Communicating to Others / Recognizing Others

Copying comments off a card I kept:

Recognizing Others

Blue personality:

  • Environment - Utilitarian, charts
  • Words Used - Effective, strategic, bottom line
  • Tone - Short, to the point

Green personality:

  • Environment - Neat, organized
  • Words Used - Process, proven, how?
  • Tone - Detailed, considered

Red personality:

  • Environment - Pictures of people
  • Words Used - People, personal, love to...
  • Tone - Friendly, passionate

Yellow personality:

  • Environment - 'Visual filling', disorganized
  • Words Used - Different, big picture, it's like ...
  • Tone - Modulated


Communicating to Others

Blue personality:

  • Tell them - Your objective, key facts & numbers, what you want to achieve by the end of the presentation.
  • Show them by - Using facts and numbers, expert opinion, keeping to the point and giving references

Green personality:

  • Tell them - How much time you need, when/where events occur, what resources, what approach.
  • Show them by - Providing details, use bullet points, sequential order, structured and neat format.

Red personality:

  • Tell them - What you know about them, how others feel about it, the benefits to people.
  • Show them by - Introducing others, using emotion & eye contact, telling real stories and being enthusiastic

Yellow personality:

  • Tell them - Why you are talking to them, why it is important, main points, the 'big picture'
  • Show them by - Using colour and conceptual 'big picture' visuals, metaphors and an engaging manner.


Questions: Part 1 of 2

  • Situation Questions:
    • Current or historical facts relating to the area of discussion
  • Outcome Questions:
    • Desired expectations, outcomes and results relating to the area of discussion
  • Challenge Questions:
    • Issues, problems or challenges being experienced now, or roadblocks to achieving desired outcomes
  • Impact Questions:
    • Impact challenges to the bottom line, processes, people or future aspirations.
  • Trial Questions:
    • Hypothetical ideas / solutions to uncovered needs communicated to the stakeholder as "What if you ..."

Questions: Part 2 of 2

  • Situations Questions:
    • Open: What are you currently doing in this area?
    • Closed: Are you using the latest version?
  • Outcome Questions:
    • Open: Ideally, what outcomes would you like/do you need?
    • Closed: Is one of your aims to reduce capital expenditure?
  • Challenge Questions:
    • Open: What are the roadblocks to achieving these outcomes?
    • Closed: Any infrastructure challenges with the growth?
  • Impact Questions:
    • Open: What is the impact of this challenge?
    • Closed: Could this lead to reduced customer satisfaction?
  • Trial Questions:
    • Closed: What if you were able to ... would that work?
    • Closed: Have you ever considered?