The Yellow Group was also working frantically. You could almost taste the energy in the room. Things
were happening! The discussions were lively, with everyone trying to convince the others of their own
position. While the Reds were mad as hell with one another, there was nothing but smiles here. Three of
the Yellows were jockeying for space at the whiteboard, and another told me an amusing anecdote that
had nothing to do with the subject at hand (but it was actually hilarious). The fifth manager in the Yellow
Group was doodling on a piece of paper and sending emails on his cell phone. I left them to pay a visit to
the Green Group. Inside the room, there was a strange calmness. Their voices were quiet, and they were
all listening rather than speaking. The chief goal was stability and security. Five of the managers were
sitting quietly, listening to one of their colleagues telling a sad story about his dog who had tragically
died of old age that same winter. He was still missing his life companion. The last manager had sketched
out some suggestions about how they could solve the task I’d given them, but every suggestion ended
with a question mark. She needed more input, and it looked like she would have to ask for it. She was in
trouble. I continued on. In the last group, the Blue Group, the room was almost absurdly quiet. After
sitting with them for three minutes without anyone uttering so much as a single word, I was seriously
concerned. A lot of thought was happening under the surface, but there was no real communication
taking place. A woman was reading silently through the task with her lips moving. I asked if they needed
help to get started. I got a few hesitant nods in reply. They soon began a very thorough deliberation.
They would absolutely get to the bottom of things. It was obvious that they were on the right track, but
on an extremely detailed level. They discussed for a long time what their plan of action should be