Most of us are unaware of the impact colours have on our everyday thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. We all have a mix of traits from these areas, but dominant colour energy emerges for each of us. Some people prefer the colour red, while others prefer the colour blue. Of course, not all workplace personalities can be neatly classified according to their choice of colour but it gives a fair idea about their personality types.

In my case, my teammates have different choices of colours. Some like white or blue, some like red or pink, some like yellow or purple or green. And of course the colour of People Matters is orange!

Various studies conducted over a number of years have provided us with insight into what each colour represents in terms of our personality, work ethic, and motivation levels. Here's where you may learn more about your 'colourful' coworkers:

WHITE

White is often associated with purity – in Western cultures, white is reserved for weddings and hospitals, and it often represents purity, cleanliness, and order. White is frequently used by brands to add a splash of colour or to balance out more intense colours (such as red).

What teammates say about white:

“Clean new canvas on which every other colour can stand out, also the colour that brings new shades and tones into other colours.”

RED

Red is a daring colour that has been linked to excitement, passion, danger, thrill, energy, and action.

What teammates say about red:

“Red elicits feelings of warmth, friendliness, and love. Red, as the colour of blood, also connects us to the circulation of blood and as well as the importance of maintaining a healthy heart. For me, red also symbolises courage, passion, and desire.”

“Red is my color as it demonstrates revolution and liberalism which are the traits of my character. I believe that no innovation can be fruitful without the backbone of revolution and it is a proven fact. So, I believe that to be at par with the needs of time, every individual should be revolutionary.”

PINK

Pink is frequently associated with femininity, playfulness, and love; however, pink can also be perceived as an immature colour.

What teammates say about pink:

“The color pink in my country, the Philippines, is associated with a growing movement of people hoping for a better future! Pink, for me, symbolises energy, humility and inclusivity.”

BLUE

Blue represents stability, harmony, peace, and trustworthiness. Blue is used in logos by brands that want to be known for their durability, strength, or dependability.

What teammates say about blue:

“Blue symbolises calmness and serenity. It also represents the depth and vastness of the ocean.”

“My colour is blue because that's what my name means, its meaning falls somewhere between the sky and the colour sky blue. Another reason why I feel it represents me is because I find endless comfort in the serenity of this colour especially in water bodies and I want to be as calm, and expansive as the colour blue. Blue of the skies, blue of the rivers carry on in constant motion and keep shifting and I want to carry on this way.”

GREEN

The colour green is associated with two things that make the world go round: nature and money. Green can represent expansion, fertility, health, wealth, wellness, or generosity. Green can also have negative connotations, such as jealousy or envy.

What teammates say about green:

“Green represents liberation, a breath of fresh air in this tumultuous reality that we live in. The colour green imbibes freshness and freedom in the mind and has the capability to take us to our happy place.”

YELLOW

This is the most positive colour ever. Yellow conjures up images of happiness, positivity, and the warm summer sun. 

What teammates say about yellow:

“Yellow represents warmth on a cold winter morning, a bright spark on a gloomy day. It's that little splash of hope that brings joy and happiness.”

PURPLE

Purple has associations with royalty, power, privilege, wisdom, and spirituality. Purple can also be a frustrating colour because it can evoke feelings of frustration or be perceived as arrogant.

What teammates say about purple:

“Purple. Grounded yet refreshing. Calm yet vibrant.  Unconventional. A little more complex than the rest, I am as mysterious as the colour purple.”

ORANGE

Orange is frequently associated with creativity, happiness, freedom, success, and the balance that holds it all together. So, this one is my personal favourite. We all are aware about oranges and vitamin C. For me it's a healthy colour, it is refreshing and it gives me positive energy. In my personal opinion, it is the colour of creativity too.

So collect all the favourite colours of your colleagues and paint them with white/red/blue/yellow/green/pink – but only because it's 'bura na mano, holi hai’, or please don’t mind, it’s Holi after all!