Colors Training at the Department of Healthcare and Family Services
The Department of Healthcare and Family Services employees had colors training in 2005.
by Amanda Griffin-Johnson
UPDATE: 3/5/2010 – An update of some of the information in this blog is available here.
The Executive Ethics Commission released a report earlier this month from the Governors Office of Executive Inspector General regarding the investigation of a former employee of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Tamara Hoffman. Bruce Rushtons article in the State Journal-Register summarizes the report and the related developments.
A passage on page 8 of the report describes Ms. Hoffmans bigger than life persona and the fact that she was the only orange personality in the room when a facilitator did the staffs colors at an office training session. Using our transparency website, IllinoisOpenGov.org, we previously found that the State spent over $35,000 on meeting facilitators in 2008. To find out more information about the facilitator for the colors training, we submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
The DHFS responded that in this case they did not hire an outside facilitator and in house staff conducted the colors training involving 21 employees. Employees are assigned a color, or blend of colors, based on a three part self assessment instrument and survey. The training session lasted for two hours and took place of August 25, 2005. The response included lists of words that describe the meaning of each color:
Blue Humane, spiritual, subjective, sympathetic, insightful, compassionate, personal, peaceful, sincere, empathetic, romantic, poetic, sensitive, accepting, patient, giving and true.
Gold Fair, sensible, practical, organized, provider, parental, firm, stable, thorough, punctual, dependable, pain-staking, conservative, detailed, hard working, solid, strict, consistent, structured, positive, predictable, and reliable.
Green Complex, curious, abstract, exacting, independent, ingenious, research -oriented, intellectual, inventive, logical, scientific, cool, calm, collected, analytical and theoretical.
Orange Immediate, generous, witty, spontaneous, competitive, performer, trouble-shooter, optimistic, eager, charming, courageous, independent, willing, reactive, fearless, excitable, enthusiastic, adaptable, easy-going, mechanical, compromising, persuasive, wild, fun and crazy
The DHFS also reported:
Colors training is based on Real Colors designed by the National Curriculum Training Institute. This training session utilizes the symbolic colors of orange, blue, green and gold to differentiate the four basic temperament/personality types. This recognition is designed to generate an understanding of others temperament/personality to create a more efficient/effective work atmosphere.
The response did not say whether or not any of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services employees administering the colors training were certified Real Colors facilitators or if the DHFS purchased any training supplies from the National Curriculum Training Institute before the training session in 2005. According to the State of Illinois Transparency and Accountability Portal, the National Curriculum and Training Institute received $11,963.33 in fiscal year 2009 and $3,138.81 so far in fiscal year 2010 from the State of Illinois. Most of the expenses are for training materials and educational and instructional supplies. The agencies that had payments to NCTI were the Department of Human Services, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the State Police, and the Department of Transportation.