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 B. Each A or B choice must be filled in, choosing the statement that describes you at least 51 percent of the time. You should wind up with nine checkmarks total in this section.
• Be sure to answer every question. Total each column, and then follow instructions to Sections II or III.
At least 51 percent of the time I tend to:
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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 to Section II.
Count the number of checks in each column. Then move on to Section II or III depending on your results. Assess your primary Color now.
Section II
At least 51 percent of the time I tend to be more:
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If you have chosen more items in the left column 1, you are a Blue.
If you answered more items in the right column 2, you are a Green.
At least 51 percent of the time I tend to:
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If you answered more items in the left column @, you are a Gold.
If you answered more items in the right column #, you are a Red.
Now read the short overview of you primary Color below. Does it ring true? If yes, continue to Part III. 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 the most effective in making lists, planning in advance, and dealing with what has worked in the past.
| BLUES | (10% of 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 and future oriented, trusting only logic, not the rules or procedures of the past. Blues are visionary and do best in positions requiring strategic thinking. Then they move on with little interest in maintenance.
| REDS | (27% of 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 collegiate. Reds resist schedules and hierarchies. Long-term planning is a low priority as each day brings it own agenda.
| GREENS | (17% of population) |
Empathetic, humanistic, and creative, Greens need an environment that is supportive and egalitarian and that provides the chance to impact the lives of others. Gifted in their understanding of people’s motivation, 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 or causes of their choice, creating a unique, charismatic quality that sweeps others into their causes.
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 would be Blue or Green.
If your primary is Blue or Green, your backup would be Gold or Red.
Your Backup style is____________
From each pair of statements, choose one statement from the left or right column. You should wind up with seven checkmarks in this section.
At least 51 percent of the time I tend to:
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If you answered more items on the left, you are an Extrovert (drawing energy from group activity).
If you answered more items on the right, you are an Introvert (drawing energy from your own inner resources).
Note your full style here: Primary Color________________________
Backup Style______________Extrovert or Introvert_______________
Since the Extrovert/Introvert dimension is often misunderstood, it is worth explaining further. First of all, it appears to be biologically based and has nothing to do with liking people or being socially adept.
Extroverts (which Jung and the Myers-Briggs community spell as “extraverts”) get their energy from being with people and doing group activities. If they have to spend too much time alone or doing tasks that require solitude, they quickly become tired, bored, and dispirited. Introverts get energized from their inner resources—that is, from spending time alone to recharge their internal batteries. Even if they like being with people, which most Introverts do, interacting too much can drain their energy.
The population divides fairly equally between Extroverts and Introverts, and many hide their natural preference well. An Introvert who needs to socialize for business can appear as an Extrovert to those who do not know him or her well. We all use both, but not at the same time. Also, as your score will indicate, you may be mild or pronounced in this dimension. Relationships between the two are often tense, until this dimension is understood and valued.
If your Overview sounds right, read about your primary Color first: Greens in Chapter 5, Reds in Chapter 10, Blues in Chapter 15, and Golds in Chapter 20. Then read your individual chapter, which is one of the four immediately following your primary Color.
If you want to delve deeper, read about your backup Color. For skeptical Blues, reading Chapter 3, A Quick History of Personality Typing, might be your first stop so you don’t feel you’re wasting your time on an unproven methodology. Greens may want to skip straight to their individual chapter, and then into Chapter 4, A Tour of the Prism Company, to learn about all the other Colors. That’s okay, too. Golds will prefer to follow the recommendations above, and reading one chapter a day will allow you to absorb and review this material. Reds, we know the self-assessment wasn’t all that much fun, but your individual chapter will be! Go there now and skim it; you’ll see it can be quite entertaining.
Your personality Color is simply who you really are WHEN NOT PRESSURED by family, friends, or work life. But if the majority of characteristics do not ring true, you may belong to another group.
Go back to the Self-Assessment and check the section where you had close scores. Did you answer the way others need you to be? Or as you feel you ought (instead of prefer) to be? That creates false results. Choose the opposite column and follow instructions to a new Color. If that fits better, go up to Section III and continue.
Or see if a family member or someone who knows you well agrees with your self-assessment. You might be very surprised, as one lawyer was when her friend of thirty years completely corrected her answers to most of the self-assessment! The lawyer didn’t want to admit to her real preferences for a messy workplace and last-minute deadline rushes. Remember, we’re not judging you here, or even suggesting you need to change. And what you categorize as a “weakness” actually might be a strength; for example, the ability to operate effectively in chaotic conditions.
People are multifaceted. Though everyone has a predominant type, people may be one of several shades of that style. A person may be a strong Gold with a Blue backup. Another might be a slight Gold and hence not as pronounced. Also, as you get older, you develop the nonpreferred parts of your personality and may appear less Gold than in younger years.
If you currently are going through catastrophic life changes, or have been dissatisfied with your life for some time, scores can reflect your survival skills and not your real preferences. You may have “forgotten” your real preferences, although unhappiness is a signal that they’re being denied. Try answering as if, right now, you lived in the world of your choice. If your personality Color still seems wrong, wait until things have stabilized and retest yourself.
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