Newsflash: The Enneagram personality assessment isn’t just intended for personal use.
While it’s true that the results are uniquely tailored to individuals, the Enneagram assessment truly can be a valuable tool for teams or collaborative work environments.
How can something designed to unpack the intricacies of your individual personality truly benefit a group as a whole? Let’s unpack this together!
When one is better, we all are better.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “A team is only as strong as its weakest link.” What does this mean? To put it simply, each individual in a group is going to make an impact on the team as a whole. This impact can be hugely beneficial. It can also be detrimental depending on the circumstances.
How does the Enneagram fit in?
When we as individuals take time to truly understand our own personal strengths, weaknesses, and personality tendencies, we will hopefully begin to operate more effectively in all facets of life. This includes the way we show up for our team. The more deeply you understand your own brain and the in which you operate, the better equipped you will be to take ownership of your impact.
In essence, when you are better, stronger, or more effective, you make your team better.
The Enneagram and finding your “right fit” role.
While a single person taking the Enneagram and learning to understand themselves more deeply can (and will) have positive ripple effects for the group at large, a whole team taking the assessment together can have an even greater impact.
I’m a huge fan of teams taking the assessment together. Why?
First I’ll say, it’s not so you can make excuses for your less than stellar qualities. It’s also not so we can look for weaknesses in our teammates or pigeonhole people into personality boxes.
Rather, I consider the Enneagram assessment to be a tool for self-knowledge and understanding. It allows teams to truly consider the wealth of strengths available in the group. In doing so, we are able to maximize the potential of each individual and the collaborative unit as a whole.
You may find that certain individuals are better suited for different tasks or projects than they’ve previously engaged in. There may be people whose strengths are so compatible that, if paired together, they would be a powerhouse of achievement.
Understanding personal skill sets and how individuals react in different situations isn’t all that the Enneagram can offer.
Additionally, this information helps us understand how each team member approaches work and handles difficult situations. This is helpful in learning about your team members’ motivations, reducing misunderstandings, and improving communication and conflict resolution.
See what I mean?
The knowledge and information that the Enneagram provides can be so helpful in structuring, designing, and managing teams that are truly effective.
Let’s Talk Practicals.
Alright, so you’re interested in using this great tool to strengthen the work of your team. Now what? Here are a few practical steps to get you started utilizing the Enneagram assessment:
- Take The Test
Simple enough, right? Before you can do anything else, each of your team members needs to take the Enneagram assessment and begin trying to understand and unpack their personal type.
- Debrief
After each member has their results, take some time to share and unpack together. Have each individual share their type and some of the characteristics of their personality.
*I’ve found it’s often helpful to have an experienced facilitator guide this discussion so you can all truly get the most from the assessment and subsequent conversations. My Team Enneagram Coaching session might be just what your group needs to really get this important work going.
- Put It Into Practice
The whole point of using an assessment like the Enneagram is to make intentional decisions to strengthen your team. This requires careful reflection and guided decision-making. Here are a few questions to ask or discuss:
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- What skills does each member have that are currently being well-utilized?
- Are there any skills that are being underutilized? If so, are there opportunities to put these strengths to use in our organization?
- Are there individuals on the team that are well-suited to work together on future projects?
- Are any team members currently handling tasks that are better suited for another team member?
If you’re interested in learning more about how the Enneagram assessment can benefit you and your team, I’d be happy to hop on a call and chat with you about your specific needs. Click HERE to book a time!
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
