D’Andra Mull

A26202115

Ead 804

Administration of Human Resources in Education

Fall Term, 2003

Instructor, Laurence MacQueen, Ph.D.

December 3, 2003

For my case study project, I chose to utilize the “True Colors” study/activity, which I administered to my residence life hall staff. The staff is composed of 16 first-year mentors, 4 second-year mentors, 3 assistant hall directors, 1 complex director, and 4 Racial-Ethnic Student Aides. The age range for the mentor/aide staff was 18-21, and 22-27 for the four members of the senior staff. The population was composed of 4 sophomores, 15 juniors, 5 seniors, and four graduates (senior staff). The mentor/aide staff was equal in terms of gender, which was split at 12-12. However, the senior staff was made up of 3 women and one man.

“True Colors” was presented during the course of a staff meeting on November 9, 2003. I allowed the group 10 minutes to complete the task of selecting the group(s) of words that best described them. There were 5 rows of words, with each row containing 4 separate sets from which the participants could choose. For instance in row 1, the sets of words were:

Row 1

Active
Opportunistic
Spontaneous
A______ / Parental
Traditional
Responsible
B______ / Authentic
Harmonious
Compassionate
C______ / Versatile
Inventive
Competent
D______

For each group of 5 rows represented, the participants were to number the groups of words from 1-4, with 4 being the group that best represented them, and 1 being the least representative of the participant. For a number of the participants, this seemed to be a difficult task, as they each wanted to argue that they could see themselves represented highly in a number of the categories. However, by the time they reached row 5 of the activity, they were more at ease with numerically ranking the boxes. Once the group had completed the activity, I gave them the sheet by which they were to score themselves. The 4 groups into which their scores could fall included:

Orange: “You Esteem Yourself by Being Adventurous”
Green: “You Esteem Yourself by Using Ingenuity”
Blue: “You Esteem Yourself by Being Sincere and Sympathetic”
Gold: “You Esteem Yourself by Behaving Responsibly”

As a larger group, the first-year mentors and 4 Racial-Ethnic Student Aides fell heavily into the orangecategory which ironically, was what I predicted would be the outcome. Some of the key traits the “True Colors” activity described of those who fall in the orange group include a hunger for variety, ability to build spontaneous relationships, crisis management skills, and a desire to test the limits. However, three of the second-year mentors fell into the green category. For the green group, the ability to develop models, abstract thinking, and handling complexity were all strong characteristics of those who fall into the green category. This, in turn supported my belief that your “true colors” can ultimately change over time, due to your experiences and surroundings.

For the senior staff, (3 Assistant Hall Directors and Complex Director), 3 out of 4 were grounded in the Green category. Some of the key traits for green types include the ability to develop models, analytical processing ability, striving for competency, storing wisdom and knowledge, and the ability to handle complexity. For the one male member of the senior staff, gold presented itself as his true color, which I could truly agree with, as I could clearly note gold distinctiveness in his persona. However, my overall belief was that he would fall into the “green category,” which turned out to be his second color. Common characteristics of “golds” include a strong work ethic, penchant for ceremony and tradition, and the valuing of order and structure, all of which are very apparent in the male staff member.

Ultimately, both the green and orange characteristics were all qualities I looked for during the selection process for the mentor staff and as I interview candidates for senior staff positions, and it was great to see that so many staff members aligned with my expectations for them. As the dynamics of our building and staff mandate, it is wholly necessary and important for senior members of the Residence Life staff to be competent, and caring, and willing to challenge the process in order for the residence hall to run smoothly. As the dynamics of our buildings and department are always changing, a staff member must be proficient enough to deal with the transformations that may occur. Further, it was also good to note from the activity’s feedback that a number of the staff found the activity to be valid as far as how they would define themselves.

While it is both accepted and acknowledges that the “True Colors” experiment is not a complete or totally accurate way by which to categorize an individual’s personality, I honestly feel that the Shaw Hall Reslife staff was able to gain much insight from the activity. The staff learned that indeed, they do have a lot in common and can now work to find ways by which to use their similarities for the benefits of the students they serve. Moreover, a few mentors requested the activity to use within their floor communities, as they feel that student can gain from the activity. Ultimately I feel that the “True Colors” activity was of benefit to both my staff and me, in that it aids us in our continuous quest for self-discovery and growth, both personally and professionally.