Let's talk about the Enneagram, shall we?
If you know me, you know that the Enneagram has always been a big part of my life. I used to hide this part of myself. I've been on a journey with my relationship to it, my learning around it, reception from challengers, and yet I always come out the other side with gratitude and inspiration.
My awe of this model began when I was 10 years old. I still remember the morning when my mom gathered my family around to share a personality framework that I had never heard of before. My brother, my dad and I were doubtful - we thought it was some woo woo version of astrology at the time.
It wasn't until the four of us read aloud our assigned types when something clicked. We nodded with agreement. Something shifted in our attitudes because these descriptions finally put words to confusing feelings we had been having for years.
My dad and I deeply resonated with the types we associated with (my dad a type 8 and me a type 7). I remember us both tilting our heads sideways with epiphany. We realized that we had been misunderstanding the basic essence of the other, parts we hadn't seen before.
I realized my dad was being tough on me because he is a protector, because he cares. My dad noticed that the reason I was different to my brother was because of something deeper. Something fundamental regarding motivations and world views that had a pattern. It was a huge moment of understanding for all of us.
“The Enneagram is not a hard and fast labeling tool - it’s a method of inquiry that allows individuals to interpret and take responsibility for their world view and conditioning.”
The Enneagram showed me, for the first time, how to be free of assumptions. It showed me there are lenses on the world and that different people simply see and experience the world differently. And that the way I see, experience and move through the world is part of my magic.
Now, decades later as a certified Integrative Enneagram practitioner and certified life and career coach, the model is still an important part of how I see the world. Using the Enneagram allows me to get on the same page as my clients through language. It makes the invisible a little bit more visible. And it gives them (and me) a framework for understanding what drives and motivates their behaviors, their blind spots and thought patterns, and their potential avenues for growth.
I've been amazed by how the Enneagram has steadily grown in popularity since I was a kid. I would have never imagined the number of Fortune 500 companies that have reached out to me to help them build a deeper understanding of themselves and their teammates. In the last 10 years I have worked with Google, Airbnb, PayPal and dozens of other large and small organizations to show them how to use the Enneagram in a way that promotes connection and productivity among their teams and team members.
Who am I really? What motivates me?
How can I be more fulfilled? Where do I get stuck?
Why does change seem so hard?
The model is a powerful tool that combines traditional wisdom with modern psychology to map out a person's unique path to personal growth. Through the use of the 9 different archetypes or 'types', the Enneagram describes patterns in behaviors, how people conceptualize the world and how they manage their emotions - based on their core wounds and authentic blueprint. The Enneagram illuminates both the challenges and the magic that we experience in human relationships and gently reminds us that we can be more than we are today.
Unlike other personality tests, the Enneagram describes the viewpoint, strengths and potentials of each person in a way that is dynamic - you are not bound to your type or limited by your type. Instead, the model encourages us to tap into different types based on what we need in the moment. The enneagram reflects the dynamic nature of humans, and highlights how interrelated we are; it is a much needed starting point for deeper understanding, compassion, curiosity. I love asking myself, “what would an 8 do?”
I have a few different Enneagram informed offerings (see below), but at the core of all of them I teach:
Everything you need to know about your core motivation and blind spots
How to use and manage your centers of intelligence (Body, Heart, Head)
Your unique sub-type (1:1, self-preservation or social)
How the types that you lean towards (wings) can support your decision-making
How much of the other 8 types you have in your personality
Suggestions for integrating and moving towards optimal growth
Using the Enneagram in a way that is not limiting or constricting, but dynamic and supportive
