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Copyright*2012.*Mario*Sikora*www.awarenesstoaction.com*
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“Awareness!!to!!Action!Coaching”!"
By"Mario"Sikora"
Copyright*2012.*Mario*Sikora*www.awarenesstoaction.com*
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!
Awareness!to!Action!Coaching!An#Approach#to#Using#the#Enneagram#
By"Mario"Sikora"
"
There"are"two"basic"approaches"to"
coaching,"as"there"are"to"many"things:"
the"tactical"approach"and"the"strategic"
approach."The"tactical"approach"
focuses"on"behaving"differently—stop"
doing"this,"start"doing"that."The"
strategic"approach"takes"a"broader"
view,"focusing"on"patterns"of"thinking"
that"influence"our"behavior"and"
modifying"those"patterns"so"that"it"is"
easier"to"change"behaviors"with"great"
longBterm"success.""
"
An"effective"coach"uses"both"
approaches."Sometimes"a"client"simply"
needs"a"quick"fix,"a"new"behavior"that"
they"simply"hadn’t"thought"of"before."
For"example,"recently"I"was"working"
with"an"executive"who"liked"to"catch"
up"on"email"late"at"night."The"problem"
is"that"while"it"is"a"convenient"time"for"
her"to"work,"it"made"her"subordinates"
feel"that"they"should"also"be"working"
at"that"time,"and"that"they"needed"to"
respond"to"the"boss’s"emails"
immediately."This"meant"they"were"
staying"up"past"midnight"responding"
to"emails"that"could"easily"wait"until"
the"next"day."The"simple"tactical"
advice"I"gave"her"was"to"use"the"draft"
folder—write"the"emails"at"night"and"
send"them"in"the"morning."It"was"a"
simple"solution"to"a"problem"that"she"
could"easily"adopt."
"
Often,"however,"behavioral"change"is"
more"complicated"than"a"simple"
tactical"switch."Many"times"clients"are"
unable"to"do"something"that"they"
already"know"they"should"be"doing."
They"know"they"should"be"more"
patient"with"a"particular"subordinate,"
for"example,"or"perhaps"be"more"
comfortable"asserting"themselves"in"a"
seniorBlevel"staff"meeting."Something"
keeps"them"from"making"the"change,"
however;"in"their"head"they"know"they"
should"behave"in"a"different"way,"but"
something"in"their"gut"keeps"them"
from"changing."This"is"usually"because"
they"are"experience"some"kind"of"
cognitive"dissonance—they"genuinely"
believe"that"the"change"would"be"
beneficial,"but"they"hold"an"even"
stronger"belief"that"causes"an"internal"
conflict"regarding"the"change."In"these"
situations,"the"stronger"belief"will"win"
and"the"new"behavior"will"be"difficult"
to"incorporate."(For"example,"a"Six"
may"understand"at"an"intellectual"
level"that"they"need"to"take"more"
risks,"but"their"deepBseated"need"for"
security"will"undermine"their"efforts"
to"do"so.)"
"
The"Enneagram"is"an"excellent"tool"for"
coaches,"but"it"is"easy"to"see"the"model"
as"a"guide"to"tactical"changes—“If"you"
are"a"Five,"you"need"to"connect"to"
other"people"more;”"“if"you"are"a"Six,"
you"need"to"overcome"your"fears;”"etc.""
"
There"is"nothing"wrong"with"these"
nuggets"of"tactical"advice,"but"if"the"
For"more"information"about"the"Enneagram,"visit"www.enneagramlearning.com."
"
For"more"information"about"consulting"and"executive"coaching,"visit"
wwwe.awarenesstoaction.com."
Copyright*2012.*Mario*Sikora*www.awarenesstoaction.com*
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coach"focuses"on"the"“what"to"do”"
without"resolving"the"“why"to"do”"
obstacles,"they"are"merely"skimming"
across"the"surface"and"any"changes"
that"a"client"is"able"to"make"will"likely"
be"shortBlived."Coaches"operating"this"
way"miss"the"true"value"of"the"
Enneagram—helping"people"expose"
and"resolve"unconscious"conflicting"
commitments."Trying"to"make"tactical"
changes"without"resolving"the"
cognitive"dissonance"is"like"trying"to"
implant"an"organ"from"a"donor"with"
the"wrong"blood"type;"the"host"will"
reject"the"change"in"a"short"time."
Resolving"these"commitments"helps"
clients"change"their"story"about"the"
world,"reducing"cognitive"dissonance"
and"creating"fertile"ground"for"the"
change"to"take"place.""
