Increasing your understanding of one another, appreciating
differences and ultimately becoming a higher functioning team. …
Russ Facione
Principal
Bingham Farms Elementary School
Birmingham Public Schools
rfacione@birmingham.k12.mi.us
 Personal Note- Who is this guy??
 Goal of Today▪ True Colors Refresher
▪ A little about who we are, how others
understand us and how we understand
others..
▪ A Framework for Approaching new
challenges as a Royal Oak group.
Personal Note- Who is this guy??
Russ Facione- Born and raised in
Metro Detroit.
Wayne High, Western Michigan
Taught in Wayne Westland, then
Birmingham
Administrator for past 16 years.
Married for 20 years, 4 Daughters.
Softball Coach, Parrothead,
“Drama Dad”, Camper
*Since our goal is building trust and increasing our
understanding of one another, our connector is:
 At your tables:
▪ Question #1 “Who would play you in the movie about your
life?” Discuss.
▪ Question #2 “What songs/CD/I-pod List is in your car right
now” Discuss
▪ Do you need connector ideas with your staff
▪ http://russfacione.wikispaces.com/file/view/connectorextras.pdf
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You are in charge of yourself and your needs.
Be an Active participant today.
Keep an open mind to items discussed.
Multi-tasking is an individual preference.
Anything that comes up but not be tied directly
to this goes in Parking Lot to be covered at the
end.
We will maintain our schedule and agenda
Everything you see here and more is on my wiki
at http://russfacione.wikispaces.com
TRUST & Effective
Communication

These are the KEY! So, then…..how can we
grow our mutual collective trust?

When in a time of change there needs to be a
feeling or mutual “we’re-in-this-together”

You can achieve this by:
1. Knowing yourself as a leader
2. Know the OTHERS you work with to problem
solve
3. Know those you supervise.
That is where our journey begins….

Mr. Rogers had it right… you need to know
who you are in the trenches with, building the
mutual trust works only when you look inside
yourself.

What can you do?
 My favorite example is TRUE COLORS.


Book list #1 Showing Our True Colors, Miscsin.
What is it, how do you do it, and what do you
do with the results?
 Staff fill out a quick sheet which has them match up
trios of words that best describe how they would
naturally approach something…
 Need
to know each other to
work together;
 To understand ourselves,
 How we seem to others and
 How they seem to us;
Student Population vs. K-12 Educators
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Kids
Staff
 Blue
_____ %
______ %
 Orange _____ %
______ %
 Green _____ %
______ %
 Gold
_____ %
______ %
* Important reminder- a person’s full color spectrum doesn’t

take hold around 18-24 yrs. *

General Student Population vs. K-12 Educators
ANSWER KEY- FOR TYPICAL SCHOOL
Kids
Staff
38 %
38 %
12%
12 %
20 %
5%
5%
70 %
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


