The Enneagram is an invaluable tool used to assist coaching and personal development. It provides a unique insight into personality types and how that impacts on the performance of individuals, teams and organisations.
The Enneagram offers profound understanding and awareness on nine different ways in terms of how people think, act and feel. Reports can be used in support of coaching in the development and structuring of a coaching program; to assist in the development of emotional intelligence as well as leadership capabilities.
Using the Enneagram helps you answer questions such as “Why do I do the things I do?” or “How can I have more meaningful relationships?” or “How can I achieve better results in my work?”. Working with the Enneagram will help you know yourself and develop self awareness.
WHAT IS THE ENNEAGRAM?
- The Enneagram is a powerful and dynamic personality system describing human behaviour by outlining nine distinct and fundamentally different personality types in terms of conscious patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving along with our repressed ‘shadow’ aspects.
- The Enneagram reveals the truth of what we might see as the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ parts of our habitual programming.
- Each type reflects a specific world view around which an unconscious life strategy is built in order to protect ourselves.
- The Enneagram creates awareness of repeated ineffective patterns in our personal behaviour and identifies ways to address them.
- Understanding our type helps highlight the areas of personal and interpersonal challenges and our unconscious motivations.
- Understanding our type also helps change the way you relate to yourself and others by giving insight into your own ‘language’ and that of others. It determines what you pay attention to as well as where you direct your energy.
- It is a valuable tool for self-development, as well as improvement in interpersonal relations in your personal or work life and is widely use in individual, leadership and team development.
- The Enneagram describes nine personality types and twenty seven subtypes. Once you find yourself in one of these types you’ll gain access to a large amount of information that can help you recognise and understand the patterns in your thoughts, emotions and actions – and help you release yourself from being trapped in certain patterns.
An overview of the nine different Enneagram types:
One: Basic personality elements include conscientious, purposeful, responsible & precise. Basic fear: of being bad or defective. Basic desire: to be good and to have integrity.
Dislikes: carelessness and unreliability, sets high standards for self and others.
Two: Basic personality elements include warm, affirming, compassionate & nurturing. Basic fear: of being unloved. Basic desire: to feel love.
Dislikes: isolation and lack of people contact, thrives on service to others and making personal connections.
Three: Basic personality elements include efficient, motivating, goal-orientated & industrious. Basic fear: of being worthless. Basic desire to feel valuable.
Dislikes: inefficiency and lack of ambition, thrives on success and recognition.
Four: Basic personality elements include Intuitive, refined, distinctive & introspective. Basic fear: of having no identity or significance. Basic desire: to be myself.
Dislikes: uniformity and boredom, expresses through feelings and aesthetics.
Five: Basic personality elements include observant, innovative, logical & objective. Basic fear: of being overwhelmed, helpless and incompetent. Basic desire: to be capable and competent.
Dislikes: intrusiveness, enjoys consistent learning in their particular field.
Six: Basic personality elements include loyal, responsible, cautious & tenacious. Basic fear: of being without support and security. Basic desire: to have security and support.
Dislikes: instability and constant change, good trouble-shooters.
Seven: Basic personality elements include enthusiastic, visionary, gregarious & spontaneous. Basic fear: being trapped in pain and deprivation. Basic desire: to be content and satisfied.
Dislikes: attention to detail and routine, enjoys constructing new ideas.
Eight: Basic personality elements include assertive, autonomous, decisive & fearless. Basic fear: of being controlled or harmed. Basic desire: to protect myself.
Dislikes: lack of focus and dishonesty, supports strength and action.
Nine: Basic personality elements include patient, reassuring, easy going & diplomatic. Basic fear: of loss, separation and fragmentation. Basic desire: peace of mind and wholeness.
Dislikes: conflict and strife, supports harmony and stability.
Each structure of interpretation or SOI is value-neutral; no structure of interpretation is inherently better or worse than any other one; each has assets and liabilities with qualities useful to an organisation and qualities that impede harmony, communication and growth.