Reading: Using Enneagram to know yourselves and promote healthy teams
Overview (4-minute video)
Enneagram Personality Test
The Enneagram is a great system of personality typing that describes patterns in how people 1) conceptualize the world and 2) manage their emotions. It has become wildly popular because of its numerous applications such as professional teamwork, personal relationships, and even just knowing one's own perceptions, strengths, and challenges.
In a project environment like 374, it's not only important to know your own personality (i.e. what motivates you and how you react under stress) but to also know your teammates' and clients' personalities so you can anticipate potential conflicts and issues that could arise. Even in the case where conflict does arise, by better knowing each other's personalities, you can better communicate and resolve issues.
This test consists of pages containing nine questions or less (one for each Enneagram type Links to an external site.). After you have answered enough questions to establish which types you are not, you'll get no further questions for those types.
STEP 1 - Take the test Links to an external site. (Budget at least 10-15 minutes for this)
STEP 2a - Once you know your "type" please submit it here on Canvas
STEP 2b - Log into Mural and visit the room for your section. Create a post-it with your name and place that in the section that aligns with your Enneagram number. This allows your classmates to know you but also acts as a test of your Mural access
STEP 3 - Review more details about yourself. Take stock of your strengths, your challenges, and tips for growth.
| Type | Characteristics/Strengths of Type | Challenges/Stressors for type | Tips at Work |
|
Type 1: Reformer |
Ones are responsible, thorough, and hard working with high standards for themselves and others. They know how to do things the right way. |
Their challenge is to balance their critical thinking with acceptance and appreciation, and to know when “good enough” is more productive than “exactly right.” |
Try to reach a standard of excellence without putting pressure on you or the team to make everything perfect. |
|
Type 2: Helper |
Twos are positive and people-oriented. They make excellent communicators and will support the best interests of the organization. Highly empathetic, they know what other people feel and need. | Their challenge is to practice good personal boundaries and to choose more carefully when and how much they help others. Struggle to get their own work done due to helping others. |
Try to create healthy boundaries to allow you space to focus on your own work and priorities. Learn to say no sometimes to avoid being an over-committer. |
|
Type 3: Achiever |
Threes have tremendous productivity. Enthusiastic and highly motivated, they quickly move into action to accomplish results. | Their challenge is to take the time to listen to others, build good relationships, and develop a more long-term strategy. They need to watch out for personal burnout due to “workaholism.” |
Try to think about how your work makes you feel in your life instead of trying to make your life fit in with your work. Ask yourself if tackling another mountain will truly make you happy. |
|
Type 4: Individualist |
Fours focus on authenticity, meaning, and aesthetics. They value excellence in all things and they want to make a personal connection to their work and to the people around them. | Feels like whatever they do, it needs to be more meaningful. They can have a difficult time applying themselves until they can find the unique meaning. |
Try finding comfort in the day-to-day aspects of work that are required to progress towards your dream. Careful to not emotionally react or take things too personally. |
|
Type 5: Investigator |
Fives are excellent thinkers and strategists. They seek to develop technical expertise and accumulate knowledge. They need lots of privacy and autonomy. | Their challenge is to be available to other people when possible and to recognize other human assets besides mental intelligence. They can feel rushed in getting their work done. |
Try to find clarity on when to stop processing and start taking action. Try to recognize if you're over-analyzing things. Access that sometimes you can't have all the data you'd like. |
|
Type 6: Loyalist |
Sixes focus on figuring out what’s going on around them to create safety and structure. They are loyal, dependable, and they are especially good at anticipating problems and creating solutions. | Their challenge is to manage their suspicion and doubt so that it doesn’t de-motivate themselves or other people. Fears they'll make the wrong decision or let others down. |
Trust in the process or pursuit of a life that feels fulfilling to you. Consider how realistic your fears are and if the worst-case scenario is really that bad. |
|
Type 7: Enthusiast |
Sevens are quick thinking, adaptable, and positive in their outlook. Where other people see problems, they see opportunities. They like to enjoy multiple interests and multiple options. | Their challenge is to acknowledge problems and limitations and to bring their attention back to the present and the task at hand. |
Try to moderate your energy for longer periods of time instead of starting strong and fizzling out. Practice single-tasking over multi-tasking |
|
Type 8: Challenger |
Eights are good at taking charge of their environment. They know how to mobilize to get things done. They make good leaders, and they will stand up for the positions and the people they care about. | Their challenge is to moderate their own forcefulness, to become adaptable in different situations, and to avoid creating unnecessary conflict. |
Don't work yourself until you're sick. Your job isn't to order others around. Learn to trust that others will excel in their work after it is delegated to them so you can rest easier. |
|
Type 9: Peacemaker |
Nines are steady and balanced in their approach to work and relationships. They can see all sides of an issue and are able to bring people together in a spirit of cooperation and harmony. | Their challenge is to stay focused on the priorities and to stick up for their own position, even if that involves discomfort or conflict. |
Get a clear understanding of your priorities and don't wait for others to give you work. Have an effective routing to serves your work life. Try to practice speaking up. |
How can you use Enneagrams in your groups? (in 2 minutes)
Additional Detail (Optional)
More about the Enneagram model
The Enneagram model describes nine different personality types and maps each of these types on a nine-pointed diagram which helps to illustrate how the types relate to one another. Optional: For short additional detail about this model, you can more read here Links to an external site..
What to know more about your type or another?
Go here to get a deep dive into each type. Links to an external site.This site includes examples of each type. It also includes details on which personalities conflict with each type and which are more compatible which could be valuable when you know your teammates' personalities too. It also includes growth recommendations for each type and common misperceptions about each type.