Write more. Write to think. Write until you're no longer confused. Write about the problems you already solved. Write for the person you were 2 years ago. Write so you never lose what took you years to figure out. A simple writing habit can change absolutely everything.
🟥 Adapting to Reds:
Be quick and briefCut the small talk
Focus on the essentials
Don’t sit on the fence – have a clear opinion
Demonstrate hard work
Confront if behaviour crosses a line
Remind that speed doesn’t always produce the right results
Giving Feedback to Reds:
Be upfront and honest – don’t sugarcoat feedback
Give concrete examples
Stick to facts over feelings
Be prepared to calmly handle conflict
Repeat what was agreed
🟨 Adapting to Yellows:
Create a warm and friendly atmosphere around them
Strip away unnecessary detail and focus on the big issues
Empathise with gut-based decisions
Give them space to work on new projects
Become approachable (e.g. through open body language)
Check they have listened
Giving Feedback to Yellows:
Prepare a feedback agenda and stick to it
Don’t let them eat up the time
Give concrete examples
Be aware that they might not be fully listening
Ensure they don’t take it personally – behaviour not person
Get them to repeat what you’ve agreed
🟩 Adapting to Greens:
Be prepared to listen to what they are anxious about
Allow them periods of peace and quiet to recharge
Clearly explain the steps of a plan
Deliver criticism in private
Take command to get things done where needed
Giving Feedback to Greens:
Give concrete examples
Adopt a gentle approach – Greens can take things very badly
Explain the behaviour is the problem, not the person
Get them to repeat what you’ve agreed
🟦 Adapting to Blues:
Do your homework
Stick to the task and small talk
Stick to the facts and avoid daydreaming
Provide the necessary detail
Remind them that sometimes speed is the priority
Giving Feedback to Blues:
Provide specific and detailed examples
Avoid getting too personal
Stick to facts
Be prepared for counterquestions in great detail
Get them to repeat what was said and follow up
"Surrounded by Idiots"
@khans_notes
Core Traits: Reds are highly ambitious and driven, competitive and comfortable taking the lead. They speak their minds and prioritise speed and efficiency. They have a strong conviction in their version of reality.
Perception: Reds can be seen as dictatorial, controlling and tyrannical. They might not seem interested in trivial conversation and tend to be focused on the topics that matter. Often this blunt communication can come across as aggressive.
Body Language: Reds exhibit clear and distinctive body language. They keep their distance from others, have powerful handshakes, often lean forward aggressively, make direct eye contact and controlling gestures, and speak quickly with a strong voice.
🟨 Yellow Behaviour
Core Traits: Yellows are relentlessly optimistic and often the most popular of the behaviour types. Their focus is on developing relationships and they are highly persuasive. Yellows generally exhibit a high level of energy and curiosity.
Perception: Conversations with Yellows are often one-sided streams of unprocessed thoughts. Yellows typically turn conversations to themselves and are very poor listeners. They are often seen as careless with projects that require longer spells of concentration and significant follow-up.
Body Language: Yellow body language is relaxed and tactile, eye contact is friendly, and gestures are expressive. Yellows often come close, smile a lot, and talk quickly and empathetically.
🟩 Green Behaviour
Core Traits: Greens don’t stick out like other behaviour types. They are calm and tolerant to singular behaviour, friendly, and considered strong team players. They often struggle to say no and are less direct and upfront.
Perception: Greens are obstinate once a decision has been taken. They can also be considered enthusiasm killers through indifference, and their behaviour can appear passive and disinterested. Greens may also be less precise and more non-committal with words in order to preserve relationships.
Body Language: Green body language is relaxed and close. They often tend to lean backwards, make very friendly eye contact, small gestures, and less flamboyant movement. Green voices don’t tend to be strong, but instead soft and slower talking.
🟦 Blue Behaviour
Core Traits: Blues are logical analysts, cool headed, risk-averse and detail-oriented. They are more willing to work on predictable tasks and are usually introverted.
Perception: The ultimate perfectionists, blues are not keen on small talk and can appear cold and dismissive. Their fixation on details and checking may also suggest they don’t trust others, as well as leading to slower decision making.
Body Language: Blues prefer distance. Their body language tends to be closed, with direct eye contact, speech without gestures, and a subdued and slow voice.
Core Values: Deeply embedded beliefs for which it is almost impossible to change, often embedded by parenting.
Attitudes and Approaches: Things we’ve formed opinions on based on our own experiences.
Core Behaviour: Core values and attitudes form our core behaviour, which is how we act when there is no external influence.
Moderated Behaviour: People around us tend to see our moderated behaviour, however, whereby we adapt to the situational context.
Environment: These adjustments are all influenced by the outer layer of our environment.
Reds want direct, respectful communication and space to lead. Yellows want friendly communication and space to innovate. Greens want slow change, recognition and space to recharge. Blues want accurate detail and a focus on facts.
Communication happens on the listener’s terms. Information is rarely received as the sender conceived it. To communicate effectively, we must adapt our style to the listener’s.