"
The"rest"of"this"article"will"discuss"
how"to"incorporate"the"Enneagram"in"
a"strategic"way"and"provide"a"brief"
overview"of"my"approach"to"coaching,"
an"approach"I"call"“Awareness"to"
Action"Coaching.”"(“Awareness"to"
Action"Coaching”"takes"it’s"name"from"
the"book"I"coauthored"with"Robert"
Tallon,"“Awareness"to"Action:"The"
Enneagram,"Emotional"Intelligence"
and"Change,”"which"describes"the"
Awareness"to"Action"change"process."
The"“Awareness"to"Action"Coaching”"
program"and"approach"I"offer"through"
Enneagram"Learning"International,"
however,"is"a"significant"expansion"of"
that"model.)"
"
At"the"heart"of"all"strategic"coaching"
interventions"is"helping#the#client#switch#from#short5term#solutions#to#long5term#problems#to#long5term#solutions#to#those#same#problems."Understanding"the"EnneaBtypes"as"
manifestations"to"an"overreliance"on"a"
particular"adaptational"strategy"helps"
to"identify"what"shortBterm"solutions"
the"client"is"relying"on"and"it"can"be"
used"to"help"the"client"develop"more"
effective"longBterm"solutions."
"
Good"strategic"coaching"is"grounded"
in"the"effective"use"of"solid"heuristics.""Heuristics"are"mental"models"or"“rules"
of"thumb”"that"help"to"guide"our"
thinking"in"solving"problems."Good"
heuristics"help"us"narrow"down"the"
possible"causes"of"the"problem"and"
provide"a"structure"for"creating"
solutions."As"the"term"“rule"of"thumb”"
implies,"heuristics"are"not"fixed"laws,"
they"are"useful"approximations."Good"
heuristics"can"be"invaluable"aids"to"
our"thinking,"but"they"should"never"be"
counted"on"to"work"in"every"situation.""
"
The"“Awareness"to"Action"Coaching”"
program"centers"on"a"series"of"
EnneagramBbased"models"that"have"
proven"to"be"useful"to"me"in"my"work"
with"leaders."These"models"help"
narrow"down"the"highBprobability"
obstacles"to"the"clients"growth,"and"
once"we"understand"the"obstacles"we"
can"apply"the"Awareness"to"Action"
process"in"removing"them.""
"
Those"models"are:""
• The"Three"Instinctual"Biases"
• The"Nine"Strategies"
• The"Nine"Accelerators"
• The"Nine"Core"Qualities"
"
In"addition,"the"program"incorporates"
the"leadership"models"described"in"my"
article,""“Awareness"to"Action"
Leadership”"
(http://mariosikora.blogspot.com/p/
awarenessBtoBactionBleadership.html)."
In"a"sense,"the"models"in"ATA"
Leadership"identify"what"leaders"
Copyright*2012.*Mario*Sikora*www.awarenesstoaction.com*
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should"be"focused"on"improving;"the"models"in"ATA"Coaching"provide"the"
coach"tools"for"helping"them"do"so.""
It"is"important"to"note"here"that"the"
coach"should"always"be"focused"on"the"
change"the"client"needs"to"make"
whether"it"fits"with"the"coach’s"
assumptions"about"the"client"or"not."
For"example,"it"is"easy"to"assume"that"
because"someone"is,"say,"a"Two,"they"
will"need"to"focus"on"taking"care"of"
their"own"needs."After"all,"Twos"are"
often"viewed"as"selfless"helpers"who"
are"always"worrying"about"others"
instead"of"themselves."This"is"not"
always"the"case,"however;"many"Twos"
receive"feedback"from"others"that"they"
are"actually"too"focused"on"their"own"
needs"and"that"they"seem"insincere"in"
their"attempts"to"help"others."I"
recommend"that"the"coach"always"try"
to"get"some"kind"of"objective"feedback"
on"their"clients"(say,"through"a"360B
degree"assessment)"and"focus"the"
intervention"around"the"real"needs"
rather"than"start"focusing"on"issues"
that"some"book"says"people"of"a"given"
type"should"work"on."
"
That"said,"I"have"noticed"a"patter"of"
common"derailers"that"seem"to"appear"
time"and"again"in"each"of"the"EnneaB
types."Being"aware"of"these"derailers"
not"only"helps"the"coach"be"on"the"
lookout"for"particular"patterns"of"
behavior,"they"can"be"very"useful"in"
helping"to"assess"EnneaBtype."For"
more"of"this,"please"see"Appendix"D"of"
“Awareness"to"Action.”"
"
The!Three!Instinctual!Biases!I"have"written"in"other"places"about"
the"importance"of"understanding"the"
instincts"for"coaches."(You"can"find"an"
article"at"http://www.eB
junkie.com/shop/product/468474.ph
p"or"view"a"series"of"videos"at"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R
tEecjPBsTM&list=UUee48kwcjLl8gcaC
z58BJoA&index=5&feature=plcp.)"
Suffice"it"to"say"here"that"the"instincts"
are"at"least"as"important"as"the"EnneaB
types"in"helping"clients"get"unstuck,"
and"I"will"write"more"on"them"in"
future"articles."
