A Guide To The Enneagram At Work
What is the Enneagram?
The Enneagram is a graph that lays out nine personality types. Each type, or number, on the graph has a dynamic relationship with four other numbers–the two numbers on either side of it (called wings), and the two numbers it connects to via the lines shown in the visual (known as stress and security numbers). For example, I am a Type Six (the Loyalist), so I am connected to both Five and Seven on either side (my wings), and to Three and Nine, the numbers I pull from when I need to perform (Three) or when I am feeling at peace (Nine). While your number never changes, your behavior will be influenced, sometimes heavily, by the four numbers yours is connected to.
Here’s a quick rundown of each number’s motivations (taken from Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile’s Enneagram primer The Road Back to You). This information is BY NO MEANS exhaustive, and there is so much more to it than these simplified descriptions. See the Reading List provided further down if you’re interested in learning more:
1 – The Reformer
Ethical, dedicated, and reliable, Ones are motivated by a desire to live the right way, improve the world, and avoid fault and blame. They give their best, do their best, offer their best, and expect the same from others.
2 – The Helper
Warm, caring, and giving, Twos are motivated by a need to be loved and needed, and to avoid acknowledging their own needs.
3 – The Achiever
Threes need to be (and to be seen as) successful, efficient, and effective. They have trouble reading feelings (their own and others).
4 – The Individualist
Fours are the most complex number on the Enneagram; they need to be both unique and authentic. They believe inherently that something is missing in their lives and they must find it.
5 – The Investigator
Fives never want to have to depend on anyone else. They are the most emotionally detached of all the numbers; they manage fear by gathering information and knowledge.
6 – The Loyalist
Sixes are reliable, hard-working, engaging, and trustworthy. Excellent “troubleshooters,” they foresee problems and foster cooperation, but can also become defensive and anxious.
7 – The Enthusiast
Sevens delight in the best possibilities, but they need to avoid pain so they reframe all negatives to positives. Their basic desire is to have all their needs met and to feel satisfied.
8 – The Challenger
Eights are independent thinkers who tend to see everything in extremes: good or bad; right or wrong; friend or foe. Anger is their emotion of choice, but it doesn’t last long. They are passionate and energetic.
9 – The Peacemaker
Nines are the least complex number with the least amount of energy on the Enneagram; they keep in anything that would cause conflict and keep out anything that would steal their peace.
In Practice
The philosophy at the heart of the Enneagram is that our biggest strength is also our biggest weakness. In my experience, nowhere is this more true than when we’re at work. Tight timelines, demanding clients, and unexpected roadblocks, to name a few, can all conspire to take our best qualities and twist them into unproductive behavior.
Here’s what that can look like for each number, and what we can do to help each other stay on course:
A Few Final Do’s And Dont’s
I’ve been studying the Enneagram for almost a year, and I still don’t have a complete understanding. It can be complex, so I want to offer a set of guidelines and provide some recommendations if you are interested in learning more about this tool and applying that knowledge in a work setting.
DO read any of the very helpful introductory books out there to discover your own type and learn more about how the types work best together (see reading list below).
DON’T rely solely on an online quiz to determine your type. Quizzes assume we are being honest with ourselves, and most of us have trouble with that.
DO make sure you have a full understanding of not only your own type, but of the tool’s basic tenets, before you share with your team. It can only be useful when used correctly.
DON’T attempt to type others. Since the Enneagram is all about an individual’s motivations, not their behaviors, it is impossible for someone on the outside looking in to really know.
Once you know your number, DO be aware of the tendencies you have that are counter-productive, but DON’T judge yourself for those behaviors. We are all works in progress, and self awareness is a major step in the right direction.
But DON’T use the Enneagram to excuse bad behavior. You’re not late everyday because you’re a Seven. Your co-worker shouldn’t be allowed to yell at everyone when they’re stressed because they’re an Eight. The purpose is to show us the areas where we struggle so we can be aware, and that awareness hopefully leads to change.
Finally, DON’T make it too personal. This is definitely a fine line to walk with the Enneagram in application because it is personal by design, but in a workplace setting, make sure you find ways to focus discussions of type on job responsibilities and work relationships only.
Like all tools and strategies used to help businesses thrive, the Enneagram can be remarkably helpful, but it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It shouldn’t be your only means of self-evaluation and it shouldn’t stand alone as the only rationale for a decision. However, at General Public, it’s become a vital tool for understanding ourselves and each other. Especially for a small-but-growing team like ours, having a handle on who we are as individuals is key to knowing who we are as a team. Without that corporate self-awareness, a young company will have difficulty consistently making the right decisions and bringing on the right people.
Reading List
If you’re interested in learning more about your type and how the Enneagram can help you better navigate your professional life, below are a few resources that I recommend:
The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile
The Path Between Us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships by Suzanne Stabile
The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge by Beatrice Chestnut