5 ms·

A previous company used Real Colors, an MBTI knock-off, and it was striking how attached people got to those results. People openly stereotyped whole groups of

A previous company used Real Colors, an MBTI knock-off, and it was striking how attached people got to those results. People openly stereotyped whole groups of people because they appeared to cluster in one sector (e.g., SDEs must be Green). They disregarded all counter-examples because they conflicted with these biases. It was weird.

themodelplumber 4y ago
Do you mean True Colors? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Colors_(personality) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Colors_(personality) My impression from some brief training was that it's based on temperament theory and not a knock off of MBTI.
- __derek__ 4y ago
  > Do you mean True Colors? No.[1] > My impression from some brief training was that it's based on temperament theory and not a knock off of MBTI. From your link: > According to this personality temperament theory, which is a refined version of the popular Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) [...] To-may-to, to-mah-to. [1]: https://realcolors.org/ https://realcolors.org/
  - themodelplumber 4y ago
    Ah, that's interesting. I checked out their history page. https://realcolors.org/what_is_realcolors/history/ https://realcolors.org/what_is_realcolors/history/ Anytime they start by rewinding to millennia ago, that's temperament theory. Keirsey's temperament theory that they mention is fundamentally different from typical MBTI in lots of ways. In fact they can both be used to complement each other. So it's different, or not, depending on whether you want to be accurate, and true to details, or not. (Also someone should correct the way the Wikipedia article is written regarding MBTI)
    - A4ET8a8uTh0 4y ago
      Thank you for sharing this. That is so weird. Having been part of an MBA program meant that my profile was reviewed through multiple similar tests, but I have not heard of that one. The thing that jumped at me is that it is not some small companies that are using these. US Banks apparently used it with its private capital customers[1] ( I am almost curious as to how it was applied ). [1]https://realcolors.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/11/US-Bank-Knowing-Real-Colors.pdf https://realcolors.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/11/US...
      - themodelplumber 4y ago
        yw. There is a general shortage of this kind of exploratory activity-theory, so there are common usage patterns. I'd imagine that in capital markets it's used to help keep things more objective, to lower the personal stakes for all parties, and demonstrate an interest in constructive partnership. One of the best relationship techniques is helping the other feel understood, and that is also where tools like this one will always stand out. If you can't connect with someone via the normal methods, it's usually worth trying to connect through their self-identified objective preferences. Anyway, just some thoughts...
WastingMyTime89 4y ago
People like boxes because it gives them an easy and reassuring way to approach complexity they are not equipped to grapple with. You see it all the time in the professional world: people who have to deal with others but are poorly trained and unconfident in their ability to handle human psychology relish these kinds of crutches. You see it even in this discussion: this type must be suited to this kind of job is simpler than thinking holistically about prerequisites.
- __derek__ 4y ago
  Kinda tangential to your actual comment, but you might be interested in this recent episode of the Rational Reminder podcast on "Shared Identities and Decision Making".[1] Even groups more arbitrary than these influence our decision-making, problem-solving, cooperation, etc. It goes beyond who's suited for what job to who's suited to be right about what kind of topic. Wild stuff. [1]: https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/214 https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/214
pram 4y ago
Funny enough my department took that test and all the sysadmins were blue/teal
PartiallyTyped 4y ago
You'd be surprised how common that is with MBTI. Check out the subreddit r/mbti, and specific ones like r/intp etc etc.
- __derek__ 4y ago
  Those are opt-in communities, though, so there's selection bias. AFAIK, there wasn't anything in the company's hiring practices that self-selected for folks who would embrace this kind of stuff.

themodelplumber 4y ago

Do you mean True Colors? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Colors_(personality) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Colors_(personality) My impression from some brief training was that it's based on temperament theory and not a knock off of MBTI.

__derek__ 4y ago
> Do you mean True Colors? No.[1] > My impression from some brief training was that it's based on temperament theory and not a knock off of MBTI. From your link: > According to this personality temperament theory, which is a refined version of the popular Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) [...] To-may-to, to-mah-to. [1]: https://realcolors.org/ https://realcolors.org/
- themodelplumber 4y ago
  Ah, that's interesting. I checked out their history page. https://realcolors.org/what_is_realcolors/history/ https://realcolors.org/what_is_realcolors/history/ Anytime they start by rewinding to millennia ago, that's temperament theory. Keirsey's temperament theory that they mention is fundamentally different from typical MBTI in lots of ways. In fact they can both be used to complement each other. So it's different, or not, depending on whether you want to be accurate, and true to details, or not. (Also someone should correct the way the Wikipedia article is written regarding MBTI)
  - A4ET8a8uTh0 4y ago
    Thank you for sharing this. That is so weird. Having been part of an MBA program meant that my profile was reviewed through multiple similar tests, but I have not heard of that one. The thing that jumped at me is that it is not some small companies that are using these. US Banks apparently used it with its private capital customers[1] ( I am almost curious as to how it was applied ). [1]https://realcolors.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/11/US-Bank-Knowing-Real-Colors.pdf https://realcolors.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/11/US...
    - themodelplumber 4y ago
      yw. There is a general shortage of this kind of exploratory activity-theory, so there are common usage patterns. I'd imagine that in capital markets it's used to help keep things more objective, to lower the personal stakes for all parties, and demonstrate an interest in constructive partnership. One of the best relationship techniques is helping the other feel understood, and that is also where tools like this one will always stand out. If you can't connect with someone via the normal methods, it's usually worth trying to connect through their self-identified objective preferences. Anyway, just some thoughts...

WastingMyTime89 4y ago

People like boxes because it gives them an easy and reassuring way to approach complexity they are not equipped to grapple with. You see it all the time in the professional world: people who have to deal with others but are poorly trained and unconfident in their ability to handle human psychology relish these kinds of crutches. You see it even in this discussion: this type must be suited to this kind of job is simpler than thinking holistically about prerequisites.

__derek__ 4y ago
Kinda tangential to your actual comment, but you might be interested in this recent episode of the Rational Reminder podcast on "Shared Identities and Decision Making".[1] Even groups more arbitrary than these influence our decision-making, problem-solving, cooperation, etc. It goes beyond who's suited for what job to who's suited to be right about what kind of topic. Wild stuff. [1]: https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/214 https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/214

pram 4y ago

Funny enough my department took that test and all the sysadmins were blue/teal

PartiallyTyped 4y ago

You'd be surprised how common that is with MBTI. Check out the subreddit r/mbti, and specific ones like r/intp etc etc.

__derek__ 4y ago
Those are opt-in communities, though, so there's selection bias. AFAIK, there wasn't anything in the company's hiring practices that self-selected for folks who would embrace this kind of stuff.