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Getting the best out of the Enneagram

Mary Bast and Clarence Thomson provide an excellent section on the ethical use of the Enneagram in their book “Out of the Box: Coaching with the Enneagram”.

The Enneagram is not intended to put people into boxes. In fact, understanding the influence of our Enneagram type is the first step in getting out of the box of unconscious habitual behaviour. Remember, we are not our personality type. We are far more than that.

The Enneagram just helps us to identify a potential set of influences that may impact on us. It really is just about using the knowledge of your own type and the types of others and being the watcher in the now moments of our lives.
The underlying premise is that if we are self-aware and are managing ourselves well we have the opportunity to be better leaders, colleagues and role models and improve the relationships most important to us.
  • The following points can help us to get the best use out of the Enneagram:
  • Just because we relate mostly to a certain type, that does not mean that we will always operate in a predictable way. The influence of the type will vary in relation to levels of self-awareness and our ability to manage the habitual responses of type.
  • We should not make assumptions about how a person of a certain type will behave, as that may not always be the case depending on the variables noted above
  • Understanding of type is not an excuse for behaviour. (“I do that because I am a five.”)
  • We are influenced by both our Enneagram personality as well as our experiences, culture and environment.
  • We are influenced by both our Enneagram personality as well as our experiences, culture and environment.
  • Our Enneagram type does not change – what changes is our response to the push of the personality through increased self-awareness.
  • There is no better or worse Enneagram type – they all bring amazing gifts that we need in the world and the workplace, and these gifts outweigh the challenges.
  • When we know what the challenging parts of our personality are we can consciously choose our responses rather than allowing a habitual response or pattern to prevail.
  • The knowledge just helps us to understand what the motivations and influences are for each type and what the behaviours might be at the stress and the security point. It provides a foundation for greater tolerance and understanding and more authentic conversations

 Veronica Lunn - 23rd May 2019
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