If you’ve taken the CliftonStrengths® assessment, you know each strength offers a unique way you contribute at work. But beyond individual themes, Gallup groups those strengths into four domains that show how people help teams thrive.
Let’s dive into the CliftonStrengths™️ domain colors, what they mean, and how using visual cues in the workplace can enhance communication, collaboration, and team success.
A Quick Overview of the Four CliftonStrengths® Domains
Gallup’s CliftonStrengths® assessment groups 34 talent themes into four domains, each representing a unique way people contribute to teams:
- Executing (Purple): People strong in this domain turn ideas into action. They thrive on productivity and ensure tasks are completed with quality and precision.
- Influencing (Orange): These individuals help their team reach a broader audience. They’re often charismatic, persuasive, and energized by making their voice, and the team’s voice, heard.
- Relationship Building (Blue): These strengths bring teams together. People in this domain build trust, promote harmony, and nurture meaningful connections.
- Strategic Thinking (Green): Here, big-picture thinkers live. They analyze, plan, and absorb information to help teams make smarter decisions.
According to Gallup, the most effective teams are made up of people who understand not only their own strengths, but how their teammates contribute too. Domains help make that understanding easier to grasp.
What the Colors Mean & Why Coaches Use Them
The CliftonStrengths® domain colors aren’t just for looks—they’re a practical tool for team insight. Coaches, leaders, and team facilitators use the CliftonStrengths® domain colors as quick, visual shorthand to understand team makeup at a glance. Here’s why they’re helpful:
- Purple (Executing): Associated with reliability, strength, and follow-through.
- Orange (Influencing): Represents energy, confidence, and visibility.
- Blue (Relationship Building): Reflects empathy, harmony, and people-centeredness.
- Green (Strategic Thinking): Suggests insight, growth, and future-focus.
When strengths are color-coded, it’s easier to spot imbalances on a team or celebrate the diversity of perspectives.
How Understanding Domains Can Improve Communication and Collaboration
If you’ve ever clashed with a colleague who “thinks differently,” domain knowledge might explain why. Maybe you’re in Strategic Thinking, always pondering future possibilities, while your teammate in Executing wants immediate action. Without Influencing strengths, securing leadership support can be tough.
Recognizing where each team member’s strengths lie creates a shared language. It encourages respect, empathy, and synergy instead of friction. When you know who thrives on brainstorming, who shines in presentations, and who brings people together, you can better leverage each person’s unique contribution.
Visual Cues in the Workplace: A Simple Way to Reinforce Team Strengths
Here’s where things get fun and functional. Color-coded workplace tools help reinforce strengths in day-to-day settings:
- Office Placards: Display domain colors right at desks to showcase strengths.
- Name Tags: Use them during meetings, workshops, or retreats to foster faster connection and collaboration.
- Table Tents: Great for group sessions, trainings, or onboarding activities—instantly show who brings what to the table (literally).
These small touches serve as powerful visual reminders of the team’s collective talents and balance. They make strengths more accessible and conversations more intentional.
The Takeaway
Ready to bring the four domains to life in your office? Strengths Store offers a collection of office placards, name tags, table tents, and more, designed with CliftonStrengths® domain colors. As a Gallup-Certified Strengths product vendor, we’re proud to provide tools that align with the official framework and help reinforce a strengths-based culture in meaningful ways. Whether you're a coach leading a team workshop or a manager building a strengths-based culture, our products help you use strengths colors intentionally and effectively.
Build better teams. Communicate with clarity. Celebrate what makes each person uniquely strong.