Blue
Orange
Green
Gold

38 % OF KIDS ARE ORANGE WHILE 70% OF
STAFF ARE GOLD- THEY ARE OPPOSITE
 When
you know what your core values are, you
can perform at your highest level – and when
you understand others, you have the basis to
communicate and achieve common goals.
 Four COLORS-
GOLD, BLUE, GREEN, ORANGE
 How
do I determine my color spectrum?
Dominant Color to a lowest color?
 You could have a pair--- you could have a more
even spread, or one slam dunk dominant.
1. Read each trio of words across
4 = Word list most describes down to
1 = For the least describes;
You will have five rows filled out, with 1234
in different sequences reading across.
Active
Opportunistic
Spontaneous
Competitive
Impetuous
Impactful
2
4
Parental
Traditional
Responsible
Practical
Sensible
Dependable
3
2
Authentic
Harmonious
Compassionate
Unique
Empathetic
Communicative
4
1
Versatile
Inventive
Competent
Curious
Conceptual
Knowledgeable
Realistic
Open-Minded
Adventuresome
Loyal
Conservative
Organized
Devoted
Warm
Poetic
Theoretical
Seeking
Ingenious
Daring
Impulsive
Fun
Concerned
Procedural
Cooperative
Tender
Inspirational
Dramatic
Determined
Complex
Composed
Exciting
Courageous
Skillful
Orderly
Conventional
Caring
Vivacious
Affectionate
Sympathetic
Philosophical
Principled
Rational
=
=
=
1
3
=
2. Then, take the four color sheets on the
table, look at the picture on the front
and the description on the back, see
which one fits you best and rank them
left to right:
Orange Card, Gold Card, Blue Card, Green Card
Label Under notes left to right
Orange, Gold, Blue, Green
Active
Opportunistic
Spontaneous
Parental
Traditional
Responsible
Authentic
Harmonious
Compassionate
Versatile
Inventive
Competent
Competitive
Impetuous
Impactful
Practical
Sensible
Dependable
Unique
Empathetic
Communicative
Curious
Conceptual
Knowledgeable
Realistic
Open-Minded
Adventuresome
Loyal
Conservative
Organized
Devoted
Warm
Poetic
Theoretical
Seeking
Ingenious
Daring
Impulsive
Fun
Concerned
Procedural
Cooperative
Tender
Inspirational
Dramatic
Determined
Complex
Composed
Exciting
Courageous
Skillful
Orderly
Conventional
Caring
Vivacious
Affectionate
Sympathetic
Philosophical
Principled
Rational
ORANGE
BLUE
GOLD
=
=
GREEN
=
=
 3.
Now we will add each column going
down…
 MAX
is 24 for any one area—MIN is 6
 Fill out your four color spectrum:
 Highest to lowest with totals;
Active
Opportunistic
Spontaneous
Competitive
Impetuous
Impactful
Realistic
Open-Minded
Adventuresome
Daring
Impulsive
Fun
Exciting
Courageous
Skillful
ORANGE
2
1
1
2
1
1
Parental
Traditional
Responsible
Practical
Sensible
Dependable
Loyal
Conservative
Organized
Concerned
Procedural
Cooperative
Orderly
Conventional
Caring
GOLD
3
2
4
3
4
2
Authentic
Harmonious
Compassionate
Unique
Empathetic
Communicative
Devoted
Warm
Poetic
Tender
Inspirational
Dramatic
Vivacious
Affectionate
Sympathetic
BLUE
4
4
3
4
3
4
Versatile
Inventive
Competent
Curious
Conceptual
Knowledgeable
Theoretical
Seeking
Ingenious
Determined
Complex
Composed
Philosophical
Principled
Rational
GREEN
1
3
2
1
2
3
=
=
=
=
8
18
22
12
 Famous Folks in your color
 Your characteristics
 Your strengths
 Others may see you as:

Primary Color What does it tell you?
 This indicates what you are MOST comfortable
doing.
 Sometimes people order their cards in order of
what they MUST do instead of what they PREFER
to do.
 Example of the Ele School Principal who
THOUGHT she was a GOLD but was really an
ORANGE.

Second Color - Quite important, often
forgotten
 It has a major influence on your first.
 If you are introverted, it may be hard to tell which
is 1 and which is 2.
 The first one may be processing things while the
2nd color is what the outside world sees…so take
that into consideration if you are confused about
yourself or others. (Ex: Myself GREEN & ORANGE)

Third Color - May come in handy.
 If the first color is very dominant the 2nd and 3rd will be
closely related to each other.

Fourth Color - Significant, too.
 Your least natural soooo:
▪ You may admire them in others.
▪ You may conflict with them the most (esp. in others)
 This lack of understanding results in us criticizing
instead of appreciating.
▪ We often tend to condemn what we’ve haven’t experienced or
what we lack most in.
It’s important to remember we have ALL 4 colors.
 Some have the rare Rainbow- All 4 spread evenly.
 HOW?

