Blue Personality Type Perceptions
Erikson describes how a detail-focused Blue profile can be perceived as hesitant or overly critical. The practical issues are when preparation delays action and how feedback is delivered; a color label alone does not determine either.
THE IDEA
How Blue People Are Perceived
Erikson describes the Blue profile with deliberate hyperbole:
Even perfectionist Blue individuals receive criticism. It can be about how they are perceived as evasive, defensive, perfectionist, reserved, fastidious, meticulous, hesitant, conservative, lacking independence, questioning, suspicious, tedious, aloof, and coldhearted. Ooph! The list of shortcomings found in these bastions of bureaucracy often tends to be quite long.
But mainly, Blues find it difficult to begin anything new because they want to prepare very thoroughly. Everything involves risks, and Blues can be almost obsessed with details. Never place too many Blues in the same group. They’ll plan into the next century without ever putting a shovel to the ground.
Furthermore, many Blues are perceived as highly critical and almost suspicious. They miss nothing, and they have a tendency to deliver their observations in an insensitive fashion. They create quality work, but their hairsplitting, critical approach to almost everything lowers the morale of those around them to dangerously low levels. These are people who consider themselves to be realists. When they—in everyone else’s eyes—are, in fact, pessimists.
When to use it
When forming a project team, assign responsibility for risk review and for moving the work toward a decision, with agreed deadlines.
When giving feedback to a Blue, acknowledge their attention to detail while encouraging a broader perspective.
When managing a Blue employee, provide structure and clear deadlines to help them move from planning to execution.
When a colleague raises concerns, ask which risks are supported and what action would address them, rather than deciding in advance that the concerns are pessimistic or realistic.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Endless Planning
A team composed entirely of Blues spends months planning a project, creating exhaustive risk assessments and detailed schedules, but never begins execution because they feel unprepared for any potential issue.
Insensitive Feedback
A Blue employee meticulously reviews a colleague's report and points out every minor error in a blunt, critical tone, believing they are being helpful and realistic, but instead demoralizing the team.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
How can Blues balance the need for thorough preparation with the necessity of taking action?
What strategies can Blues use to deliver critical feedback more constructively and empathetically?
In what situations might the Blue traits of detail-orientation and skepticism be valuable rather than detrimental?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Surrounded By Idiots (Thomas Erikson)