The Adaptability Advantage: Unlocking Your EA Communication Style

Last time, we explored how to decode executive personalities using colour theory. Now, let's turn inward! Understanding your primary communication "colour" is like adding a superpower to your EA toolkit. It's the key to flexing your style and forming unbeatable partnerships with any executive.

Quick Recap: What's Your Executive's Colour?

• Red: Action-driven, decisive, thrives on results.

• Yellow: Big picture thinker, enthusiastic, may need help with follow-through.

• Green: Analytical, process-oriented, values accuracy.

• Blue: Relationship-focused, empathetic, prioritizes harmony.

Understanding these tendencies helps you tailor your approach. But to truly master the art of communication, you need to know your colours too!

Colour Me Curious: Your EA Communication Style Quiz

Answer these honestly to discover your dominant communication colour:

1. A major project deadline is looming. Do you:

   1. Rally the team with a focus on solutions?

   2. Get excited about the possibilities and start brainstorming with colleagues?

   3. Dive into research and double-check every detail for accuracy?

   4. Consider how this impacts team morale and offer support?
      

2. Your executive asks for an update. You:

   1. Give a concise summary and outline the next steps

   2. Enthusiastically share progress, even mentioning a few potential roadblocks

   3. Present a well-organized report with supporting data

   4. Focus on the project's impact on the team and ask if they need staffing support
      

3. It's time for a team meeting. You prefer to:

   1. Have a clear agenda and get straight to business

   2. Start with a fun icebreaker activity to boost team spirit

   3. Stick to a structured format, allowing time for detailed questions

   4. Check in on how everyone is feeling before diving into work
      

4. You're facing a problem with no clear solution. You:

   1. Take decisive action based on your best judgment

   2. Gather the team to brainstorm ideas

   3. Carefully analyze all possible outcomes

   4. Focus on how the solution will impact others
      

5. An unexpected change disrupts your workflow. You:

   1. Quickly adapt and pivot your strategy

   2. See it as an exciting opportunity to try something new

   3. Feel frustrated by the disruption to your process

   4. Worry about how it affects team members
      

6. Describes your ideal workday:

   1. Fast-paced, focused on achieving goals

   2. Full of collaboration and exciting ideas

   3. Productive, following clear systems

   4. Harmonious and supportive
      

7. Conflict arises within the team. You:

   1. Address it directly, aiming for resolution

   2. Try to lighten the mood and find common ground

   3. Focus on facts and logic to find a fair solution

   4. Prioritize mediating and maintaining relationships
      

8. Giving feedback to a colleague: You focus on:

   1. Clearly outlining areas for improvement

   2. Highlighting their strengths and potential

   3. Providing specific examples and constructive criticism

   4. Using kind language and offering support
      

9. When making a decision, you prioritize:

   1. Efficiency and achieving results

   2. Big-picture vision and possibilities

   3. Accuracy and minimizing risk

   4. Collaboration and the impact on others
      

10. Someone praises your work. You:

    1. Feel determined to achieve even more

    2. Feel energized and share the credit with your team

    3. Appreciate the recognition but focus on what can be improved

    4. Feel grateful and acknowledge the team effort

Decoding Your Results

Mostly A's? You're a Red communicator – direct, results-focused.

Mostly B's? Yellow is your colour – you bring enthusiasm and big ideas.

Mostly C's? You lean Green – accuracy and process are your strengths.

Mostly D's? Blue suits you – you prioritize relationships and team well-being.

Why Your Colour Matters

Knowing your dominant communication style helps you:

Anticipate Your Strengths:

• Red: You're decisive, action-oriented, and thrive under pressure. Embrace your ability to cut through confusion and drive projects forward.

• Yellow: Your enthusiasm is infectious! Use it to build team morale and brainstorm innovative solutions.

• Green: You bring meticulousness and logic. Lean into your strength for ensuring accuracy, project planning, and troubleshooting.

• Blue: Your focus on relationships is invaluable. Build trust and rapport with executives, coworkers, and clients alike.

Spot Potential Blindspots:

• Red: Impatience can sometimes be perceived as abruptness. Be mindful of softening your approach with Blue personalities.

• Yellow: Channel your excitement into actionable steps. Collaborate with Greens to ground your big ideas in solid execution.

• Green: Avoid getting bogged down in analysis paralysis. Trust your research and embrace a Red's decisiveness to move forward.

• Blue: Don't neglect your own needs to maintain harmony. Clearly communicate your workload and set boundaries when needed.

Conclusion

Don't worry, no single colour is best – everyone is a beautiful blend! Just like understanding your executive, self-awareness is a journey. Observe your communication habits over the next several days to cement your understanding.

The colour theory is a starting point. True EA mastery comes from combining knowledge of your executive's style with a strong grasp on your own tendencies. By embracing your adaptability, you'll create unstoppable partnerships with executives of any colour!

Are you Red, Yellow, Green, or Blue? Share your results in the comments below!

Resources for Deeper Exploration

• 16Personalities: (https://www.16personalities.com/) - Free personality test based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

• Truity Psychometrics: (https://www.truity.com/) - Offers information on MBTI, DISC, Enneagram, and more.

• The Crystal Personality Test: (https://www.crystalknows.com/) - A simple colour-based personality test.