Planning activities for different personalities

Personality types and ministry go hand in hand.  It really does take “all kinds” to make the world go around. Personality research can be a tool to help you work more effectively with other women in ministry, and it can also help you create events that meet the needs of all the women attending. Considering how God made us all different, planning activities for different personalities is a good idea. 

Different women will need different things from your events and interactions.

One woman thrives in opportunities to connect with other women in real and personal ways.

Another woman requires a sense of order, or she will shut down during the event.

Yet another woman wants a sense of adventure and fun.

Then, you have the woman who is there for the cognitive challenge.

News  Flash!

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Understanding these needs will go a long way in helping you plan your women’s ministry events and your meetings as well!

The Personality Tool I Like Best for planning activities for different personalities – True Colors(TM)

If the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator had a perfect little baby, it would be the favored True Colors personality type indicator.

This resource can be an invaluable tool to help you plan meaningful, intentional, and EFFECTIVE women’s ministry efforts.

It’s one of my top women’s ministry resources to date! It’s easy to understand and limits the personality types to something we can all relate to – colors!

As a team building training consultant, I’ve used this resource for years to help teams build a sense of cohesion and to help event planners meet the needs of the four temperaments.  

As you continue to read this post, you will see how planning activities for different personalities can determine whether or not the women feel comfortable in your women’s ministry or even retain what is offered. Personality has a great deal to do with learning and retention. Read my post on creating solid classroom processes.

I’ve also used this research to plan meetings, conferences, and women’s ministry events.  

Just so you know, I’m certified in DISC and MBTI, but they all fade in comparison with True Colors.

For one reason, most people can’t remember their MBTI types! I chuckle whenever I ask a group to tell me their MBTI letters.  

There is always a pause, then some hesitancy.

Finally, someone will undoubtedly share theirs with a great deal of doubt or certainty.

It’s really funny to me. Because that means they sat through a likely 2+ hours sessions and were unable to retain what they learned. That equals a monumental waste of time because anything you can’t remember or apply to real life is useless, in my opinion.

True Colors and Women’s Ministry

True Colors personality assessment associates our personalities with four relatable primary colors. Simple, right? 

Colors are a major part of our day-to-day lives and evoke emotions when we see or think about them. For instance, people associate the color blue with being calming or soothing. We also use the same color to describe how we feel. 

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m feeling “blue”?  I’m sure you have. 

You may have said it yourself.  Well, that is a perfect example of how we use color in our lives.  Another example is using color to convey a darker mood, such as saying someone has a “black” heart to represent a mean or hateful person.

Yes, color is part of our communication mosaic. 

Temperament research, in general, helps us discover and act like our truest selves.

We’re affirmed by it.

It reminds us we are actually some versions of “normal” in how we perceive the world around us. 

If appropriately pondered, this research also celebrates our natural “bent” or inclinations without boxing us into a set of behaviors. 

Why Personality is Relevant to Women’s Ministry

Temperament speaks to who we are at our core and how we’ve been socialized. I love the way Mary K. Rothbart explains it in “Temperament, Development, and Personality” (details below). Planning activities for different personalities meet people where they are human beings and how they view the world.

She explains temperament as the “initial state from which personality develops and links individual differences in behavior to underlying neural networks.” She said temperament and experience cultivate our personality. 

It’s how we were taught or what we tried and realized felt good to us.

For instance, I was always creative, so when my grandma, Mary, gave me coloring sheets when I was as young as 4, something in me sparked. I liked doing them. I enjoyed it, and it sparked other creativity. On the other hand, my quiet, pensive cousin would be huddled in a corner reading.  

Neither was “right” or “wrong” nor “better” or “worse” – it’s just we are wired differently.

All of us have a temperament tendency, and I think we can use insights into these to find and create fulfilling experiences. As a women’s ministry leader, you can likewise use them to create fulfilling experiences for women taking advantage of your women’s ministry. The best part is it is now hard, nor does it require a lot of research – you just need to know about the personality types and start planning activities for different personalities on a routine basis.

This information provides valuable insights
to women’s ministry leaders and planners.

As a leader, you can use this information to help you relate better to your team too.

If you know about their temperament, you can place the right people in the right jobs based on what they NATURALLY enjoy and excel in doing.

This doesn’t mean you should put anyone in a box based on their personality. No way.

Planning activities for different personalities and job assignments simply means you are empowered to place people in areas they may like more.  

Also, as a women’s ministry leader, I want you to clearly understand who you are as well and what you need from experiences and processes. 

