Reflecting on my Neurocolor analysis

I’m a great advocate for any tools that can help leaders to grow their self-awareness. A few years ago, when I still worked in Advertising, we were able to benefit from colours insights training. Recently, I was fortunate to be able to repeat the activity but with a tool that was new to me, Neurocolor. Supported by the wonderful Natalie Thibault, the learnings from this exercise have encouraged me to think differently about my interactions, and also reflect on how I have changed in the last few years as I moved into a full-time learning and development role.

The fundamentals of both tools are the same. Based on Jung’s principles they categorise ‘preferences’ into 4 colour types:

·       Blue: “The guardians” analytical, methodical and data-driven decision making

·       Red: “The drivers” direct, ‘fiery’ and quick to take action

·       Yellow: “The pioneers” creative thinkers thriving on fun and spontaneity

·       Green: “The integrators” ‘people people’ focusing on community and harmony

These categories are not designed to put people in boxes (any tool that does this over-simplifies human nature in my mind!) but they do give us insights into how we behave - and in turn, how other behave too. Equipped with this insight we can think about our strengths and weaknesses and how best to adapt to others too.

What was interesting, is that my levels of ‘green’, which were always high, have now overtaken blue to become my dominant colour. This was not a huge surprise to me as my move to work in L&D was driven by my passion for people development. But it did give me a real insight into how my strengths lie in the fact I am strong in both of these areas. I can be the compassionate person to support individuals to achieve their goals, but you’re equally as likely to get a road map of how to get there from me! It is often suggested that our preferences remain consistent through our lives, but I can see I deploy both of these colours with an increasing awareness of which is most needed for the situation at hand. I’m not sure I could have said that a decade ago.

I can also see that the times when I feel less aligned to others might be when they are acting very ‘yellow’ or ‘red’. As a self-confessed planner, I gravitate towards other people who are organised too. But my idea of a good plan might be too restrictive for someone else’s preference. Yet even with this awareness a lack of organisation can still really anger me. My report gave me insight into ‘why’ in a way I’d never realised before. It’s because when at work if someone lacks organisation or communicates without prior thinking it doesn’t just impact them, it has an impact on other people. This is my green side coming through. It was quite an epiphany for me. My blue side isn’t just about analysing all options, it’s also about making sure things are clear for others. And that really resonated as one of my core values.  

My coaching session with Natalie encouraged me to ‘own’ this part of my personality. To move forward with a renewed sense of what I bring to my role, and it really has had a positive impact on my mindset. We spend a lot of our lives being encouraged to build on our weaknesses, and of course growth is important, but might my growth come from me building on my abilities as a high green/blue?

As a self-confessed neuro-geek, anything underpinned by robust brain science appeals to me. There are many tools like Neurocolor, but my belief in the results is solidly cemented by the scientific approach behind them. The work of Dr Helen Fisher in linking personality with biology is fascinating. As opposed to simply categorizing results, Neurocolor has also looked at levels of dopamine, serotonin, testosterone and oestrogen. We all have these neurotransmitters/hormones, but to varying levels, thus creating our own unique levels. Fisher didn’t just assume there were links between these levels and our personality, she tested it at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Using results from 100,000 personality surveys, participants then had their brain circuitries examined in fMRI scanners. The results showed a correlation between the survey results and the areas of the brain with higher/lower activity. Those with results high in traits linked to dopamine showed higher activity in the right substantia nigra – exactly the spot you’d expect to see the most dopamine transmitters/receptors for example.

In a Harvard Review article, “The new science of team chemistry”, Fisher explores this further. Her studies show that those with green and blue preferences are also reported to be the most likely to be stressed out. A slightly worrying stat given my own results! But with the knowledge of the science, there are steps to be taken, and I identified with them completely. I know I am energized by relationships underpinned by trust and respect, and that I value having plans with all the details thought through. The absence of these creates stress at light speed for me, and I know that when this happens, I am not at my best personally or professionally. In these scenarios, carving out time for both communication and collaboration, and trying to relieve time pressures, can see me level back out. But similarly, I need to appreciate that others might be stressed by my delayed decision making or need for ‘order’ when they thrive in spontaneity (a term that is too close to ‘chaos’ for my brain!).

This is all a timely reminder of the importance of being aware of ourselves in the first instance, but then also considering the needs of others. When I first came across colours insights my takeaway was all about the need to adapt to the needs of others, and that’s important of course, but time has also taught me to think about my preferences first. This can be best be summed up with a phrase I often use “Say what you need to say, but in a way they need to hear it”. At the heart (and start) are your own needs, preventing a feeling of over-compromise, but the approach is all about the needs of the other person. I can’t claim to always communicate like this, but when I do it really does feel like everyone wins.

Neurocolor has given me a renewed sense of myself and the needs of others, but backed up by the science and insight that my brain craves! I’m keen to make the most of this so I’ve diarised quarterly refreshers as a reminder to re-read my report and see what resonates each time. 

A big thank you to Natalie and the team at Neurocolor for this opportunity.