Employees work and learn differently – but where do these differences lie, and how can companies use them for sustainable success in training? The answers to this are provided by “Insights Discovery” coach Michael Portz in an interview – with exciting practical tips for all HR professionals!

About the person: As a coach, Michael Portz works with individuals and teams who want to achieve even more. INSIGHTS is a tool he likes to use to help teams leverage the differences and strengths of each individual for the benefit of their community.

Excursion to start: What is Insights Discovery?

We all know: Every person is unique! This is reflected in their overall behavior: In the way they communicate, their own work methods, and also in collaboration with others. Insights Discovery is a model that analyzes these behavioral preferences and makes them visible through four fundamental color energies.

The special thing about Insights Discovery is not only that the color types are easy to understand and remember. The analysis also takes into account the individual mixtures of the different colors. This reveals untapped potential that can make teams and companies more efficient.

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The 4 primary colors in Insights Discovery:

Icy Blue: The Analyst. Precise, calm, and questioning
Earth Green: The Empathetic. Compassionate, attentive, and steady
Sunny Yellow: The Entertainer. Sociable, lively, and entertaining
Fiery Red: The Doer. Decisive, goal-oriented, and challenging

They have been working for many years as a coach with the color system of Insights Discovery. Why is it important for companies to understand the different color types of their employees?

The function of management can be broken down into two points, according to Peter Drucker: Retain employees and achieve results. And Insights Discovery contributes significantly to both:

The more employees a company has, the more relationships develop among them. This also creates a lot of potential for conflict. Through personality analysis, employees get to know each other better. Consequently, they can work together more efficiently and feel better in their interactions with each other – which ultimately leads to better results for the companies. Through the analysis, employees also develop a greater understanding of each other, which results in them staying longer in the organization.

The four color types have different preferences in their work styles. What differences in learning behavior can be derived from this?

When we look at the archetypes of the four color energies, we can already gain insights into how learning ideally looks for this person:

Let's first consider the blue color energy, in which a lot is thought through and the result must be 100% perfect. The Analyst is entirely focused on the subject rather than social aspects. Learning for the Analyst revolves heavily around books and many sources – thus, comprehensive studying. Everything must be logical, models and systems are important. Learning is heavily based on causality, as it is always proven that what I am currently observing is indeed correct. Learning is very fact-based.

For the blue color type, synthesis is the focus: Searching and synthesizing many facts and information into a learning outcome.

People with a lot of green color energy are called “the Friendly Ones.” Green energy is values-oriented energy. Values and relationships are at the forefront. For this learning type, experiences with other people are the preferred learning method. Learning proceeds systematically and step-by-step through shared experiences. Green types need time to process things. The green learner reflects and thinks a lot and is generally very introspective.

In green energy, reflection is the centerpiece: Reflection requires time and quiet, along with a lot of feeling.

In yellow energy, learning is quite “hands-on,” meaning it is about physical engagement and participation, often very collaboratively. Joint learning is the focus. These are mostly concrete experiments: Practical trials where everyone is involved and from which new knowledge is generated. Experimentation can also simply be a nice experience – whether the learned content can be applied practically is more secondary. This is the crucial difference to red energy.

In yellow energy, experimentation is the preferred learning method: Trying, touching, and learning together from it.

The red color energy goes directly to the concrete action: “practically approaching” is the motto here. This means taking a topic, understanding it theoretically to a certain extent, and then directly seeing how it can be implemented in reality. This is partly experimentation, but more about finding the way for how the ideas and concepts can exist in the real world. In red energy, I want to see results in real contexts.

Red color types learn pragmatically and goal-oriented: The focus is on application and a concrete result in reality.

Even with these different learning preferences, it is about the mixture! This means that these different approaches should be situationally mixed among employees.

Own representation: The four color preferences in the Insights Discovery model and their respective preferred learning methods.

What prerequisites must companies create to address these four different learning types in training?

There are two possible pathways for this:

The first pathway is a mixed group in a seminar room or even in a virtual space. In a mixed group, it is then the trainer's job to ensure that all color energies and preferences are equally catered to. This means planning time for reflection for employees with a green color preference, even if other participants may require more patience. Equally important is to dive into details and synthesis, which is important in the room for the blue color energy. In between, open-ended experiments should be possible, simple trying out – this appeals to the yellow energy. Finally, the red energy must also be supported through pragmatic, reality-based application in learning.

This order - from blue to green to yellow and red - has proven effective. This is challenging for employees with a lot of red energy because they have the least patience, but it gives the green and blue types the necessary time in the learning process.

The second pathway is to offer different learning models for various learning types. This is, of course, very time-consuming. For example, having a Science Lab for blue energy, with many facts and data for synthesis. We can form another group that does a lot of reflection exercises. Another group can conduct open-ended experiments. And one group can apply a concept pragmatically.

The second pathway always carries the risk of a monoculture, as it suggests to employees that they can only learn with one method. From long-standing experience, I always recommend the integrative method!

Thank you for the exciting insights, Mr. Portz!

What is your opinion on the four learning types according to the Insights Discovery model?

Have you perhaps already had experiences with this or other analysis tools in your company? And do the current training concepts cover all preferences? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments – we are curious!