Another beauty of employing this research for planning activities is that you realize folks don’t wake up in the morning trying to get on your nerves; they need different handling based on their temperament. 

It helps show compassion toward someone with a different personality type instead of instantly judging their actions as negative or bad. 

How to use this information…

As I explain each personality type, I want you to think of the implication this information has for managing your women’s ministry committee or team.

Think about how each perceives the world and interacts within it. 

Think about the women you want to serve or inspire.  How can each “color” thrive and feel safe in your women’s ministry experiences?

After you read each one, ask, “What can I do or provide to ensure this personality type is happy or gets what they need in my women’s ministry effort?”

You’ll do this from the lens of a ministry leader considering your team and from the lens of a ministry leader planning activities for different personalities.

Take a free personality test now. It’s simple. It’s so simple I’ve used it with high schoolers during a career exploration workshop. Download it or write the results on a sheet of paper.

Understanding yourself is, again, a paramount key to effectively planning activities for different personalities.

Also, think about your personality.

Yes, turn the spotlight inward. Think about yourself and what your color might be.

How does your personality relate to your leadership style as a women’s ministry leader? How can you consider others when planning activities for different personalities – and not just plan according to what you like?

Think about if there are ways you could be misunderstood.

How can you maximize the natural strengths God gave you? All of this applies to your women’s ministry. 

Are you ready to learn about each personality so you may ponder these questions? I know you are so great!  

Let’s go! 

The 4 Personality types in Women’s Ministry and how you can think about them in planning for different personality types

The Green Temperament

People who score highest in the Green temperament tend to be driven by logic and analysis.  

They choose problem-solving over traditional fun activities any day of the week. The brainless fun they may gravitate toward might be more cognitively challenging and purposeful in their eyes. These are likely the “hard” puzzle lovers.

They may often confuse one for the other. Their strongest values are finding ways to analyze and diagnose problems or finding cutting-edge, innovative solutions to common hardships.

It comes naturally to them! It’s the way God created them. They are the “thinkers” of our time.

This temperament can be happiest alone with their thoughts.

Even so, don’t assume these logicians are anti-relationship or anti-people. Greens enjoy being around people just as much as everyone else but may have to take them in small doses or renegotiate their role in the crowd. 

They are likely most fulfilled when they are alone: thinking, processing, and learning.  

Each is difficult to do among loud or chatty people. In fact, those people likely deplete them a bit as many, but not all, Greens are introverts. 

Being introverted means the interactions of people require more energy than they may have in reserve. This may leave them drained after group interactions.  

Also, regarding negotiating their role in a group, the Green is likely the people watcher or the person most comfortable talking to one or two people at a time. 

On the other hand, they do LOVE being around folks who offer an intellectual challenge or cognitive exchange.

I once met a Green who said, “I‘m labeled anti-social, but I like being around people. I see them as puzzles to solve or mechanisms for intellectual exchange.  

Once I know what they need, I can try to be of service and help them figure things out.” I thought that was very sweet. I feel this temperament gets a bad rap because they are so introspective. 

Yes, they love deciphering the mysteries of humanity. They try to understand what makes one tick.

Want to compliment a Green? Say things like, “Wow!  I never thought of that before,” or “You’re very intelligent.”  They will love that!

Women’s Ministry Tip for this Temperament

Don’t forget to include introspective activities for the introverted, deep-thinking Green temperament in women’s ministry.  While they are okay doing small group activities, they benefit most from a chance to process what is said and what is delivered. 

During women’s ministry events, I often offer a chance for women to find a place in the room to just think, pray, or journal. 

During this time, the Green temperament can analyze what has transpired during the women’s ministry experience and explore how they feel about it. 

Remember this as you’re planning activities for different personalities. The Green temperament may seem standoffish, but they are glad to be there – or else they would not have come, nor would they have stayed.

The Gold Temperament

Golds are the organizers of the world!

I don’t mean protesters in the streets, although they might be among them, and they are probably the reason people knew precisely where to go protest in the first place.

This temperament believes in order. They bring structure where chaos resides. 

Part of their mission is to organize so people can do their best jobs or live their best lives. 

They love being around people because they want to help and serve them.  

God made them with a strong “helps” ministry propensity. 

I have the perfect example: my mom.  She is a strong Gold personality.  She’s always trying to get over to my house to re-arrange my cupboards, change my bedding, or empty my dishwasher.

For years, I thought she was doing so because she thought I was a slacker.  

Then, I discovered True Colors research, and she was, in fact, a wonderful Gold! 

Now, I understand she does all those things because she’s operating in her strength…her inclination to bring order and to serve. 

