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PERSONALITY MATTERS

In This Issue
Better Blue Emails
Blue Commercial on YouTube
Presidential Temperaments
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Greetings!

 

This week you get the scoop on how Blue people (and anybody else) can write better emails and how to appeal to all four temperaments in a TV ad. And do you wonder what the temperaments are of today's Presidential candidates? Read the third article below for my own take on this year's crop. 

If you missed email writing for Greens and Golds, look up the last two issues in the archive.


Better Blue Emails

Blue Lady On a Laptop 

 

 

Idealistic Blue communication tends to be gentle, kind, and supportive. Blue writers usually appreciate their colleagues and employees. The "bad" news is that readers can get annoyed trying to find the business side of a message -- which can be lost in the middle of all the flowery Blue language.  

 

Here is a recent email message from a Blue person. While reading it, consider what else you'd like to see in an office memo that is not here.

 

My Dear Colleagues,

 

I cannot tell you how good I feel today as I think about yesterday's meeting. Even though we arrived there with strong differences about next year's plans, we finished the meeting with an agreement we can all support.

 

The plan is attached. Be sure to give feedback if you have questions, opinions, or corrections.

 

You can look forward to meeting soon to discuss specific action steps to implement the plan in a timely fashion.

 

Thanks again to each and every one of you for contributing to a harmonic result.

 

Most sincerely,

Kay

 

Commentary: If you work with a "Kay", you know where she's coming from and may not be annoyed, but folks like Kay might be more effective if they know today's business etiquette with emails:

  1. Avoid emails that are so long that they require scrolling. People are busy. It's an old writing rule: don't waste people's time with too many words.
  2. A minimal or even no greeting at all is acceptable in most offices.
  3. Three to eight words are enough to say "thank you", e.g., "Thank you for your input at yesterday's meeting."
  4. If you want action, ask for specifics, e.g., "To comment on attachment, please call me or send email by Friday."
  5. Do not be vague about next steps, e.g., "Mark calendar for Dec 10, 9-11 a.m., to give input on task assignments."
  6. For people who prefer Kay's personal the florid approach, go visit them personally if that's possible. The long-term payoff will be huge.
  7. A conciliatory note to Blue email writers: Do not apologize for the empathy and nurturing you naturally offer all the time. Just be aware there are times and places where hand-holding is more welcome -- during coffee breaks, at lunch, and certainly during genuine crises in the workplace.

 

Blue commercial on YouTube

 

It's basically human to care deeply about our pets and it would seem that pure feelings and empathy might be enough to move people to helping animals. For Blue people, addressing feelings is natural, innate. But is that enough to solicit contributions to a cause? While you watch this short video, think about what else you would need to find out to loosen your purse strings.

 

 

Sarah McLachlan SPCA Commercial
Sarah McLachlan SPCA Commercial

Yes, it's difficult not to want to help after viewing this. McLachlan even lists several reasons to help: pay medical bills, for example. By encouraging the viewer to go to the website for more information, all temperaments will get the answers they want. However, the two-minute commercial presents an all-Blue point of view and could very well have addressed Greens, Golds, and Oranges a little more directly. Rational Greens might like a graph or statistic that shows SPCA's reduction in pet euthanasia. Logistical Golds want to see who actually administers and how carefully funds are spent. Oranges want proof that action is taken directly and swiftly. Finally, the offer of a pet's photo and a free tote bag is risky because it makes the appeal look more like a commercial sales pitch than a genuine appeal for a genuine cause.

 

Who am I to criticize? Truth be known, I'm using this actually-very-good commerical to model the thinking that we can all put into most any project that hopes to address all four temperaments. If you, the readers, are now making efforts to get buy-in from all four temperaments -- and you are getting better results -- then all this "teaching" is more than worthwhile. Please take a minute and let me know how such activity is going for you: [email protected].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

emailcontestTEMPERAMENTS OF TODAY'S PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

Presidential Candidates on CNBC

President Obama

Let's look at the possible Colors (temperaments) of President Obama and the current group of Republican presidential candidates.

 

President Obama is a strategically-oriented Green. He is all about knowledge, analysis, and a constant search for competence. Two rivals who may also be Green are Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney. You note they are always analyzing big-picture ideas, taking into consideration opposing views, adjusting to new information, and working hard to explain the rationale behind things. Pundits ask continuously who might best defeat the President. Either Gingrich or Romney would likely hold their ground well against him in a debate.

 

Several tactically-oriented Oranges appear to be Herman Cain, Rick Perry, and Michelle Bachman. Oranges tend to be very charismatic and attractive for their spontaneity and high energy. The only Orange to have lost a major election in recent history was John McCain in 2008. Soon before that, the very Orange George W. Bush defeated the Green Al Gore - albeit by a small margin.

 

Fully half of all U.S. Presidents have been Gold -- logistical in their intellect and leadership, like Truman, Carter, Nixon, and Bush Sr. On the dais of Republican debates, two stand out as possible Golds: Rick Santorum and Ron Paul. Both of these gentlemen adhere fairly strictly to political philosophies and may have trouble attracting people of divergent points of view. Both might benefit from studying the more flexible approaches of Nixon and Bush Sr.

 

The only Republican candidate who seems to be Blue - a harmonizing idealist - is Jon Huntsman. His body language and tone are both approachable, and he seems the least tied to a rigid ideology of all the candidates. You may be surprised to learn that the U.S. has never elected a Blue President in its entire history. John Kerry came close in 2000. It is difficult for voters to know where Blue candidates stand because of their innate flexibility. For whatever reason, leaders need to come off as wanting clear, precise goals - at least on big-picture issues like the economy, international politics, and immigration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This really is YOUR newsletter. I like sharing stuff more than selling stuff. Send your stories and comments, please, to [email protected].

 

Sincerely,

 


Jack Dermody
JackDermody dot com

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