Getting to Know Ourselves and Others: Personality Tests at Redmond

One of our Redmond core values is Ubuntu, a Nguni Bantu term that we’ve interpreted to mean, “I see you, I see me, and I am because we are.” Getting to know ourselves and others is what we mean by “I see you, I see me.” Personality tests are one tool that help us do that!

When a Redmond associate is first hired, we ask them to take a couple of personality tests. These include The People Code, The Five Love Languages, PAEI, and Trimetrix.

We use these tools because they can shed light on what motivates us, how we like to work, and how we interact with other people. But every single person is unique, and these traits will show up differently in everyone. That’s what makes this work so interesting!

These tests are helpful, but not complete answers. We don’t want to label anyone or stick them in a box. These tests are just one tool in our toolbox to help us understand each other and how we can work together as a team.

The WHY Behind Each Test

“When you act concurrently with your innate self, you will find that life makes more sense for you as well as those around you.” - Dr. Taylor Hartman

Part of our vision statement is, “We want to live in a world with people who are eager for self-discovery/ Where those intentional and aware individuals come together to form exceptional teams.”

These tests are one way we encourage self-discovery and the self-awareness necessary to create those strong teams!

The People Code (also known as the Color Code)

Understanding each person's unique core motive—what drives them from within—is crucial. If behavior is the tip of the iceberg, motivation is part of what lies beneath. We can’t really understand someone if we don’t know what matters to them and why they do what they do.

The People Code centers around the idea that every person has a driving core motive that is central to their innate personality.

This core motive is what gets you up in the morning. It's where you find true fulfillment, and if neglected, can leave you feeling frustrated, dissatisfied, or anxious. By understanding and aligning with your core motive, you gain the confidence to be your authentic self and play to your strengths in life.

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The People Code outlines four distinct core motives, each represented by a color:

• Red: Getting from A to B. These people love to efficiently tackle challenges.
• Blue: Intimacy and connection. They crave understanding, fairness, and integrity.
• White: Peace and contentment. They are kind, great listeners, and seek harmony.
• Yellow: Finding meaning in every moment. They’re spontaneous, friendly, and enthusiastic.

Everyone has a dominant color, or core motive, and most people have a strong secondary color/motive as well.

At Redmond, the People Code helps us understand and respect, and collaborate more effectively. Understanding these motives not only enhances self-awareness but also sheds a lot of light on how you might interact with others, how you might work, and how you express yourself.

It also aids in aligning tasks with our innate strengths and preferences, which makes our work more meaningful, impactful, and fun!​ Learning more about our core motives is an essential part of understanding our wiring, which is part of our Three Circles journey.

For example, people with a lot of blue tend to enjoy roles where they get to interact with people. Those with a lot of red usually like roles where they get to debate and move things forward. (These are just tendencies we’ve noticed, not hard and fast rules.)

If you want to learn more about these, we highly recommend Dr. Hartman’s book, The People Code.

The 5 Love Languages

Part of working together as effective teams is expressing care, support, and appreciation for one another.  

The 5 Love Languages, a concept developed by Dr. Gary Chapman, identifies five primary ways people express and experience love and appreciation:

• Words of Affirmation - These people enjoy compliments, encouragement, and verbal appreciation.
• Acts of Service - They appreciate when others do little things to make their life easier.
• Receiving Gifts - They love small tokens to show that others are thinking of them.
• Quality Time - They enjoy meaningful conversation and time for fun activities together (within or outside of regular work).
• Physical Touch - They like handshakes, fist bumps, and in-person work and activities.

While this might seem weird in a work setting, understanding these love languages helps us communicate appreciation and support more effectively.

By recognizing and applying these love languages, we strengthen bonds between associates and acknowledge each other's unique preferences in feeling valued. Learning how to effectively communicate to someone that you admire and respect them can make a massive difference in the quality of your relationship. And relationships are the key to success in work and in life!

This approach aligns with Redmond's commitment to elevating the human experience, ensuring that every team member feels seen, appreciated, and motivated.

