“I can see myself in several of these.”

If you’ve ever said that while trying to determine your Enneagram type, you’re not alone, and it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing anything wrong.

In this episode of Enneagram at Work, we’re talking about why it’s completely normal to relate to multiple Enneagram types and why identifying your type requires looking beyond individual traits and behaviors.

Of course you can be helpful without being a Type 2. Ambitious without being a Type 3. Security-conscious without being a Type 6. Excited by new possibilities without being a Type 7. And there are probably times when you want connection, peace, autonomy, recognition, or certainty.

The question isn't “Which type descriptions sound like me?”

It's “Which underlying strategy do I find myself returning to most often?”

We’ll also look at some of the factors that can make multiple types feel familiar, including your work role, learned behaviors, resource points or arrows, Instinctual Biases, and simply being a complex human being.

If you’re stuck between two (or three!) Enneagram types, the goal isn’t to find the description that matches everything you do. Start getting curious about why you do it.

Because your Enneagram type isn't meant to explain every behavior.

It helps you notice the pattern underneath them.

Bring the Enneagram to Your Team: enneagrammba.com

Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

Someone plagiarized our website.

Not exactly the way I expected to find clarity about the future of Enneagram MBA, but here we are.

In this behind-the-scenes episode of Enneagram at Work, I'm sharing what happened when I discovered that a significant amount of our website messaging, design, and offers had been copied, and the unexpected good that came out of an understandably frustrating experience.

Because somewhere between “Are you kidding me?” and figuring out what needed to happen next, I started asking a much more interesting question:

What have we built that someone else can't simply copy so easily?

That question made me realize something: Enneagram MBA had outgrown some of its own messaging.

For years, we've talked about Enneagram workshops for the workplace. But the work our clients are asking us to do today goes much further, helping teams improve communication, navigate tension, develop leaders, strengthen cross-department relationships, and figure out how to keep using the Enneagram long after the initial workshop ends.

In this episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of that evolution, including our new Shared Language Framework:

Learn It → Translate It → Use It → Keep It Going

You'll hear why learning the nine Enneagram types is only the beginning, what we mean when we talk about creating a shared language at work, and why the real value comes from translating Enneagram theory into your team's actual meetings, feedback, conflict, leadership, and day-to-day relationships.

I also share what's changing at Enneagram MBA, from standalone workshops to development programs and organization-wide experiences, and why we're putting even more attention on what happens after the workshop.

Because ultimately:

The Enneagram is the tool. What you do with it matters.

Knowing I'm a Type 7 and you're a Type 1 might be interesting. But what changes in our next meeting? Our next conflict? The way we give each other feedback? The way our departments work together?

That's where the work really begins.

So no, I wouldn't necessarily recommend having someone plagiarize your website as a business strategy. But in this case, it forced us to get much clearer about what we believe, what makes our approach different, and how we can better support the people and organizations we work with.

Curious what this could look like for your team? Visit Enneagram MBA and tell us what's going on. You don't need to know which workshop or program you need, that's our job to help you figure out.

enneagrammba.com

Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

Have you ever walked out of a meeting thinking a decision had been made, only to discover your coworker thought you were still discussing it?

You were in the same room. You heard the same words. And somehow, you walked away with two completely different interpretations.

In this episode of Enneagram at Work, we’re kicking off our Overheard at Work series by looking at what can get lost in translation during everyday workplace communication.

Because we don't necessarily listen to conversations neutrally. One person may be listening for What did we decide? Another is listening for What could go wrong? Someone else is focused on How will this affect the team? while another is already thinking about What happens next?

The Enneagram can help us understand some of the different patterns influencing what people naturally pay attention to, and why two smart, engaged coworkers can hear the exact same conversation differently.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why workplace miscommunication isn't always about someone being a “bad listener”
• How different people assign importance to different parts of the same conversation
• Why we can mistake our interpretation of a conversation for the conversation itself
• How the Enneagram can help teams get curious about what coworkers may be listening for
• One simple question managers can use at the end of a meeting to catch misunderstandings before everyone walks out the door

Try This

Instead of ending your next meeting with:

“Does everybody understand?”

