What you need to know about the four colors of human personality

The Project Brief, Saturday, November 11 th, 4 min read.

If you had given me this information at the start of my professional career, my life would probably be different today.

I could have approached my relationships from a different angle and used a little anticipation, or I could have identified the person's color before I really got to know their personality.

Knowing the main personality types has helped me to negotiate better on a day-to-day basis in my personal life, and to obtain agreements that are advantageous for my career and my employer. My credibility has also benefited.

The best managers use colors to better adapt their words to the person they're talking to, thus creating the conditions to get what they want, most of the time without having to ask for it directly.

Before we say that's unfair, let's be honest with ourselves and face the facts. If we had this knowledge, we'd use it to our advantage, to save time and make our lives easier. In fact, many people are doing just that right now.

This is not just another text. The worst thing you could do is finish reading it and go about your business without putting what you have learned into practice.

Skills are forged with time, practice, and effort, and the sooner you start, the sooner you'll benefit, making the skill you've patiently developed even more valuable to you.

It's also important to mention that this applies to what you read in the November 4, 2023 article, How to read someone while negotiating - Know why interpreting body language is the most unfair skill to master.

In these two articles, you have access to informations that can make a real difference in your career. It's up to you to push your knowledge even further in these areas, since the subject is vast enough for individuals and companies to spend their lives studying it.

Knowing the different types of personalities can help you to manage them better and find the arguments to convince them during a negotiation, but also to get to know and appreciate them.

The following descriptions do not deviate from established standards, as they are the fruit of studies where observations and conclusions are consensual and widely recognized.

Colors at a glance:

1: The red personality - The go-getter

Red people are dynamic and active. They exude confidence and naturally gravitate towards management positions. Unconcerned with details, they move quickly into action. They see the big picture. They are visionaries who can see how to get where they want to go but are not always good at identifying the steps needed to get there.

Go-getters can rely on their determination to get what they want. They are independent and decisive. Go-getters would rather make a bad decision than no decision at all.

However, the go-getters can be insensitive, unsympathetic, harsh and sarcastic. Go-getters don't like to admit they're wrong. They may also rush to make a decision without understanding all the consequences of their decision or, without thinking about the rest of the team.

Analytical people and go-getters don't mix very well most of the time. They need to get to know and trust each other before working well together. For a highly complex project involving extraordinary challenges, a go-getter will be useful for overcoming the stakes, but an analytic will show the way to get there.

To unsettle the go-getter type, push negotiations to the limit. You're interfering with his need to control everything, and the idea of not getting things when he wants them can make him panic.

2: The Yellow Personality - The Extrovert

Extroverts are the social specialist because they like to have fun. They can turn disaster into humor and they usually try to avoid boring moments. You'll see them include themselves in conversations and get involved in your project.

Ambitious, charismatic and convincing, they are a good asset when faced with a challenging go-getter. However, they are less structured in their approach and may use intangible arguments to justify their point of view. Extroverts can be difficult to control, as they can be prone to verbal outbursts.

In a conversation, you'll get them on your side with warm, friendly conversations. Your approach to them should be geared towards them. In this sense, your requests should be formulated in such a way as to show them how much this agreement will make them look good.

To destabilize yellow personalities, ask them to prove their point with facts, as they may bring intangible or subjective arguments to support their point of view. You'll give them the impression that their arguments won't be considered.

3: The Blue Personality - The Analytic

The analytical personality type is deep and thoughtful. Serious and determined, analytics set high standards and their strict personal and professional criteria make them demanding, tidy and organized.

They can have a dry but witty sense of humor. Analytical people are perfectionists. They want things done right the first time. Analytics are thrifty and self-disciplined.

Analytical persons are not without weaknesses: they can be moody, critical and negative. They have little interest in relationships. They over-analyze everything and can take a long time to decide. Perfectionism is their main weakness, as they can derail their own initiatives with their relentless quest for perfection.

To convince them, you'll need to use logical, fact-based arguments. Be ready to present the specific details of your case. Approach them quickly, tactfully and with structure. Leave the information for them to analyze.

To unsettle blue personalities, surprise them with new informations or further analysis showing new facts they didn't know. Their need to analyze everything to be sure of the facts is an opportunity to put pressure on the timetable and come to an agreement that benefits you.

4: The Green Personality - The Conciliator

This personality type is kind, patient and balanced. Calms and witty, they are very sympathetic and will show kindness to you. You'll find them avoiding conflict of any kind. They will be diplomatic and courteous in negotiations.

However, although calm and cooperative, they can be stubborn at times. It's important to avoid offending them, as they may withdraw, making it difficult to get them back to the table.

To negotiate with green personalities, adopt a relaxed, no-pressure, exchange-oriented approach. Consider a win-win approach, so that they can see the benefits of an agreement, both for them and for you.

To unsettle green personalities, tell them that your superior doesn't accept their proposal or that it creates discomfort. You'll make them understand that, despite their efforts to ensure that everything goes smoothly, they need to reconsider their proposition.

Managing personality types is a particular challenge for a project manager. You'll find that there's no such thing as a single personality; we're all a mixture of colors. However, each of us is inhabited by a dominant color.

Start practicing now to recognize the personality types you deal with daily. Grasping the shades of color in your superiors or employees will help you better understand and deal with them in all kinds of situations. Your projects and your career have a lot to gain by mastering this skill.

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