As a result, I now let her come over anytime she wants so I can do the things I most enjoy – thinking, writing, and processing.  

We are both happy and operating to our strengths: no conflict, tension, or assumptions.

The biggest compliment I can give her is to praise her for her helpful ability to bring order. 

Do you want to bless a Gold personality in your women’s ministry? 

This is one of the personality types that will benefit from a well-ordered process. This means the agenda should be available and flow well.

They like a reasonable amount of predictability, so the agenda helps this temperament feel that everything is okay and their time is being well used – which is essential to them. 

One of their biggest stresses is waste. This could be interpreted as wasting time or even wasting resources. Plan your women’s ministry events with this in mind.

Meet the needs of the Gold temperament as you are planning activities for different personalities!

Then, there is the Blue Temperament.

Blue people make the world go around, in my opinion.

Not that anyone’s personality or temperament is better than another. But, the Blue temperaments are the hearts of society.   Think of Gandhi or Oprah. They are likely representative of the Blue temperament. 

These people come out of the womb naturally caring and compassionate. It’s the way God created them. Think of it this way: the Blues are the kids on the playground making sure everyone is playing and having a good time. 

But make no mistake about it: they are no pushovers. No way. 

The Blue Temperament has an uncanny – almost spooky – sense of intuition.

They can easily read body language and underlying actions and motives to spot a phony or fake person in the blink of an eye. 

This is why they want to be around people as authentic and real as they are. They tend to value honesty and empathy when they interact with others. In women’s ministry, you want your programming to be transparent and straightforward. 

Another practical application is that they are so relational that they value interpersonal interactions.

Planning activities for different personalities and considering the Blue Temperament

You’ll want to make opportunities for human interaction and even small groups. 

The Blue temperaments will value these opportunities as you plan events, outreach, and all that consider personality types in women’s ministry. 

Consider how important it is to leverage this research in ways that help us meet people where they are. Personality and temperament research can help us do that. 

Blues filter the world through their emotions and their ability to connect with others. Inspiring, motivating, and coaching are super easy for them. 

They enjoy being praised for their abilities to do so. Honestly, I think many people who start and launch women’s ministry efforts are likely people with this temperament. 

I’ve got another temperament to talk about! Let’s see if you know anyone with this temperament or if it sounds like you! But first, this video is a great resource for planning activities for different personalities. Mary Miscisin is one of the forerunners in True Colors history.

Get ready for the Adventurous Orange Temperament.

And I do mean “get ready” because this temperament brings the heat as implied by the color associated with them!

If you are around a person with the Orange temperament, Honey, you know it.  

These are the people who value action, fast-paced processes, and demonstrative individuality. Conforming to the norms of life is not for them at all.  Remember this as you are Planning activities for different personalities.

You’ve got to plan for them because they tend to get bored quickly.

Of all the personality types in women’s ministry, this one is the most energetic and adventurous. 

Their white-heat energy causes them to stand out from the crowd.  If excitement doesn’t find them, they manufacture it.   The consistency other temperaments need only serves to annoy or bore the fiery Orange. 

Too much planning is “for the birds” in their summation. They are solutions-driven.  They are also RESULTS-driven.

Oranges will do what they want when they want to do it. Planning activities for different personalities means considering all the needs, and this group needs action and activities!

Not to cause any problems but for the sake of progression and adventure.  

Sure, planning has its place in the mind of the Orange personality, but they’ll never allow it to stagnate them. Nike isn’t the only one who believes “Just Do It” is an excellent way of life!

This means keeping things moving and exciting in women’s ministry. Too much predictability will dull them. 

Hey, did you see the movie “Monster-in-Law” with Jennifer Lopez? In the film, Jennifer’s character said something like, “Life is too short to live the same day twice.” That’s a totally Orange way of thinking. If I had to guess, I’d say Lopez’s character in the movie was a combination of Blue/Orange. 

Now is a good time to explain the True Colors research asserts we are all composed of all four temperaments.

However, we navigate the world with one as the strongest and the second temperament or color. 

Why I think personality is essential in women’s ministry

As you plan and organize, use personality types in women’s ministry to meet the needs of all the people who attend or participate in your events.  Also, consider them when you organize your women’s ministry teams. Read my post here. 

Consider each personality type in your planning and include elements that will appeal to each in the experience you offer. 

Here are a few additional examples: 

Blue temperament – provides opportunities to network, talk, and meet one another. Also, they may love an opportunity to pair up and encourage other women. 

