Chance to make on-the-spot decisions about real problems
Frequent new experiences
Access to the latest technology/gadgets
Action/crisis management (which energizes you)
Work balanced with fun
YOU’RE NOT ONLY a Red; you also have strong secondary characteristics of the Blue personality. And you have tested as a Color Q Extrovert, which means you recharge your batteries by being with people, rather than being alone. You form 6 percent of the world’s population. Red/Blue Extroverts are likely reading this book only to please someone else. You should find that most of this chapter confirms who you are (if not, retest). It also gives you activities, tools, and experiments to try with your coworkers.
To an Extrovert, working alone for long periods is frustrating. You’ll create variety and action, even if disruptive. Working in open environments is most productive for you.
If you are a Red/Blue Extrovert, negotiate during hiring or review for these workplace motivators:
Chance to make on-the-spot decisions about real problems
Frequent new experiences
Access to the latest technology/gadgets
Action/crisis management (which energizes you)
Work balanced with fun
It is the responsibility of every personality to find or create their optimal work environment. Optimal cultures differ among personality types. Strengths in one company may be unneeded elsewhere. The corporate culture itself may not be dysfunctional; it’s just that Reds hate what Golds love, for instance. Conflict, sapped strength, resentment, and feelings of defeat are symptoms of poor cultural fit and can be avoided by understanding your preferences.
The Red/Blue Extrovert’s most preferred work environment emphasizes:
Stimulating variety of responsibilities and tasks
Small teams of collegial, results-oriented coworkers
Short-term, nonrepetitive projects
Tangible products
Comfortable, attractive surroundings
Physical freedom to work and socialize
Entrepreneurial spirit, competition, and direct problem solving
If these points seem obvious to you, it means you’ve tested correctly. (Compare with a Gold/Green Introvert’s ideal environment.)
The Red/Blue Extrovert’s least preferred environment is fueled by:
Long-term projects and abstract concepts or strategies
Bossy people who impose their “right way”
Hierarchy, with meetings and memos bogging down action
Lots of details and repetition
Tight schedules under a micromanager who discourages humor and play
Forced respect for status and position
One of the critical tasks of a Red/Blue Extrovert manager is to build one’s executive reputation or “brand.” There are concrete reasons for having a personal brand. You’ll achieve tangible results internally and be able to market yourself externally when necessary.
The Red/Blue Extrovert’s leadership brand should be built around your strength for quickly sizing up situations, trusting your instinct, negotiating effectively, and achieving goals during times of crisis and change.
You are a hands-off, “down in the trenches” manager who even now wants to stop reading this book and get out and do! This is brand-building in action.
Here are other concrete actions that build your brand:
Troubleshooting (and getting credit for it)
Identifying and utilizing the abilities of subordinates and senior staff
“Bottom-line-savvy” risk-taking (using your talent for making midcourse corrections)
Keeping things moving with tension-breaking humor
This said, you are not keen to manage a large organization. When your department reaches a certain size you may want to consider moving to a smaller unit.
Sheila L. Birnbaum, Skadden Arps
What does it take for a grocer’s daughter to become the leading product liability lawyer in the world? The innate abilities of the Red/Blue Extrovert—including a need for action and variety; competitiveness; negotiating strength; crisis management capability; and a direct problem-solving approach. Red/Blue Extrovert Sheila L. Birnbaum has leveraged her personality style with so much success that she has been dubbed “Queen of Torts.” Today, she is cohead of Skadden Arp’s Mass Torts and Insurance Litigation Group, which she helped to create.
One common thread runs through her extensive career in public service—fairness. Reds are uniquely sensitive to fairness, which Birnbaum illustrates in her positions as a member of the New York State Judicial Commission on Minorities and executive director for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit’s Task Force for Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Fairness. In May 2011, Birnbaum, a lifelong New Yorker, was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to head the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Formerly a fourth grade teacher, she gained recognition for mediating a settlement of $500 million for ninety-two families of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.1 (Reds are superb mediators.)
