#191: Are You an "Observer" Personality Type?

Introduction

In today's "People Skills" newsletter, we're looking at another personality type in the Enneagram series.

If you look at the Enneagram model, you’ll find at point 5 the type that needs to perceive.

This type is in the Thinking group, those who relate to the world through their thoughts.

From this type come some of the most intelligent and also some of the most absent-minded people.

This type shows us how to use the power of their minds to be both creative and mind-obsessive.

In this presentation, we’ll go in depth into the features of the Five...

01. Intro to the Nine Personality Types

The Enneagram is an ancient system in which everyone can be slotted into one of nine personality types. These types are conditioned by nine different needs, namely: the need to be perfect (Ones); the need to be needed (Twos); the need to be successful (Threes); the need to be different (Fours); the need to perceive (Fives); the need to be safe (Sixes); the need to be happy (Sevens); the need to be strong (Eights); and the need to be at peace (Nines).

02. Fives are Watchers

Fives are the Watchers of the Enneagram and the first group in the thinking triad. They are defined by the facility with which they use their minds, whether as experts and specialists, as decision-takers and problem-solvers, or simply as people who can see both the big picture of what is going on and the detail behind it...

03. Question 01

Who do you know in your working life is a Five personality type? Describe some of the incidents that you remember about this person that defines their type.

04. A Summary of Fives

The following are some of the characteristics of Fives: curious; shy; pensive; thoughtful; analytical; watchful; reserved; good with facts; easily distracted; rational; greedy for more; modest; unfocused; loners; hoarders; take in everything; easily exhausted; introspective; fearful of action and commitment; hate not to know what's going on...

05. Question 02

Thinking about someone you know who is a Five type, what were the positive ways in which they behaved which showed their type at its best? What were the not-so-positive ways?

06. How to Recognise a Five

Fives like to see. At home, the chair is close to the window; at work, the desk oversees everyone else. If Fives can see without being seen so much the better...

07. Question 03

Thinking of someone you know who is a Five type, what are the habitual characteristics of their personality? How do you react to these habits?

08. The Five at Work

A Five in the workplace is always aware of the comings and goings of others. An ability to observe, analyse and draw conclusions is a huge advantage in workplaces where information is important...

09. Question 04

Describe how the following might typically behave at work: a Five-type boss; a Five-type colleague; a Five-type on your team.

10. The Five Organisation

A Five organisation has the following characteristics:

a. a need for research, focus groups, and study sessions

b. knowledge-based products

c. high levels of intellectual understanding

d. value is placed on those who are articulate and clever

e. regular use of brainstorming to solve problems.

11. Question 05

Find an example of an organisation that shows the traits of the Five-type personality. Explain what it is like working there or being a customer there.

12. Noteworthy Fives

Some noteworthy Fives include: : Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft; Greta Garbo, film star of the 1930's who retreated from the world saying: "I want to be alone"; astronomer Stephen Hawking; philosopher Rene Descartes; Scrooge from Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"; Fagin from Dickens' "Oliver Twist"; Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, saying a lot in a few words...

13. Question 06

Use one of the well-known people in the list of Fives, or someone else who is well-known. Research what is known about them and jot down an anecdote that illustrates their type.

14. "Nothing Escapes Me"

Beryl Cook (1926 - 2008), a Five type, was one of the most original of modern British painters. Painfully shy, yet sharply observant, her most famous works portray fat ladies in public settings...

15. Question 07

If you were the manager of a Five personality type, how would you get the best out of them and develop them further?

16. A Final Word

To discover the Fives on your team, ask yourself: "Who always knows what’s going on?"; "Who likes to be alone with their thoughts?" and "Who tends to do a lot with very little?”

What Next?

If you have worked through each slide in this presentation, including the question slides, you will now have a great set of resources to help you recognise, understand, and work successfully with the "Observer" personality type.

Now's the time to build on what you've learnt.

With over 22,000 learning resources on our 6 websites, with 2 sites offering free downloads, you can now take charge of your own learning and go deeper into this topic.

In particular, you can view a whole range of videos on the "Observer" personality type here: https://www.snippizz.com/#/video-all/5466%3Ftopic&topic_ids%3D5466

With regular daily learning, you will be amazed at how quickly you will fully understand this topic and use this knowledge in both your work and non-work life.

Well done and good luck!