Starting with Connection

The workshop opened with welcoming remarks from Jennifer Mick and introductions from TJ Cowan, who introduced Kris Sherrill to the group. Kris shared her experience working with teams and explained how Real Colors offers a simple, memorable way to better understand ourselves and others. Rather than beginning with a formal assessment, she created a relaxed environment where participants could ease into the topic through conversation, reflection, and shared experiences.

What Is Real Colors?

Real Colors is a personality framework that uses four colors—Gold, Blue, Green, and Orange—to represent different preferences, strengths, and communication styles. Kris explained that the model is designed to be practical and easy to remember, giving teams a shared language for talking about differences in a constructive way. Gold is often associated with order, responsibility, and loyalty; Blue with empathy, connection, and relationships; Green with competence, logic, and problem-solving; and Orange with action, flexibility, and energy.

Learning Through Interactive Activities

To bring the concept to life, Kris led the group through lighthearted icebreaker games that asked participants to make simple choices, such as selecting between sweet and savory preferences or deciding between the internet and the ocean. These activities quickly showed that people can respond to the same question in very different ways—and that those responses often reveal what they value, how they think, and how they approach decisions.

Why Personality Preferences Matter

After the activities, participants discussed what they noticed about themselves and one another. The conversation highlighted an important lesson: communication is not one-size-fits-all. A message that feels clear to one person may feel rushed, vague, too detailed, or too emotional to someone else. Kris emphasized that understanding personality preferences can reduce frustration, improve teamwork, and help people approach conversations with more patience and intention.

A Simple Framework with Deep Roots

Kris also placed Real Colors in a broader context by connecting it to the long history of personality theory, from ancient Greek ideas about temperament to modern tools such as Myers-Briggs and DISC. While many assessment models can be complex, Real Colors stands out because it is easy to explain and apply. Its strength is not in labeling people, but in helping individuals recognize patterns that influence behavior, motivation, and communication.

Building Self-Awareness and Team Awareness

The Real Colors assessment uses pictures and short questions to help individuals identify their primary and secondary colors. Kris noted that this self-awareness is valuable because it helps people better understand their own reactions, preferences, and communication habits. Just as importantly, learning about the colors of others can help teams adjust their expectations, avoid unnecessary conflict, and communicate in ways that are more likely to resonate.

Recognizing Strengths Across the Team

One of the workshop’s key concepts was the “brightening” exercise, which encourages participants to identify the strengths, values, joys, and needs connected to each color. This exercise helps teams see that every style brings something important to the table. Some people create structure and follow-through, others build relationships and morale, others analyze problems and seek solutions, and others bring energy, adaptability, and momentum.

Applying Real Colors in the Workplace

For workplace teams, the Real Colors framework can be especially useful. Kris explained that understanding color preferences can help colleagues communicate more effectively, reduce misunderstandings, and improve the way teams handle projects, deadlines, decisions, and conflict. The goal is not to change who people are, but to help everyone work together with greater awareness and respect for different styles.

Reflection and Personal Growth

The workshop also invited participants to reflect on their own color preferences and how those preferences show up in daily interactions. Kris shared insights from her personal assessment and explained that color results can shift over time as people grow, change roles, and experience different seasons of life. That reflection reinforced one of the most helpful parts of the Real Colors approach: it gives people vocabulary for understanding themselves while remaining open to growth.

Taking the Next Step

As the session concluded, Kris encouraged participants to consider how Real Colors might support their own teams and organizations. Whether through an individual assessment, a facilitated team activity, or a full workshop, the framework offers a practical way to strengthen communication and collaboration. For leaders, teams, and organizations looking to build healthier relationships and more productive workplaces, Real Colors provides a helpful reminder: when we understand each other better, we work better together.