Making sense of colour-coded personality profiles in developmental contexts within organizations

In many organizations colour-coded personality questionnaires impact the way people communicate with each other about themselves and others. However, there has never been much research interest in what these colour profiles mean to people who have received such a profile. We believe such research is needed, as these profiles may affect how people experience themselves and are perceived by others in the organization. In this constructionist qualitative study, 29 people were interviewed about their experiences with one of four colour-coded personality instruments, with a focus on how these profiles related to their sense of self. The idiosyncratic ways profiles were interpreted by recipients demonstrate that identification with one’s profile should not be taken as an indication of fully agreeing with the interpretation according to the model. People who identify with their profile, may construct their own stories around the meaning of their profiles, in line with how they see themselves. When these instruments are part of a company initiative, processes need to be established that allow people to own the results in a way that means something to them and work with the consequences of that instead of the results of the questionnaire as such.