Gold temperament – If you have tables at your event, create a role called “table captain” or “table host” to create a role for the Golds to facilitate the conversations or have a “job” to do. 

Green temperament – The Greens need to know and understand. For them, if you reference a scripture or a resource, list it in the program so they can research it later. Be sure to share the history or the “why” of your women’s ministry. One of the reasons I share my background is for the inquisitive Greens who may read my content. 

Orange temperament – keep them moving. Have something interesting to look at on the tables on screens, and engage them in sensory ways. Some Oranges have told me scented candles and music playing keep the environment interesting. Also, if you do small groups, give the groups options to move around the room to do their activities or have conversations. 

So, those are all four True Colors temperaments. What do you think you might be? What other colors are in your life? 

Moving on…

Let’s talk about you, Women’s Ministry leader!

Before you can understand how to work with other personalities in your ministry, it’s key to take a step back and better understand yourself. I’ve said this a couple of times because I want you to remember it.

Analyze and identify your own traits, values, and motivations so that you can leverage them to effectively manage the personalities in your group. You also want to think about your natural strengths and weaknesses.

Additionally, getting input from those around you who may see behavior or reactions that you don’t is a great idea.

By gaining self-awareness, you can better ensure you don’t create women’s ministry events exclusively in alignment with what YOU like.

Take the assessment yourself!

Be sure to take the assessment above.

There are lots of personality tests out there these days. 

Some of them look like someone created them in their garage while under the influence of something.

Others are very technical and hard to understand. You won’t be surprised to hear I think the best one is the 4-color personality test.

Don’t trust just any personality test. 

Few of the tests out there embody the years and years of research and hard work involved in creating True Colors. 

Don Lowry created this gem in the eighties, and it’s still relevant and easy to use in today’s workplace and ministry environment.

My beginning with True Colors and my understanding of personality types

Let me briefly describe when I fell in love with True Colors. See, I was certified in the True Colors personality type indicator in 2000 in Kansas City, Missouri. The lively, colorful workshop was an inspirational, multi-sensory experience. The colors blue, gold, green, and orange were everywhere!  So cool.

Two married Ph.d’s taught my class to train wannabe facilitators like me. At the time, this concept of personality colors was so new and exciting. 

Everyone was sick of Myers-Briggs and not being able to remember their letters. So, True Colors was an exciting shift!

One of the master trainers was named Dr. Bruce, and I can’t remember his wife’s name, but she was awesome at implementing the 4 color personality test and explaining each color. Bruce was, too. 

Understanding personality types changed how I do almost everything!

True Colors has been one of the most valuable resources in my life for building/sustaining relationships. 

It also reaffirms my sense of self-esteem because it helps me be ever aware of my own personal strengths while at the same time managing my many weaknesses.

You see personalities and temperaments appear in all walks of life, especially in entertainment. Think about it: no story would be complete or complex without a variety of personalities. You need a fun, zany character. 

You need a serious, brainy one. You also need a rigid “by the books” person, and you must have the sweet, sensitive type. 

Yes, personalities and temperaments are part of our world, and they can help you create solid women’s ministry experiences that will meet the “needs” of everyone involved. 

Take the True Colors assessment for yourself! 

This True Colors personality assessment is simple and is a partial assessment. Yet, it’s a great starting place to discover your own “color.”

Here is how to do it:

1. Look at the word clusters from left to right – by rows. Do not take it viewing the cluster from up to down (i.e., by columns).
2. Rank each cluster from “4” representing “most like you,” all the way down to “1” being least like you.
3. Each line should have a “1”, a “2”, etc.
4. Total each column. The highest number will be your True Color.

Again, this is a partial assessment. From time to time, I do online True Colors workshops. Be sure to subscribe and register for a future date!

Calculate Carefully…

In my live, in-person workshops, almost always someone will say, “That doesn’t sound like me,” only to find they did the assessment wrong or didn’t calculate properly. No biggie, everyone is human. 

A good personality assessment/test accurately confirms what you already know to be true about yourself.

Seeing the smiles on my participants’ faces and hearing them say, “OMG, this is so me” is like a spiritual high for me. What they read isn’t new information to them; it’s a confirmation of how wonderful they are and how God has created them.  

Remember, this information is a great tool to help you work effectively with others and manage your women’s ministry team or committee. Secondly, it’s a good way to use personality types in women’s ministry to plan experiences with everyone in mind – even before they walk through the door. 

References

Rothbart, M. K. (2007). Temperament, Development, and Personality. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(4), 207–212. https://doi-org.ezproxy2.library.colostate.edu/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00505.x

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