 Lots of life experiences that leads to a balanced temperament.
 They’ve intentionally worked at lesser colors over years.
 Also, they may be in a transition period in their life trying to
figure themselves out.
 Maybe they’ve seldom had a chance to BE themselves and can’t
remember what comes naturally.
 They are really a green and over-analyze things.

Most of all, you are born with one temperament
stronger than others it’s just a matter of finding it.

Characteristics Problem Solver, “Why” Mentality, Very Complex,
 Standard Setter, Cool Calm Collected,
 Work = Play, Play = Work, Intellectual
 Competence Driven, Analytical, Global,
 Visionary Relationships through Logic

Organizational Strengths Analyzing, Conceptualizing, Designing,
 Developing, Diagnosing, Intellectualizing,
 Inventing, Mapping out, Problem Solving,
 Reasoning, Researching, Thinking

Others may see you as:
 Intellectual Snob, Arrogant, Heartless,
 Unrealistic, Eccentric / Weird, Unfeeling,
 Anti-Social, Cool, Aloof, Sarcastic,
 Critical, Lacking Mercy, Unappreciative
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Characteristics Caretaker, optimistic, Passionate,
 Dramatic, Enthusiastic, Imaginative,
 Cause Oriented, True Romantic, Unique,
 Cooperative over Competition, Spirituality,
 People Oriented, Peacemaker

Strengths:
 Accepting, Communicating, Cooperating,
 Counseling, Creating, Guiding, Imagining,
 Intuition, Leading, Listening, Mentoring,
 Motivating, Recruiting, Speaking, Supporting,
 Teach, Tolerate,

Others may see you as:
 Mushy, Over Emotional, Other-Worldly,
 Smothering, Unrealistic, Wishy-Washy,
 Bleeding Heart, Nosy, Talkative,
 Groveling, Manipulative,
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Characteristics Energetic, Desires Change, Playful, Master Negotiator,
 Natural Entertainer, Pushes Boundaries, “Just Do It”
 Accepts Challenges, Impulsive, Spontaneous,
 Immediate Feedback, Self Confident, Unstructured

Strengths:
 Take Charge Ability, Care Free, Dealing w/ Chaos,
 Determination, Multi-task, Flexible, Hands-on,
 Negotiating, Direct Communication, Risk-Taking,
 Trouble Shooting, Welcome New Ideas

Others may see you as:
 Rude, Irresponsible, Not Serious, Selfish
 Self Centered, Ignoring the Rules,
 Manipulative, Impatient, Flaky
 Easily Distracted, Unprepared, Flirtatious,
 Taking Advantage of Others

Characteristics Prepared, Loves to Plan, Details Oriented,
 Punctual, Strong Sense of Duty
 Policies, Family Values, Traditions, Conservative
 Stable, Well Organized, Strong Right & Wrong
 Comfort with Structured Environment

Strengths Accounting, Belonging, Caretaking,
 Collecting Data, Contributing, Coordinating,
 Dispatching, Family, Follow Directions, Guarding,
 Handling Details, Organizing, Planning Ahead,
 Securing, Supervising

Others may see you as:
 Rigid, Restricted, Stubborn, Boring,
 Self Righteous, System-Bound, Unimaginative,
 Judgmental, Bossy, Uptight,
 Rigid Idea of Time, Married to Task
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Oranges Need- Action, Activity, Freedom,
Flexibility, Variety, Fun & Play
Blues Need- Acceptance, Harmony, Expression,
Meaning, Understanding, Contribute, Validation
Greens Need- Intellectual Stimulation, Time to
Ponder, Information, Objectivity, to Question
Golds Need- Consistency, Reliability, Structure,
Timelines, Clarity, Closure, Respect, Rules
At my school we have
stickers on our
mailboxes to subtly
remind us.
You could have a TC
Spirit Day, staff wear
their “color”.
Make it a part of your
building
conversation.
Celebrate your differences!
Be open about working on your lowest.
Stickers on mailboxes for instance, leads to a more
open appreciation.
 Make it a risk-free part of the culture.
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Reflect and Reconnect:
 What can you do to enhance the relationships you
have with those you work with or lead?
 How could you use this True Colors information to
help with that?
 Share with neighbors around you. 1 minute. GO!
 Private Promise- Name 2 changes you will make
with your staff this school year in regards to
colors. Then monitor it and check in with yourself
by December break.

