The most important and difficult part of Erikson's model is not identifying other people's types. It is changing your own behaviour to communicate more effectively with each type. Most people communicate in the style that feels natural to them and then attribute communication failures to the other person. The Red thinks the Green is too slow and passive. The Yellow thinks the Blue is boring and obstructive. The Green thinks the Red is aggressive and careless. The Blue thinks the Yellow is irresponsible and superficial. Each is reading the other through the lens of their own colour and finding them lacking. Erikson's argument is that the person who initiates a communication, or the person who most wants a particular outcome from it, bears the primary responsibility for adapting. If you want a Blue to trust your proposal, it is your job to give them the evidence they need, not their problem that they cannot just trust your enthusiasm. If you want a Red to listen, it is your job to be brief and direct, not their problem that they find your detailed explanations impatient-making. Adaptation is not inauthenticity. It is communication competence. You adapt the style, not the substance. You remain honest, you remain yourself, but you package the message in a way the other person can receive.