I had the privilege of taking an Insights® Discovery assessment, and the result of the 30-minute questionnaire was surprisingly accurate. Honestly, I remember thinking: how do they know me after only a few questions? After learning more about the Insights Discovery color energies, I found the system very useful. Not only to understand other people better, but also to understand myself. And because it helped me look at communication, work and relationships in a different way, I wanted to share this inspiration and insights with you.
What is Insights Discovery?
Insights Discovery is a tool that builds a personality profile and identifies strengths, communication preferences and areas for development. The Insights model is based on the work of psychologist Carl Jung, who suggested that people are unique, with different styles, needs and expectations. The tool helps to reveal an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, communication style, and their value to a team. With this data you can increase the team communication and collaboration, improve personal effectiveness and build on relations with clients, managers and use this in your daily private life as well.
The four Insights Discovery color energies are Fiery Red, Sunshine Yellow, Earth Green and Cool Blue. Everyone has all four colors within them, but most people have one or two energies that feel more natural. The model can help you understand your communication style, your strengths and the way you work with others.
This tool is also very useful if you are trying to understand your romantic partner or a family member’s dominant energy and how to approach and deal with them better.
How do the Insights Discovery colors work?
The Insights Discovery tool uses a circle which is divided in the four colors energies to describe a personality; the Fiery Red, Sunshine Yellow, Cool Blue and Earth Green. Below a more detailed description on each personality which can be divided in Introversion (Green and Blue) vs Extraversion (Red and Yellow) and Thinking (Blue and Red) vs Feeling (Yellow and Green). The ingredients of success are firstly to understand yourself, net to understand others, and then to use this knowledge to manage the interactions in your relationships with your customers, your colleagues, your friend and your family.The important thing to remember is that you are not just one color.
Everyone has all four color energies within them. Some colors simply feel more natural, stronger or easier to use than others. That is why I see Insights more as a practical language than as a strict personality label.
What Insights Discovery Color are you?
Another part I found interesting is the difference between your good-day and bad-day energy. On a good day, your strongest color can be your talent. On a bad day, the same energy can become a bit too much. A strong Fiery Red can become impatient. A strong Cool Blue can overthink. A strong Sunshine Yellow can become scattered. And a strong Earth Green can avoid conflict for too long.
On good day which color quadrant best describes who you are? 
Cool Blue
If you are somebody with a high level of Cool Blue energy, you are introverted and have a desire to know and understand the world around you. You like to think before you act and maintain a detached, objective standpoint. You value independence and intellect. You prefer written communication in order to maintain clarity and precision, radiating a desire for analysis. Your energy is cautious, precise, deliberate, questioning and formal. Insight slogan is: Give me Details. How to relate with a Cool Blue person:
- Be well prepared and speak in a straightforward way
- Give them as much details as possible
- Give me time alone to analyze my thoughts and feelings
- If I appear irritated, its is with myself, for not expressing myself adequately
Earth Green
If you are introverted and focus on values and depth in relationships. You want others to be able to rely on you. You will defend what you value with quiet determination and persistence. You prefer democratic relations that value the individual and are personal in style, radiating a desire for understanding. You energy is caring, encouraging, sharing, patient and relaxed. Insight slogan is: Show Me Your Care. How to relate with an Earth Green person:
- Be easygoing, supportive and patient
- Don’t take advantages of my good nature
- Give me time to complete projects
- Let me finish what I have to say, even if it doesn’t make sense to you
Sunshine Yellow
If you are strongly extraverted, radiant and friendly. You are usually positive and concerned with good human relations. You enjoy the company of others and believe that life should be fun. You approach others in a persuasive democratic manner, radiating a desire for sociability. Your energy is sociable, dynamic, demonstrative, enthusiastic and persuasive. Insight slogan is: Involve Me. How to relate with a Sunshine Yellow person:
- Give me friendship, affection and freedom
- Appreciate my fantasies and listen to my anecdotes
- Don’t try to change me, accept me as I am
- Stand on you own two feet. Don’t be dependent on me
Fiery Red
If you are extraverted and have high energy. You are action oriented and always in motion. You are positive, reality-oriented and assertive. You are single minded as you focus on results and objectives. You will approach others in a direct, authoritative manner, radiating a desire for power and control. Your energy is competitive, demanding, determined, strong-willed and purposeful. Insight slogan is: Be Brief, Be Bright, Be Gone. How to relate with a Fiery Red person:
- Stand up for yourself. Be confident, strong and direct.
- Accept that I may sometimes appear to lose my temper.
- Remember that I have a vulnerable side.
- Don’t mistake my assertive manner for a personal attack.
And how do the energies behave on a bad day:
The Insights Wheel You can’t put persons a box or quadrant like this that is very clear. Every person has all the four colors within them, but the dominancy of each color is different. You have only one dominant color. The more colors you have aligned (closer to the middle) means that you can switch easily between the energies. 
Why are Insights Discovery Colors useful?
What I like about Insights is that it gives you a simple language for everyday situations. You may suddenly understand why one person needs more details, while another person wants quick action. Or why one colleague needs time to think, while another prefers to talk things through immediately. It does not solve everything, but it can make communication a lot less personal and a lot more practical.
The lesson I learned (and I am still learning) is that you can recognize the types of people and know how the other person is thinking or what he or she needs. That helps in approaching and dealing with certain issues/project. You can relate to why there is frustration or irritation among people, because they think so differently; especially with people from the opposite quadrant. And at the same time tell what YOU find important so they can relate to your thoughts. By knowing this, you can easily and start better working together at all levels in your life!
My own Insights Discovery result
What energy do you think I am? Indeed the name of my website is already revealing it, I am number 46 on the wheel a Motivating Inspirer.
Did you know? That you can change your position on the wheel over time! Probably not from one side to the other, but for example I changed from number 27 to number 46 in 7 years’ time.
Please be aware this is just a small explanation of the Insights® Discovery system, the whole system contains, workshops, books, conscious vs less conscious, the wheel, assessments and so on. This is just a part where I hope to inspire you if you have the chance to take part of this, do it!
FAQ on Insights Discovery
What are the four Insights Discovery colors?
The four color energies are Fiery Red, Sunshine Yellow, Earth Green and Cool Blue.
Are you only one Insights color?
No. Everyone has all four color energies. Some colors are simply more dominant or natural for you.
Can your Insights color change over time?
Your main preferences usually stay recognizable, but your position on the Insights Wheel can change over time through experience, work and personal development.
This blog is based on my personal experience with Insights® Discovery. For the official method, training and assessment, please check the Insights website.
