Seeing the full spectrum
Answers in Practice
By Emily Margosian, Assistant Editor, May 1, 2025
DermWorld talks to Charlene Lam, MD, MPH, FAAD, about how recognizing different personality types in the workplace can help mediate conflict and improve team communication.
DermWorld: Tell us about your practice.
DermWorld: What is the PACE™ Color Palette assessment?
Dr. Lam: The PACE Color Palette assessment is a way to assess personality types and temperaments. You’ve heard about Myers-Briggs which divides people into 16 different categories. PACE is a more simplified approach. It’s a nice, easy way to learn about people and alter our communication styles depending on who we’re speaking to and be more effective in our delivery.
DermWorld: What are the different personality types?
Dr. Lam: ‘Red’ are your dynamic people. They’re competitive, risk taking, action-oriented, and spontaneous. They’re extroverts and trailblazers. They want to get things done right away.
‘Yellow’ values work ethic. They pride themselves on being very reliable. They accept responsibility and plan well. Order and structure are important to them.
‘Blue’ is your “people person.” They want to work in a harmonious environment and have a strong sense of integrity and fairness. They motivate people. They’re often the best coaches and mentors and see the best in people.
‘Green’ are curious and visionary. They ask the ‘whys’ and want to make sense of things. They love finding solutions and thinking outside of the box.
DermWorld: What was your designated personality type? Do you feel this is reflective of your work and communication style?
Dr. Lam: I'm ‘yellow’ in the PACE Color Palette. This wasn’t too surprising to me — I value good organization and order. I like a purpose that serves greater goals.
What I emphasize in the session is that few people are purely one color. We are often a mix of different ‘colors’ and communication styles in different situations. However, being able to identify a dominant color in a person allows you to know yourself and your team better. This allows you to know your preferences when you interact with people and how to approach others.
DermWorld: Has PACE helped you better reflect on your own strengths and weaknesses in the workplace?
Dr. Lam: Yes. It’s helped me better understand myself. As a ‘yellow’ I know that details and planning really matter to me. However, I can see how a ‘red’ might perceive that I am slow to respond in some cases. To them, it could seem like I’m getting caught up in the details and not acting quickly enough. Having an awareness of how people may interpret the same actions differently can help address potential conflicts as they arise. It makes it easier to articulate, “this is what I’m thinking and why I’m coming at it from that angle.”
“Having an awareness of how people may interpret the same actions differently can help address potential conflicts as they arise.”
─ Charlene Lam, MD, MPH, FAAD
DermWorld: Have you used the PACE assessment within your team? How has it helped improve communication?
Dr. Lam: It has really helped us tailor how we communicate with other team members. My chair is a true ‘blue.’ He really values harmony and fostering growth in people. I know that relationships are important to him.
One of my other colleagues is a ‘green.’ When I approach him with something, I know that I must explain the “why.” He will want to know more than just the directive and will need to see the logic behind it. When I present an idea to him, I know that’s what he will value.
DermWorld: How can an understanding of different personality types be leveraged in the workplace?
Dr. Lam: These are small things you can consider when you’re instituting new plans or ideas in the office. You have a baseline knowledge of what certain people will gravitate toward. You can also use this as a strategy when assigning people different tasks. For example, if I want to introduce a new idea, I might ask a ‘red’ to implement it because they are charismatic, dynamic, and people gravitate toward them. They’re great at taking action.
However, when I need somebody to draw up a plan, ask for follow-up, or make sure all the details are followed, then I would assign that to a ‘yellow.’ If I had a conflict with someone, a ‘blue’ would serve as a great mediator. If I had a problem I was stuck on or needed help solving, that’s something a ‘green’ would excel at.
DermWorld: Is a mix of different personalities a hallmark of a strong team?
Dr. Lam: I think certain personality types gravitate more toward a certain profession. There are probably a lot of ‘green’ engineers, for example, and more ‘reds’ in the C-suite. For dermatologists, often we see a good mix of ‘yellows,’ ‘greens,’ and ‘blues.’ A mix of different personalities absolutely strengthens the team, because each type’s strengths can complement another’s weakness.
Charlene Lam, MD, MPH, FAAD, is the Algin B. Garrett associate professor of dermatology and vice chair of community health for dermatology at Pennsylvania State University.
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