New Jersey Center for the Advancement of School Counseling
Turn-key Training
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J. Barry Mascari, Ed.D.
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Director, NJCASC at Kean University
Jane Webber, Ph.D.
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Associate Professor, New Jersey City Univ.
Trainer for the NJCASC
Course Objectives
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Assess your own True Colors
Investigate the differences in the four types
Recognize the impact of using our “true colors” in
work and team settings
Consider ways to infuse “true colors” into your
school counseling program
Better understand the students in your school
Have some fun…
Who is here?
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Your name…
Job Title and School…
Reason for being here today…
Two adjectives that describe you…
True Colors – A history
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Hippocrates 600BC – body fluids/temperament:
sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic
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Ancient Asia – earth, wind, fire, water
Carl Jung 1921 – preference for how we “function”
Isabel Briggs-Myers 1962 –MBTI 16 Types:
introvert/extrovert, sensing/intuiting, thinking/feeling;
perceiving/judging
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David Keirsey 1967 – Temperaments: guardian,
artisan, rationalist, idealist
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Don Lowry 1978 – “True Colors”
Benefits of knowing “styles”
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Improves communications
Builds positive self-esteem for self and
others
Creates more effective relationships
Appreciate and encourage diversity
Builds effective teams
Clarifies career direction through selfunderstanding
Pitfalls of knowing “styles”
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Pigeonholing – one color vs. spectrum
Losing sight of people’s complexity
Engaging in expected behaviors
Using “style” as excuse for behavior
Influences on Our Behavior
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Gender roles
Age
Race
Religion
Socio-economics
Abilities
Nation
Region
Three people in one
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How we see ourselves…
How others see us…
Who we really are
The roles we play…
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Make a quick list of the different roles
you play every day…
These may not be roles in which we are
operating in our preferred “styles”
True Colors Sort
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For each row, rank each group of
words: 4 = most like you to 1 = least
like you
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Rank the photo cards from 4 to 1
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Fill in the totals at the bottom
True Colors Spectrum
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Brightest color (highest score)…
Shaded with (second highest score)…
And (third highest score)…
With a pale (lowest score)…
Remember…
you have a spectrum of color
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Who is like me? (Primary)
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Orange
35-40%
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Gold
35-40%
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Green
12-15% (M 70%, F 30%)
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Blue
12-15% (M 30%, F 70%)
Famous people by color
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Orange
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FDR - Michael Jordan - Marilyn Monroe Elvis Presley - Ronald Reagan - Tom
Cruise - Billy Graham - Henry Ford
Gold
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George H Bush - Connie Chung - Walter
Cronkite
Famous people by color
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Blue
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Julie Andrews - Princess Diana - Michael
Jackson - Carl Jung - Richard Simmons Mother Teresa - Oprah Winfrey - Bill
Clinton
Green
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Albert Einstein - Thomas Edison - Bill
Gates - Abe Lincoln - Martin Luther King Jr.
- Gandhi - Maya Angelou - Hillary Clinton
Brightest Color
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Find the table(s) with your brightest color
Meet fellow [color]
What are your values?
What are your joys?
What are your strengths – how you see yourself?
What are your needs?
What stresses you?
What do you dislike about [the other 3 colors]?
Orange sees self as:
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Fun-loving, enjoying life
Spontaneous
Flexible
Adaptable
Carefree
Proficient, Capable
Hands-on person
Practical
Problem-solver
Quick witted
Confident
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Good negotiator
Do many things at once
Eclectic
Can deal with chaos
Good in crisis
Curious, welcomes new
ideas
Superior ability to
discriminate among
options, see shades of
gray
Gold sees self as…
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Stable
Providing security
Dependable,
responsible
Firm
Always having a view
Efficient
Realist
Decisive
Dignified, cultured
Generous
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Executive type
Strong work ethic
Good planner
Orderly, neat
Good at sorting,
weeding out
Organized
Punctual
Goal oriented
Seeking closure
Green sees self as…
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Superior intellect
98% Right
Powerful
Creative
Visionary
Original
Eminently reasonable
Rational
Complex
Abstract thinker
Calm, not emotional
Under control
Precise, not repetitive
Able to find flaws
Objective
Seeking justice
Firm-minded
Able to reprimand
Blue sees self as…
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Warm
Compassionate
Romantic
Spiritual
Idealistic
Willing to work tirelessly
for a cause
Unselfish
Empathetic
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Affirming
Caretaker
Promoting growth, wellbeing
Relates current
experiences to past
experiences
Likes people
Sympathetic
Great communicator
Brightest color needs
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What needs do you have?
Orange needs…
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Freedom
Flexible
environment
Challenge
Humor
Independence
Spotlight
Stimulation
Excitement
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Expression
Fun/Play
Variety
Applause
Support
Change
Results
Affirmation
Gold needs…
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Stability
Order
To be productive
Organization
Expectations Met
Recognition
Consistency
Following of directions
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Consistency
Loyalty
Respect
Rules
Procedures
Detailed information
Patterns
Completion of tasks
Green needs…
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High achievement
Mental challenges
Big picture
Strategic plans
Competence
Facts
Autonomy
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Brevity in speech
Recognition for
intelligence
Global concepts
Time to process
Being in charge
Time for reflection
Blue needs…
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Understanding
Physical touch
Inspiration
Warmth
Intimacy
Compassion
Romance
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Harmony
Affection
Empathy
Sensuality
Approval
Nurturing
Recognition
Brightest color stressors…
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What kinds of things will cause you
stress?