Reds everywhere will nod in agreement with this Birnbaum statement: “The worst thing that can happen,” she says, “is that the telephone doesn’t ring all day. The more that is going on, the calmer I am,” she adds, “and the more I can handle.”
Michael Naso, FBN Securities, Inc.
“I work well under pressure,” concedes Michael Naso, a partner at the New York institutional broker dealer FBN Securities. “I am flexible and adaptable, and change directions quickly.”
Typical of Red personalities, Naso enjoys “managing my own team without too many rules and hierarchies.” This keeps his company nimble while providing clients with research, trading strategies, capital introductions, and corporate access. “I enjoy creating strategic partnerships to make new opportunities and revenue streams,” he says. Naso’s Red adaptability has allowed his team to exceed sales targets.
Part of his success is the way he handles conflict within his team. “First, I address the problem directly—then I sit down, listen to all points of view, and come to a logical solution.” In that statement, his Blue component comes through.
Naso strategizes for the future as Red personalities do—very here and now. “I continue to add value creating new products for clients in a constantly changing environment,” he says.
On a team, you’re the troubleshooter, clear thinker, technical expert, negotiator, and inspirer of fun. You contribute by:
Applying common sense
Focusing on practicalities and enjoyment
Working through a diversity of people
Getting conflicting teammates to agree
Helping to keep meetings to the point
Adjusting vocabulary to align with another color’s style creates powerful positive responses. Empathetic vs. objective analysis, theoretical vs. practical, structured vs. adaptable—these clashes fuel most workplace conflicts. Being able to “style shift” brings great competitive advantages in negotiations, managing, and interviewing.
Bottom line: You are direct and blunt. You prefer talking in person, can read body language well, and are socially at ease. Your preferred vocabulary is active, favoring words like “move,” “stimulate,” and “expedite.” Greens prefer abstract concepts and metaphors, emphasizing words like “values,” “relationship,” “feel,” and “friendly.” Blues, with whom you share some personality traits, prefer theoretical jargon, statistical data, and technical terms. Golds prefer “facts,” “tradition,” “respected,” and “proven.”
Red/Blues want action, not talk. You make points with enthusiasm and personal stories. Style shifting for you means accommodating the emotions, strategies, and rules of others. Understand the anxieties of those who impose rules; address them with win-win solutions.
These blind spots are prevalent in Red/Blue Extroverts (although only some of them will apply to you):
Acting on impulse without enough data or long-term thinking
Beginning too many projects and missing deadlines
Staying unaware of others’ emotions/responses
Being too casual about commitments or “illogical” rules and procedures
Going into meetings unprepared
“Winging it” instead of managing time
The following workplace conditions can stress and fatigue Red/Blue Extroverts:
Having to develop detailed plans before acting
Having little physical, social, or problem-solving freedom
Inflexible or slow-moving people/situations
Unsettling emotions and challenges to principles
Being forced to defend your ability or trustworthiness
Demands that prevent workers from having fun and time for recharging
If you are under extreme stress, take action to curtail your tendency toward defiance, withdrawal, pessimism, or feeling unappreciated and bored. Talk to your superior and explain that you have more to offer! Make suggestions that fulfill your need to move and socialize.
The primary focus of the Red/Blue Extrovert who wants to self-coach for career advancement should be on how to handle other people’s emotional issues, rules, and abstract thinking.
The Red/Blue Extrovert has these strengths:
Makes penetrating observations and identifies logical actions
Processes large amounts of information; makes difficult decisions
Reacts quickly under pressure
Finds needed resources
Circumvents rules and procedures that hamper solutions
Trusts own instincts
Interpersonal challenges detract from productivity. Here are self-coaching activities to help solve your biggest challenges:
Resistance to structure, rules, and bureaucracy. You believe, rightly, in the value of sizing up a problem and acting on it. You chafe when structure overrides implementing logical solutions. Curry favor with Golds who run the system; develop allies who’ll help you accomplish your goals.
