PART 1
THE JUMP START
Defining Yourself and Others
Chapter 1 Don’t Read the Whole Book
Chapter 2 The Color Q Personality Style Self Assessment
Chapter 3 A Quick History of Personality Typing
CHAPTER 1
Don’t Read the Whole Book
THIS IS NOT YOUR typical career book. The Color Q system doesn’t change people, but it does change how they view themselves. You will not be told to be more organized, to assert yourself, imitate your boss, or emulate some celebrity CEO. You will not even have to change how you dress. Instead, every word will move you to operate from your deepest, most natural talents, fueling the passion that separates good workers from great achievers. You just need to recognize your strengths and use them on a daily basis.
Sound easy? It’s not. Most of us come loaded down with guilt and parental/societal expectations that push us in unnatural directions. Did pressures like money, prestige, educational opportunity, or family desires force you into making more “practical” choices? If doing so hasn’t made you happy, then what will?
You need to get back to your core and make it work in the workplace. Define this core by taking the Color Q self assessment in chapter 2 and being bluntly honest. For many of you it will be career altering, if you answer as you really are. Please note that a preference is not “I generally work with piles, but I’d prefer if I kept my desk clean.” What you actually do is what you prefer.
You do not need to read the whole book, unless you want to explore all sixteen Color Q personality types. Learning a little about other people’s styles, however, will help you in:
Job or promotion interviews
Salary/contract negotiations
The theory behind the Color Q system has been tested for decades on millions of people worldwide. It has changed lives and altered careers, including those of both authors of this book. If it changes your life, as we think it will, we’d like to know. Your story is as significant as the ones included in this book. Email me at
[email protected] and check out my website at
www.ColorQPersonalities.com.
CHAPTER 2
The Color Q Personality Style Self Assessment
Instructions: Part I
IN THE COLOR Q personality profiling system, you have a primary personality Color. This is who you are at your core. You also have a backup Color—a strong secondary influence. Finally, you have an Introvert or Extrovert tendency. Color Q describes people, for example, as Green/Red Introverts. This ten-minute either/or self assessment will reveal all three aspects of your personality.
Select one of the two choices in each line according to your first impulse, which is usually correct; but choose as you are, not as you would like to be. Don’t overanalyze your choice. There are no right or wrong answers. Think of this like your left or right hand. While you can use both, you have a preference for one over the other, and you use that hand with less effort and better results. If you are truly torn between the two choices, it may mean you either feel guilty about your honest answer or feel pressured to function in a certain way.
First, fill out Section I, choosing what you (not your boss, mate, parents, or anyone else) prefer. Choose from column A or column B. Each A or B choice must be filled in by choosing the statement that describes you at least 51 percent of the time. You should wind up with nine checkmarks total in this section.
Section I
Be sure to answer every question. Total each column, and then follow the instructions to Sections II or III.
At least 51 percent of the time I tend to:
If you have chosen more items in Column A, please go directly to Section III.
If you have chosen more items in Column B, please go directly to Section II.
Section II
At least 51 percent of the time I tend to be more:
If you have chosen more items in Column 1, you are a Blue.
If you answered more items in Column 2, you are a Green.
Section III
At least 51 percent of the time I tend to:
If you have chosen more items in Column @, you are a Gold.
If you answered more items in Column #, you are a Red.
Instructions: Part II
Now read the short overview of your primary Color below. Does it ring true? If yes, continue to part III to determine your backup style. If not, skip down to part V, “What to Do If This Doesn’t Ring True for You.”
Golds (46% of population)
Grounded, realistic, and accountable, Golds are the backbone of institutions of all kinds—corporate and public. They are society’s protectors and administrators who value procedures, respect the chain of command, and have finely tuned systems for everything. From raising children to running large divisions, Golds get involved in details and are known for following through and mobilizing others to achieve concrete goals. They are most interested in making lists, planning in advance, and dealing with what has worked in the past.
Blues (10% of the population)
Theoretical, competitive, and always driven to acquire more knowledge and competence, Blues are unequaled when it comes to dealing with complex, theoretical issues and designing new systems. As natural skeptics, their first reaction is to criticize and set their benchmarks against which they measure everyone and everything. They are highly precise in thought and language, trusting only logic, not the rules or procedures of the past. Blues are future-oriented visionaries who do best in positions requiring strategic thinking. Then they move on with little interest in maintenance.
Reds (27% of the population)
Action-oriented, spontaneous, and focused on “now,” Reds need freedom to follow their impulses, which they trust over the judgment of others. Cool headed and ever courageous, they get things done and handle a crisis better than most. Found in careers that provide freedom, action, variety, and the unexpected, they bring excitement and a sense of expediency. Work must be fun and the environment collegial for them. Reds resist schedules and hierarchies. Long-term planning is a low priority for them, as each day brings its own agenda.
Greens (17% of the population)
Creative, empathetic, and humanistic, Greens need an environment that is idea oriented and egalitarian and that provides the chance to impact the lives of others. Gifted in their understanding of people’s motivations, they have an unusual ability to influence and draw the best out of others. They also excel in verbal and written communications and in the ability to position ideas. Greens are enthusiastic spokespersons for the organizations of their choice, and have a unique, charismatic quality that sweeps others into their causes.
Instructions: Part III
Now that you have determined your primary style, go back to the assessment and fill out the section you originally left out (Section II or III). This will provide you with your backup style. You should share about 40 to 50 percent of the characteristics of your backup style. The backup style refines your primary style.
If your primary is Gold or Red, your backup is either Blue or Green.
If your primary is Blue or Green, your backup is either Gold or Red.
My primar...