Orange is stressed by…
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Too much
responsibility
Rules & regulations
Being stuck at a desk
Abstract concepts
Reading manuals
Imposed structure
Personal criticism
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Following detailed
directions
Routine
Deadlines
Inactivity
Lack of fun
Lack of variety
Repetition
Gold is stressed by…
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Incomplete Tasks
Disorganization
Irresponsibility
Changing details
Lack of direction
Ambiguous tasks
Broken promises
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Waste
Non-conformity
Lack of structure
Haphazard attitude
Too many things
going on at once
People who don’t
follow through
Green is stressed by…
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Not being in charge
Lack of independence
Subjective judgment
Emotional displays
Elaborate use of
adjectives
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Incompetence
Small talk
Routine
Social functions
Lack of recognition of
their ability
Blue is stressed by…
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Broken promises
Too much negative
Not being involved
Lack of social contact
Too much conformity
Clock watching
Being compared to
others
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Conflict
Lying
Rejection
Insincerity
Completing
paperwork as priority
Placing the “system”
before people
Who would you ask to…
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Set up plans for the holiday party?
Develop a training program to help
secretaries deal with parent phone calls ?
Analyze HSPA data to determine the best
way to help students pass the test?
Develop computerized system for logging
college applications?
The perceptions of others…
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How do you think others perceive your
brightest color?
What you DISLIKE about [the other]
colors…
Others may see Orange as…
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Irresponsible
Flaky
Goofs off too much
Disobeys rules
Manipulative
Scattered
Not serious
Not able to stay on task
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Scattered
Cluttered
Uncontrollable
Resists closure or
decisions
Indecisive
Obnoxious
Not to be trusted
Others may see Gold as…
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Rigid
Controlling
Dull, boring
Stubborn
Opinionated
Unimaginative
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Judgmental
Bossy, controlling
Uptight
Predictable
Autocratic
System-bound
Others may see Green as…
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Intellectual snob
Arrogant
Heartless
Doesn’t care about
people
Ruthless
Unrealistic
Eccentric, weird
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Emotionally controlled
Cool, aloof, unfeeling
Afraid to open up
Critical, fault finding
Devaluing relational
aspects
Lacking mercy, unfair
Unappreciative of others
Stingy with praise
Others may see Blue as…
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Overly emotional
Bleeding Heart
Mushy
Hopelessly naïve
Too tender hearted
Easily duped
Too Touchy-Feely
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Too nice
Too Trusting
Smothering
Stuck in the past
Groveling
Fawning
Soft
Talks too much
Pushover
Experience Your 4th Color
Move to the table of your palest color
Meet your fellows
Choose 4 from the “what others dislike
about…” list
Reframe them in a positive manner –
“What’s great about…”
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THE IDEAL ENVIRONMENT FOR MY COLOR
•Describe the ideal classroom or school
environment for your color
•For yourself as a staff member
•For the students
•Create a 3 minute presentation
describing the ideal environment
END OF PART I
COME BACK FOR WAYS TO
IMPLEMENT THE TRUE
COLORS CAREER
INFORMATION
TRUE COLORS CAREERS
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Integrating True Colors into:
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Your school counseling program
The new Personalized Learning Plan
Who are they?
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Off task, disturbs others, talks/yells, rude moves
around
Chats with neighbors, cries, goes into imagination,
moody, gamut of emotion
Critical of others, blames self, whines, afraid of not
doing well, does others work
Goes into reflection, reads, works on other work
they think is more significant, isolates themselves
mentally, “criticizes” physically
Holland’s Theory
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Congruence (match)
Consistency (across types)
Differentiation (likes & dislikes)
“The party”
R-A-I-S-E-C
Dominance of of 1-2 types
Most comfortable & happiest in their preferred
environment(s)
Gottfredson’s Theory
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Circumscription (narrowing alternatives
vis-à-vis self concept)
Compromise (modifying alternative,
settling when choice is perceived as
unrealistic/inaccesible)
Premature closure (when lacking selfknowledge)
Personalized Learning Plan
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Begins in Grade 6
Is based on a series of developmental
activities
Requires students to self-reflect & make
inferences about themselves & their future
Culminates in a preliminary career decision
within an occupational family
“If it isn’t in writing, it didn’t happen…”
ANALYZE TRUE COLORS
CAREER WHEEL
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Look for similarities to Holland, MBTI
What ways can this be used at various
levels?
Walk through the True Colors career
selection materials
AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
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Think ahead to next year (and beyond)
How do you see True Colors being
implemented into a personalized learnig
plan AND your 6-12 program?
What components should be included in
the “plan”