Having to work alone. Delegate these tasks to Introverts; they’ll thank you for giving them assignments that bring alone time! Request a populated environment to increase your productivity.
Loss of freedom—being tied down. Defying those who inhibit you is tempting. But minimal work or subtle sabotage ultimately affect career advancement. Instead, go to the gym at lunch for a hard workout. Maneuver politically for more freedom. Use this book to convince the company it will benefit by giving you freer range.
Working long and hard for little result. When fatigue and gloom settle in, recharge with activities that bring you pleasure. Mountain climbing, racing, skydiving, deep-sea diving, surfing, traveling, listening to music, dancing, whatever sounds good to you—do it.
Not having control over decisions. Role-playing, preferably with a strategy-oriented Blue, works well. Talk with others who’ve faced similar dilemmas; swap real-life solutions.
Others’ emotional reactions that cloud logic. Find a Green to mentor you through emotional logic. View emotions as “if . . . then” equations that can produce more well-rounded decisions (e.g., “if he feels this, then he’ll likely do that”).
When dealing with challenges, exploit your talent for sizing up situations, implementing, and managing crises. Avoid jobs requiring longterm strategy and routine. Young Red/Blue Extroverts often change projects or jobs frequently until they find the right mix of freedom and crisis-handling responsibility.
Chef Philippe Monte knew it was time to move on. His body hurt everywhere. His restaurant had just been sold to a micromanaging owner. His marriage to Jenella was rocky. And the highly successful chef with a sterling reputation in three major cities wanted to own his own place.
An inn had become available in upscale Newport, Rhode Island, for which the couple could pay cash. His wife was thrilled about spending more time with her husband; Philippe looked forward to working fewer hours, healing his body, and serving fewer guests more innovative cuisine.
It didn’t work out that way. After buying the inn money was tight, and Philippe had to take over housekeeping and front desk management. The days became a grind of routine—clean the rooms, prep for new guests, handle credit card submissions. A Gold would not have minded; but Red Philippe preferred handling the frequent (and exciting) repair crises. Unfortunately, he had little time to plan his dinner specials or source seasonal ingredients.
After their first year, Jenella gave him an ultimatum. “Hire a front desk manager or sell the place.” Cash flow revealed it was possible if they hired carefully. Within a month, Philippe hired Debbie, a local thrilled to have the job. Having someone else manage the front desk allowed Philippe to devote his Red strengths to the hands-on repair crises and the haute cuisine. The inn has since blossomed into a profitable four-star destination.
A valuable part of the Color Q system lies in learning how to harness the Green’s marketing and people skills, the Gold’s detail thinking and administrative talent, and the Blue’s strategic thinking to your advantage. Make irritating coworkers powerful political allies.
Greens. “We’re upgrading our manufacturing process. When I need facts, all James brings me is how management and line workers are likely to respond.” Juan (a Red/Blue) doesn’t know how to deal with his coworker James (a Green).
Green is the most people-oriented of the four primary Color Q personalities. The Green’s abstract visions and long-term orientation may seem, to you, eccentric. Your style can irritate a Green by focusing on logic, gadgetry, and the present moment without concern for long-term or interpersonal consequences. You both like to keep your options open as long as possible before making decisions, but Greens gather emotional feedback whereas you just want the facts. You dislike hand-holding when a crisis is afoot! As a result, your style may seem blunt or dismissive of Greens’ concerns. Greens won’t confront you, but they’ll become cold and unsupportive.
Be patient with the Green’s abstract visions and long-term thinking. These qualities prevent future problems, allowing you to concentrate on needed midcourse corrections and real crises.
Ask them how you’re perceived. Their feedback will be gentle and tactful.
