Enneagram Library

By proactively presenting the Enneagram tool and their goals for utilizing it with their team, a leader can prepare their team to embark on the growth journey and apply the Enneagram’s powerful lessons of self-discovery and collaboration.

Before introducing the Enneagram to the team, a leader will want to review the following and prepare thoughtful answers to common questions:

Why do we even need to put people into a category?

While categorization can feel reductive, the truth is that human interactions are informed by patterns and relational understanding. Without this foundational understanding, it is more difficult for people to communicate clearly and understand what is being said from each perspective. The Enneagram is a means to an end, supporting a stronger, shared understanding by helping individuals better understand themselves as well as those with whom they interact.

“The Enneagram isn’t scientific,” OR There is another instrument I like better/why aren’t we using another instrument?

There are many personality and assessment tools, and many have been used successfully in the workplace and team contexts. While the Enneagram has not yet been studied quantitatively, it has a strong qualitative background and allows people to gain clarity about themselves and others, facilitating a greater mutual understanding. 

Assessments and instruments of this type are effective in the workplace because of both the structure they provide to team conversations and the individual insights they support. While each assessment tool or framework has valuable elements, the Enneagram stands apart by delivering unique insights based on its focus on underlying motivation and self-awareness rather than surface behaviors or traits.

The choice of a specific tool, such as the Enneagram, does not indicate that other tools or those used in the past are not of value. Ultimately, there is a benefit in having the entire team engage with a single framework together, and at this time, the choice of framework is the Enneagram. 

I don’t resonate with my type, or I think my type is incorrect.

This is okay and not uncommon. The goal of utilizing the Enneagram framework is to help each individual understand who they are as a person so that team members can more effectively understand each other. By reflecting on both what does and what does not resonate about one’s type, individuals will gain valuable insights about both themselves and others. In team exercises, for those who do not resonate with their type, a leader can ask that they share what doesn’t fit, as well as whether anything about their type does resonate, even if only in small ways. 

The Enneagram does not force fit everyone to a single type: in fact, were it to do so, it would lose its value.

Often, we find that upon reflection, an individual may discover that they were typed correctly and have learned something new about themselves. Occasionally, we find that team members need to take the assessment again in order to feel confident about their typing.

I hate these kinds of exercises, and I don’t understand why we need to do them.

As a team grows, team members must continue to seek common understanding. With more voices and backgrounds bringing talent and fresh perspectives to our team, each member of the team must be prepared to listen to, understand, and place in context these perspectives, which will benefit the team and the organization as a whole. 

These types of frameworks are helpful because they provide structure to the process of learning about each other, and allow a team to successfully gain understanding and build connections in a proven way, without taking additional time and energy away from workplace priorities. 

These exercises are focused on team building and supporting effective communcation: while team members may gain insights that are useful for personal development, the primary goal of holding a team engagement utilizing the Enneagram is to support improved cohesion and performance for the team unit. That said, the Enneagram framework often results in personal growth, as personal and professional development are inextricably intertwined. However, team members will always be respected as individuals with personal boundaries, and will never be expected to share more of their personal experience than they are comfortable with. 

I am afraid of how my results are going to be used. Will they be used to evaluate me?

This exercise focuses on deepening a team's mutual understanding, creating connections between team members, and revealing more about how each team member shows up, so the team can work better, together. This focus on gaining insight and understanding often directly supports a team's goals and values, and results in the type of team that leaders wish to foster, with a strong foundation of trust and connection. 

Because the goal of this exercise is team building and enhanced communication, it is not a performance evaluation. One of the strengths of the Enneagram is that it is a reminder to be curious about people and to remember that any type can show up and thrive in any role within a company: often, an engagement of this type will allow team members to see each other from fresh perspectives and gain a deeper appreciation for each team member’s skills, talents, and unique contributions. 

By addressing common concerns such as the ones outlined here before adopting the Enneagram in a team environment, a leader will demonstrate authentic care and concern for their team members, as well as their intention to foster professional cohesion, growth, and support for a growing team and evolving organization. 

For additional support and resources for utilizing the Enneagram in a team environment, explore our Enneagram, Coaching, and Workshop resources.

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