perceived in such a way. But since Yellows are so positive and quick to move on to the next thing, these hurt feelings aren’t likely to linger.
Most people correctly recognize Yellows as gifted communicators and fearless public speakers – so much so that these qualities are often envied by other personality types. But because they tend to dominate a conversation, and will even answer a question directed at someone else, they can be perceived as egotistical and self-centered people who can’t get enough of hearing their own voices.
Yet what’s often closer to the truth is that Yellows don’t see anything wrong with speaking up when they have something to say. Plus, Yellows think that they can say it better than anyone else, so why shouldn’t they go ahead and provide an answer, even if the question wasn’t necessarily directed at them?
Perceptions around Green and Blue behavior can result in unnecessary problems as well.
Have you ever questioned why that one coworker is so quiet all the time? In fact, because he just keeps his head down and never speaks up, you may start to wonder if he’s hiding something. This is a common perception about the quiet and conflict-averse nature of Greens.
For the most part, Greens are perceived as the pleasant, caring and friendly people they are, since there are more Greens in the world than any other personality type.
Along with being good team players, Greens are also loyal to those with whom they’ve bonded. Remember, along with Yellows, they’re the personality type that values people and relationships more than tasks and issues. But this trusting nature can also lead to perceptions that Greens are naive and gullible.
Another thing Greens are loyal to is their routines. If you can manage to interfere with the daily breakfast or lunch routine that a Green has set, there’s a good chance you’ve ruined the rest of his day.
But perhaps most of all, in their desire for things to stay calm Greens can also be seen as stubbornly resistant to change and indifferent to or unconcerned about problems that may arise. The ideal for Greens would be to just weather the storm silently until things blow over, but that doesn’t mean they don’t care. So if you throw unexpected changes at a Green, you’ll likely meet with resistance – even if it’s silent or passive-aggressive resistance.
Finally, we also have common perceptions around those perfectionists, the Blues. Like Greens, due to their quiet nature Blues can also be viewed as suspiciously evasive or aloof. And due to the fact that Blues are less oriented toward people and relationships than they are toward tasks and issues, their reserved behavior can also lead to perceptions that they are coldhearted, insensitive, distant and uncaring toward others. But more accurate would be the perception that Blues have rich inner lives and just prefer to keep their own company.
Problems can also arise from the amount of time Blues can spend checking and double-checking every last detail. So a task that might take a non-detail-oriented Yellow an hour to do can easily take a Blue the better part of a day.
A Blue is the kind of person who uses a calculator to double check the results of a formula on an Excel spreadsheet. A Red might perceive this as a sign of being way too obsessive, but as far as Blues are concerned, if all it takes is time, why wouldn’t you be diligent and rule out any possible chance of error?