Give them step-by-step directions when you want them to do something here and now. Otherwise, Greens will only visit the present moment occasionally.
Factor in their values when making decisions, to ensure their political buy-in.
Keep it real. Remember that while you are comfortable “trying out” behaviors to see how people respond, this approach perplexes Greens and makes them withdraw.
Blues. Rob (a Red/Blue) complains that “Peter (a Blue) sits in his office all day coming up with strategies for the next 100 years. If he’d come chat in the bullpen with us, we could save him hours of time and get him working on something immediate.”
To a Red/Blue Extrovert, Blues seem to have little collegiality and appear to formulate strategies that may ignore immediate implementation. Your style can irritate your Blue coworkers by challenging their strategy with real-world scenarios. Slow down; explain why your plans will work. If you come to a meeting unprepared, the Blue will challenge your credibility with criticism and questions. This onslaught pressures the Red/Blue to respond with long-term considerations. The Blue appears to judge the value of your concerns by your “inability” to factor in these considerations. If overwhelmed with lots of criticisms by a Blue, do not take it personally or as a threat. It’s actually a compliment, because it is how Blues show interest.
Be verbally short and concise.
Use “if . . . then” sentences, which are very effective.
Rehearse responses that show a longer-term focus: “If I do this today, then in six months XYZ will occur.” “Strategically, the problems I see are . . .”
Adjust your vocabulary and use theoretical jargon, statistical data, and technical terms. To prove a proposal’s worth, point out long-term benefits. Use ingenuity, logic, and witty humor to make your case.
Display competence. Blues force you to be tough-minded and prepared; they need to see your competence on display.
Don’t react personally. Blues are hardwired for impersonal critical thinking.
Golds. “I’m going to quit!” exclaims Muriel, a Red/Blue. “I make some fast, on-the-ground decisions in order to retain an important client. Then Constance (a Gold) undermines me by insisting I leave the original discount percentage in place.”
Golds are your nemesis. The rule makers and procedure setters of the world, their administrative demands just seem to slow everything down. But in order to be efficient and effective, Golds need structure. You hate when Golds drag their feet procedurally, or plan and schedule everything in advance, because it makes you feel hemmed in and controlled. When you’re tardy or ill-prepared for meetings, Golds will be the first to chide you. However, they become paralyzed in a crisis and need your talents. In exchange they will organize your office, project, or company to peak efficiency.
To ease tensions, pepper your sentences with words like “facts,” “tradition,” “respected,” and “proven.” Downplay changes, midcourse corrections, or crises.
Bond over your mutual preference for concrete words and practical tasks.
Commit several low-pressure, self-directed minutes each day to understanding the vocabulary of investment, costs, time lines, and budgets.
Acknowledge and flatter their superior detail management; impress them with your keen observation of detail.
Make a consistent effort to meet deadlines and commitments. Never change appointments or schedules if it can be helped.
If the strategies described so far are still missing the mark, your coworker may be an Introvert. If so:
Respect, don’t challenge, their need to recharge their batteries with privacy. Although it will be difficult for you to understand why they prefer working alone, it’s not personal.
Tone down your enthusiasm; listen more.
Invite them to speak, but don’t force them until they’ve thought things through.
Do not fill their pauses.
Recognize any of your coworkers in the preceding descriptions? Find more experiments in each Color Q personality’s overall chapter and in Chapter 25, “Adjusting to the Workplace Styles of Others.”
In summary, Red/Blue Extroverts are outgoing and pragmatic, functioning best when free of tradition, emotion, and theory. You thrive on action, which is why Red/Blue Extroverts make dynamic entrepreneurs and engaging negotiators.
Spontaneous and competitive, work becomes play at every opportunity. You enjoy work teams that function like sports teams. You prefer action to conversation and dealing with short-term problems. Your endless supply of jokes and stories helps ease tense situations and gets conflicting parties to agree.
Now take these negotiating strategies and experiment on the next coworker you see!