To Move Out of One’s Habit of Attention Takes Courage

Last week I shared a profound statement: Learning the Enneagram changed my life (which is why I became certified ten years ago)! If you are compelled to learn more about the insights of the Enneagram as tool to use at work, you will discover which one of the nine Enneastyle “flavors” resonates with you. With this knowledge you will perceive more about your original “real self.” The Enneagram teaches that we are different in significant ways. The names associated with the nine Enneagram types represent an angle of the type:

• Type One: The Perfectionist/Humanitarian/Reformer, strives to do things right; has a strong sense of what is right and wrong.
• Type Two: The Giver/Pleaser/Helper, need to be needed and valued, and to help others.
• The Three: Achiever/Producer/Performer, has a need to be productive, work hard and succeed.
• The Four: Romantic/Individualist/Connoisseur, wishes to explore deep passions and be understood; leads others to new depths.
• The Five: Observer/Sage/Investigator, seek objective information to know and understand everything to master the game.
• The Six: Questioner/Troubleshooter/Loyalist, worries about problems, has a need for safety and security, and wants to be prepared.
• The Seven: Enthusiast/Epicure/Adventurer, needs to be happy and avoid pain; enjoys planning new ideas or possibilities.
• The Eight: Boss/Leader/Challenger, seeks to be strong and exercises power to keep control.
• The Nine: Mediator/Peacemaker/Unifier, merges with others to bring all sides together to avoid conflict.

Understanding personality types can only communicate ideas about each type’s reality, not reality itself. At work, each Enneagram type has a characteristic agenda and operates within a particular decision-making frame.

If you find yourself intrigued by this ancient personality typing system that is “new” to the workplace, email me for a free article. The most comprehensive approach I use to assess your Enneastyle is through an hour-long narrative typing interview conducted by a certified professional.

Few organizations seek to design and implement a noble legacy that transcends generations. Stuck in workplace positionalities, organizations hover around being good. Jim Collins wrote, “Good is the enemy of great.” The key component to achieving greatness requires an intention to provide training and development that concentrates on valuing personality distinctions, such as the wisdom-based Enneagram.

If you know the Enneagram or have used it at work, please share your comments by posting them below.

Sandra Ford Walston is known as The Courage Expert and originator of StuckThinking™. She is an organizational effectiveness consultant, speaker, internationally published author of bestseller COURAGE, trainer and courage coach. She is certified in the Enneagram and MBTI®. www.walstoncourage.com.