PAEI

PAEI is adapted from the work of Dr. Ichak Adizes, and categorizes work styles into four types:

• Producer (P) - They love to get things done, and do them quickly.
• Administrator (A) - Highly organized, with great follow-through.
• Entrepreneur (E) - Full of ideas and visions, and comfortable with change and risk.
• Integrator (I) - Focuses on relationships and team dynamics.

Each type focuses on a distinct aspect of organizational needs—P on output, A on order, E on innovation, and I on cohesion and harmony. Most people have one dominant style, a secondary style that they’re pretty good at, and sometimes a third where they’re competent, but no one is strong in all four.

This is all about how you work and the type of work you might like doing and be good at. The key word here is MIGHT. Again, we’re not trying to stick anyone in a box.

PAEI's framework helps us assemble teams that are innovative, productive, and harmonious, ensuring our projects and initiatives benefit from a well-rounded perspective and skill set.

In these teams, everyone can pursue their 3 Circles Journey because they’re working where they’re most helpful and and utilizing their wiring.

Trimetrix

TriMetrix is a comprehensive assessment tool that evaluates three critical aspects of an individual's work persona: behaviors (how we act), motivators (why we move), and personal skills (how we work).

At Redmond, we utilize TriMetrix to gain a multifaceted understanding of our team members, which helps us place people in roles where they can thrive, foster better teamwork by appreciating diverse work styles, and guide personal development paths.

This test is complex, but it tells us a lot about how you might solve problems, work with others, and communicate. It also tells us how you might feel and behave naturally, and how you’ve adapted to your environment, along with the underlying drivers of that behavior. Again, the key here is MIGHT. This is simply a starting point.

We don’t use this as commonly as the other tests, but it’s still a good one to take and look at to increase your understanding of yourself and your team members.

What These Tests Are NOT

All of these traits come with countless combinations, blends, and variations. These tests can provide insight, but they will never show us the entire picture. They’re a springboard, and that’s it.

We’re not trying to label or pigeonhole anyone. We’ll never stick you in a role just because you test as a certain color or work style. These tests are simply information and a baseline to build on.

In fact, we encourage you to question the results. You might look at the results and think “Wow, that’s absolutely me!” or you may think “Eh, I don’t know. That doesn’t feel quite accurate.” Both are completely fine. Either way, you learn a lot about yourself!

We also recommend that you retake most of these tests every year or two to see how you grow and develop. As you learn more about yourself and develop your strengths, your test results will often change, or become more and more accurate. They’re a good way to check in on your journey and see how you’re developing. If you notice recurring patterns in the different tests and iterations, it might be something good for you to consider more deeply.

We also don’t prioritize any “type” over another. We want you to be who you are and pursue your Three Circles here, which means using your strengths and finding where you can be the most helpful and fulfilled.

We need ALL work styles and personality types. When we combine our strengths, we can synergize more effectively and create great work together. We don’t value (or reward) any color or work style over another. Instead, we strive to help EVERYONE find where they can be most helpful and successful according to their strengths and interests. Success is for everyone, not just a few in the C suite.

Don’t change your whole life plan based on quiz results. This is just information and something to explore.

Keep learning about what works for you. Don’t just take the test once and then never try them again. Your main colors, work styles, and primary love languages will probably stay largely the same (then again, they might not) but the blend and secondary will likely change

You are completely unique.

These personality tests only show a little bit about you. Think of them as a trailhead where you BEGIN your exploration. They’re just a starting point to help you on your journey.

We’re also constantly evolving and developing different strengths and interests, so it’s normal for answers and test results to shift over time. This means you’re growing.

To do great work in the world and find true fulfillment, we need each other. And we need you to show up as you really are. Not the “you” society says you should be. The REAL you.

Ready to Learn More?

Every new associate (as well as seasoned associates!) are invited to take our Discovery Seminar where we explore these and other related topics in depth.

If you’re a Redmond associate and haven’t taken this seminar yet, talk to your team lead or a culture team member to find out when the next seminar is and to sign up! This is a great opportunity to explore your strengths and personality in depth so work can become even more meaningful and fulfilling!

Additional Resources:

The People Code by Taylor Hartman

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

Management and Mismanagement Styles by Dr. Ichak Adizes