Now that you’ve connected, you’ve laughed you’ve
deepened relationships…
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Meaningful Meetings with COLORS:
Have an agenda, goal, and norms
(GOLDS need this)
Have an opportunity to talk, share & connect
(BLUES need this)
Have flexibility built in, activity, variety
(ORANGES need this)
Have research, articles, process time
(GREENS need this)
•
Book List #2 “Facilitation with Ease”, Bens
– Facilitation is a key in leading a meeting.
–
–
–
–
Process (How) over Content (What)
Get you flip charts ready! Group thought, etc;
Actively listen
Always have a Parking Lot
– Begin Meetings with Connectors- These are activities to
promote trust and focus on the work at hand.
– Need LOTS of big paper and a process of documenting Group
Thought, and of sharing it.
– Difference between Dialogue and Discussion
• Share “ZCI” and “Conensogram” Two examples
– Levels of Decision Making when they come up.
 Connectors are key activities to open a
meeting:
 They Build trust in the group, deepen relationships,
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increase emotional intelligence’
Open up relationships (like us today, we don’t know
each other at all)
Focus us on the work at hand in an active engaging
fashion.
And no one sleeps or is correcting papers!
Some examples of 30 second Connectors…
•
•
What if your topic was your grade level teams
and developing norms, a connector could be:
• “What was your best team experience growing up? What
made it so positive?”
Also, read the intimacy
Other purpose of connectorslevel of the group – how
well do they know each
▪ Build group energy
other?
▪ Practice listening skills
▪ Create laughter
▪ Enhance trust
▪ Shared Purpose
Now think amongst yourselves•
A meeting, its purpose what could be a connector to design?
Now that you’ve connected, you’ve laughed you’ve
deepened relationships…
 Meaningful Meetings:
Have an agenda, goal, and norms
(GOLDS need this)

Have an opportunity to share and connect
(BLUES need this)
Have flexibility built in, activity, variety
(ORANGES need this)
Have research, articles, process time
(GREENS need this)
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A perfect example-

CRUCIAL POINT-
Your staff has an agenda item to
review your mission statement or your values.
 Have you differentiated whether they are in…
DISCUSSION
or
But aren’t those the same?????
OH no!!
DIALOGUE
Such an important and often overlooked
item!
 Be CLEAR with staff….
 If you are in..
1.Dialogue- We are openly talking and
informing everyone, to gain a mutual
understanding of all sides. Divergent
2.Discussion- We have reviewed all the sides
and need to make a decision, reach
consensus and move on. Convergent
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Now that you’ve gone through D&D, you now
need to make sure you’ve established what
level of decision making that the staff is in.
Several Levels- Be clear!!
Which level is this decision under?
Level 1- I decide
Level 2- I decide with input from you
Level 3- We decide together
Level 4- You decide with input from me.
Level 5- You decide
Basically there are three reasons people come and
talk to you…..be comfortable asking for
clarification.
1. Coach- I’m presenting to you a problem and I’d
like to still own it, but I’d like your help.
2. Vent- I need to come and vent so I’ll feel better,
just let me unload then I’ll be out of here!
3. Fix- I need you to solve this.
So imagine if there is a gap….could get pretty
frustrating for both parties involved.
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You must address parking lot concerns at the
end of all meetings. Remember especially
your BLUES need that validation and open
communication.
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So what’s in our Parking Lot.
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This is all available on my Wiki http://russfacione.wikispaces.com
Please contact me and I’d be happy to help via coaching copresenting or presenting for your building.
Russ Facione- Principal Bingham Farms Elementary School
248 203 3388 Office
rf03bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us