16/12/2025
Have you ever been asked to see something from someone else’s point of view, and struggled to? So, why are workplaces urging people to do just that?“
Therefore, I’m going to do some urging of my own – please STOP expecting people to think the way others think without giving them a translation tool that’ll help them.
Let me give you an example of how workplace culture takes a nosedive without needing to.
One person works really hard on a project and when they meet up with their boss for their performance appraisal, the conversation goes something like this:
BOSS: “You’ve worked really hard this year, great job. I’ve identified some areas you could focus on for the next 12 months, so I’ve put your name down for some training”.
EMPLOYEE: Shrinks back into their chair, feels completely dismissed and ends up close to tears.
The boss is confused, so writes the employee off as too sensitive.
The employee retreats to the loo, breathes deeply and tries to get back in control of their emotions. They head back to their desk, load up Seek and make a plan to update their CV.
You’re probably pretty sure how the rest of the story goes because we see it in workplaces everywhere, but what if what just happened was a simple language barrier and not one person trying to control, bully or micromanage another?
Here’s what really happened.
The boss is an Analyser – a ‘blue’ in the Click Colours Translation tool.
Analysers are direct, they speak in dot points, they are fluent in logic and facts, but don’t understand (or feel comfortable with) feelings. They are there to get a job done, set expectations and make decisions based on evidence, not empathy.
The employee is a Carer – a ‘red’ in the Click Colours. Carers are all about the people, they will do what feels right and they have a phobia of letting people down. They care about how you feel and they want you to feel good about them. If someone is upset or having a tough time, they’re like the rescue St Bernards who can sense someone trapped in an avalanche of overwhelm, personal issues or stress and they’ll make a beeline for them with a kind word and coffee just how they like it.
As for the other two, you'll probably see the Playmaker ‘yellows’ as pains in the butts who won’t stay on task and who seem far more interested in big ideas than in actually doing what needs doing. And the Safekeeper ‘greens’ as bossy, inflexible control freaks who are in love with their policy manual and to do list, and consider whether a career in the army might be more up their alley.
And it’s these misunderstandings that are the building blocks of silos.
It’s so easy to completely shift your workplace dynamics, just as these City of Bunbury Customer Service megastars did today.
Drop me a line for more info, if you'd like to get your people CLICKING instead of clashing