Try:

“What is everyone walking away believing we've decided?”

Or:

“What are you taking away as your next step?”

You may be surprised by the answers.

The goal isn't to test whether people were paying attention. It's to give everyone a chance to translate back what they heard, and catch what's been lost in translation before it turns into a missed deadline, unnecessary frustration, or the classic:

“Wait...that's not what I thought we decided.”

That's your translation to try this week.

Learn more about bringing the Enneagram to your team: enneagrammba.com

Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

"You’re the Enneagram expert...can’t you just tell me what type I am?”

It’s a question I hear sometimes. And while an experienced Enneagram practitioner might have a hypothesis about someone’s type, there’s a reason we should be cautious about typing people based only on what we see from the outside.

In this episode of Enneagram at Work, we’re talking about the difference between observing someone’s behavior and understanding the motivation or strategy underneath it.

The same behavior can come from very different places. The coworker who stays late perfecting a presentation might be concerned about getting it right, producing an impressive result, or simply making sure they feel prepared. From the outside, we see the behavior. The Enneagram asks us to get curious about what’s driving it.

In this episode, we cover why common stereotypes like “helpful = Type 2,” “ambitious = Type 3,” or “quiet = Type 5” can lead us in the wrong direction; what an Enneagram assessment can (and can’t) tell you; and how a trained Enneagram professional can help you ask better questions, distinguish between similar patterns, and notice things that may be difficult to see on your own.

And there’s an important workplace takeaway:

The Enneagram should help us become more curious about people—not more certain that we already have them figured out.

Instead of thinking, “She’s doing that because she’s a Type 6,” try asking:

“I wonder what’s important to her here?”

Because the goal isn't to get better at putting people into boxes. It's to get better at understanding what's happening underneath the behaviors we see.

References:

"My Test Said I Was a Type 3. Why I'm Still a Type 7" Episode

Learn more about bringing the Enneagram to your team: enneagrammba.com

Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

There’s one workplace that deserves an Enneagram conversation of its own: education.

In this special episode of Enneagram at Work, I’m introducing our brand-new podcast, Enneagram for Educators, co-hosted with Tawny Hall. We’ll explore how the Enneagram can help teachers, school leaders, administrators, and other education professionals better understand themselves, communicate with others, navigate stress and conflict, and strengthen the relationships that shape their schools.

Listen in for a quick introduction, and then hear the official Enneagram for Educators trailer to find out what we have planned.

If you work in education (or know someone who does!), follow Enneagram for Educators and share it with someone who should join us.

And don’t worry, Enneagram at Work isn’t going anywhere. We’ll be right back here with more workplace conversations next week.

Subscribe to the new show here:

https://enneagramforeducators.buzzsprout.com/

Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

Your Type 9 coworker may have an opinion.

They may even have a strong opinion.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to hear it in the meeting.

In this episode of Enneagram at Work, we’re looking at why Enneagram Type 9s can sometimes stay quiet in group conversations, even when they have something valuable to contribute.

For a Type 9, the issue isn't necessarily that they don't know what they think. They may still be processing their thoughts, considering everyone else's perspective, questioning whether their point is important enough to interrupt the conversation, or deciding it isn't worth disrupting the direction the group is already moving.

And sometimes, by the time they're ready to say it…the meeting has moved on.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why a Type 9's silence shouldn't automatically be interpreted as agreement
• What may be happening internally when a 9 doesn't speak up
• Why interruptions can make it especially difficult for some 9s to reclaim the floor
• How Type 9s can contribute earlier without needing a perfectly formed thought
• What managers and meeting facilitators can do to create more space for quieter voices
• Why not every Type 9 will look quiet or reserved—and how other factors, including Instinctual Bias, can influence how Type 9 shows up at work

One important reminder:

Participation isn't always a good measure of how much someone is thinking. And silence isn't necessarily agreement.

