When NOT to use the Enneagram (for teams)

The Enneagram is a great tool to support teams at work.

But it's not right for all teams.

Let's explore why.

How the Enneagram is used in the workplace

The Enneagram's popularity in the last few years has skyrocketed. It's moved out of the therapist's offices and into the workplace. With good reason. As it focuses on deeper motivations, the Enneagram can be transformative for working relationships.

According to a 2022 survey, these are some of the most common ways the Enneagram is used at work.

According to this, the Enneagram is mostly used for personal development over professional development. While the survey didn't define what that meant, personal development tends to focus more on one's physical, emotional or social wellbeing in some way. While professional development tends to focus on skills we need to develop to be effective at our jobs.

Although communication skills definitely blurs the lines between both.

But notice how far teams are down the list.

And I think there's a reason for that. And that tells us a lot about when not to introduce the Enneagram to a team.

Enneagram reports can shock be a shock to the system

The Enneagram's speaks to our deeper motivations. Our core fears, core desires, and how that becomes patterns of behaviour. It sees both our strengths, but also how they can become weaknesses. It sees how in times of stress, our personality becomes less flexible and more rigid and we double down on the only way of working that feels within our control.

Which means, when someone reads their Enneagram report for the first time, it can be a bit of a shock.

It's not like reading other personality reports.

When you read other personality or strengths focused reports, we normally respond with a "oh yeah, I do that, hilarious."

When we read our Enneagram report, it can be more like "Oh no, is that how people see me? That's awful."

And that has consequences.

Reasons to NOT use the Enneagram with a team

Here are a few reasons when not to use the Enneagram with your team.

1. Your team is in conflict

The Enneagram is a tool that requires a certain level of trust to already exist within the team. Without it, the Enneagram can become a weapon.

If a team is struggling to communicate with each other, avoids conflict or isn't on the same page about using the Enneagram, then it's best to find a different model that will support the team to resolve their differences.

2. Your team is exhausted, stressed or lacking capacity

When we first meet the Enneagram, we need a certain amount of space, time and cognitive capacity in order to take in all it's telling us. We first need to understand it in the context of ourselves and our way of working. Then we need to understand the types of our colleagues and what how to adjust our communication style or expectations so we improve our working relationships.

All that requires a lot of capacity.

That's doesn't mean a team isn't busy, teams are always busy. But they aren't overwhelmed or struggling.

When a team lacks capacity in anyway, the Enneagram will just become another personality report that's lost on their laptop.

3. The team hasn't done much personal development yet

To work with the Enneagram effectively individuals and the team as a whole need to have already developed a capacity and skill in self-reflection and self-inquiry, and to do both non-judgmentally.

If your team hasn't had the opportunity or support to develop this skill, or that got a low rating in your recent 360 feedback assessments, it might be best to start with a different model.

4. Your boss has fallen in love with the report

It is easy to fall in love with the Enneagram. For every person that finds their report uncomfortable, for another person its love at first sight. They can see all the potential it holds for them, their team and their organization.

And it can truly deliver on that potential, when handled with care.

When the boss falls in love with the Enneagram and tasks the rest of the team with taking the test and sharing their results, it can undermine psychological safety.

A person's Enneagram results are an incredibly personal thing. And every team member has the right to privacy. But once people start talking about their results, everyone feels pressured to reveal they type too, and not everyone is happy to share.

We can carry a lot of shame and embarrassment about our type, especially when we haven't had the chance to talk thorough our results with a neutral Enneagram practitioner who can help someone confirm if that result is correct and how to tend to all the feelings that go with it.

So if your boss is head over heels for the Enneagram, before asking everyone to task the task, suggest the team set some ground rules for how everyone wants to engage with it. Or suggest your boss work one on one with an Enneagram Practitioner first so that can learn how to apply it to their own leadership and communication style before asking the team to do so.

Final thoughts

Don't get me wrong, I love the Enneagram. But it's a powerful tool that needs to be handled with care. It's essential that you check it's right for your team, before introducing it to your team.

?? I'm Samantha Mackay. I support remote teams to thrive with the Enneagram through workshops, debriefs and mentoring. To check if the Enneagram is a fit for your team, get in touch.