Try This

If you're a Type 9 and notice yourself waiting until your thought feels completely ready, practice entering the conversation a little earlier with:

“I'm still thinking this through, but one thing I'm noticing is…”

And if you're leading the meeting, instead of only asking:

“Does anyone have anything else?”

Try:

“What haven't we considered yet?”

Or, if someone gets interrupted, intentionally hand the conversation back:

“I think you were about to say something. What were you thinking?”

Sometimes better team communication isn't about getting people to talk more.

It's about creating the conditions where more of what people are already thinking makes it into the conversation.

Learn more about bringing the Enneagram to your team: https://www.enneagrammba.com/enneagram-team-workshops

Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

What happens when someone who teaches the Enneagram takes an Enneagram assessment…and gets a different type than expected?

That's exactly what happened to me.

I've identified as an Enneagram Type 7 for years, but recent assessments put Type 3 at the top of my results, which wasn't a total surprise.

In this episode of Enneagram at Work, I'm sharing what happened next, including my recent typing interview with Mario Sikora, and what the experience reminded me about assessments, typing, and the difference between what an Enneagram type looks like and the underlying strategy driving the behavior.

We’ll talk about:

• Why an Enneagram assessment result isn't always the final answer on your type
• Why I can see some Type 3 patterns in the way I show up, especially professionally
• The difference between identifying with a type's behaviors and understanding the strategy underneath them
• Why two people of the same Enneagram type may look very different
• How Instinctual Biases, professional roles, environment, life experience, and development can influence how a type is expressed
• What a typing interview can add that an assessment alone can't
• Why knowing the Enneagram well doesn't mean we're immune to our own blind spots

One of my biggest takeaways from the experience?

Looking like a type isn't the same thing as using that type's underlying strategy.

An assessment can give us valuable information to explore, but the Enneagram isn't simply asking which description sounds most like us. We're looking underneath our behaviors for the motivations, needs, and strategies that consistently shape how we navigate our lives and work.

So yes, my Enneagram assessment said Type 3.

I'm still a Type 7.

And after years of studying, teaching, and using the Enneagram professionally, I still find value in having someone else ask better questions and help me see my own patterns more clearly.

The Awareness to Action Enneagram Assessment: https://www.ataondemand.com/ata-enneagram-assessment

Learn more about typing and coaching options with Enneagram MBA: https://www.enneagrammba.com/enneagram-leadership-development

Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

Have you ever felt like one Enneagram type at work and a completely different type at home?

Maybe you’re organized, polished, and decisive at work, but much more relaxed, emotional, spontaneous, or outspoken at home. Does that mean your Enneagram type changes depending on the environment?

In this short episode of Enneagram at Work, we'll explore why different behavior doesn’t necessarily mean a different Enneagram type.

Our behavior naturally changes based on context. At work, how we show up can be influenced by our role, company culture, manager, responsibilities, professional expectations, and the people around us. At home, we may have much more freedom in how we express ourselves.

But the Enneagram isn’t simply a description of behavior.

What matters is what’s happening underneath the behavior: the motivations, needs, concerns, and strategies we repeatedly use to navigate situations and get our needs met.

In this episode:

• Why you may behave very differently at work and at home
• The difference between Enneagram type and observable behavior
• Why two people can do the same thing for completely different reasons
• How one person can display very different behaviors driven by the same underlying strategy
• Why workplace pressure can sometimes make our Enneagram patterns easier to see
• Questions to help you identify the patterns underneath your behavior

One idea to take with you:

Home may give you more freedom to express yourself. Work may give you more opportunities to see your strategy in action.

Instead of asking, “Do I act like this everywhere?” try asking:

What am I trying to accomplish? What am I trying to avoid? What feels important or threatened here? And what strategy do I instinctively reach for?

That’s where the Enneagram gets interesting.

Learn more about Enneagram MBA:
https://www.enneagrammba.com/

Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!