"
For"this"article,"I"will"just"point"out"a"
couple"of"things"about"the"instincts:""
"
First,"I"use"different"names"for"the"
instincts"than"are"normally"used"in"the"
Enneagram"world."This"is"partly"due"
to"the"awkwardness"of"the"term"
“sexual"subtype,”"but"it"is"also"due"to"
my"feeling"that"the"existing"names"
don’t"capture"the"full"scope"of"the"
phenomena"at"work"in"these"domains."
Thus,"I"refer"to"them"as"“Preserving,”"
“Navigating,”"and"“Transmitting”"
rather"than"traditional"“SelfB
Preservation,”"“Social,”"and"“Sexual”"
(or"“oneBtoBone”)."
"
Second,"there"seems"to"be"a"
predictable"relationship"to"the"
instincts;"if"I"know"which"instinct"is"
dominant"I"also"know"which"one"is"
underBdeveloped"and"which"one"is"a"
shadow"issue."This"is"a"tremendous"
aid"to"a"coach."
"
The!Nine!Strategies!"
Along"with"the"instincts,"I"immediately"
try"to"understand"the"role"the"nine"
strategies"play"in"hindering"my"client’s"
attempt"to"change."Neither"the"instinct"
nor"strategy,"or"even"both"of"them"
together,"will"be"the"root"of"every"
developmental"challenge"a"client"is"
facing,"but"they"are"the"root"of"a"
Copyright*2012.*Mario*Sikora*www.awarenesstoaction.com*
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disproportionate"number"of"problems"
so"it"is"useful"to"look"at"them"first.""
"
I"was"inspired"to"think"about"the"
EnneaBtypes"as"the"result"of"strategies"
when"reading"Claudio"Naranjo’s"
“Character"and"Neurosis,”"in"which"he"
briefly"refers"to"the"them"as"
“adaptational"strategies.”"He"writes"
that"it"is"“a"learning"under"duress"
characterized"by"a"special"fixity"or"
rigidity"of"what"behavior"was"resorted"
to"in"the"initial"situation"as"an"
emergency"response”"(p.6B7)."He"
doesn’t"say"much"more"about"this"idea"
but"it"stuck"in"my"mind"and"became"
the"kernel"around"which"my"view"of"
the"types"grew."
"
Each"strategy"is"represented"by"a"nonB
conscious"need"to"feel"a"certain"way."This"affective"need"shapes"the"way"we"
think,"which"in"turn"influences"our"
behavioral"choices"and"perception"of"
the"world."The"Six,"for"example,"is"
“striving"to"be"secure;”"they"need"to"
feel"secure,"they"think"in"ways"that"
increase"their"security,"and"thus"they"
behave"in"ways"that"they"believe"will"
increase"their"security."Understanding"
this"is"a"critical"starting"point"in"
shaping"a"coaching"strategy"for"the"
client."
"
The"nine"strategies"are"listed"in"Table"
1.
"
"
TABLE 1: The Nine Strategies !
One !Striving!to!be!Perfect"
Two Striving!to!be!Connected"
Three Striving to be Outstanding
Four Striving!to!be!Unique"
Five Striving!to!be!Detached"
Six! Striving!to!be!Secure"
Seven! Striving!to!be!Excited""
Eight! Striving!to!be!Powerful"
Nine! Striving!to!be!Peaceful"
"
Copyright*2012.*Mario*Sikora*www.awarenesstoaction.com*
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"
The"central"problem"we"have"when"it"
comes"to"creating"change"is"that"we"
develop"behaviors"and"attitudes"that"
worked"early"in"life"as"responses"to"
shortBterm"problems"and,"because"the"
brain"likes"to"simplify"life"by"fixing"on"
a"solution"that"seems"to"work,"those"
responses"became"habits"that"
sometimes"prove"ineffective"later"in"
life."For"example,"the"Six’s"risk"
aversion"is"a"good"shortBterm"solution"
to"helping"him"feel"more"secure"when"
he"is"younger"but"it"can"hold"him"back"
later"in"life"and"perhaps"even"
jeopardize"his"career."The"shortBterm"
solution"becomes"a"longBterm"
hindrance."
"
Once"the"coach"understands"the"way"
the"strategy"is"distorting"the"client’s"
view,"the"coach"can"apply"the"
Awareness"to"Action"process"as"I"have"
described"it"previously"(see"article"
here"http://www.eB
junkie.com/mariosikora/product/467
083.php#Notes+and+the+Melody+4"
or"video"here"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H
BOCyZA8uyI&feature=channel)"
"
At"the"heart"of"the"Awareness"to"
Action"process"is"the"idea"that"by"
rewriting"the"way"the"client"defines"
their"preferred"strategy"they"can"
change"their"story"about"the"world"
and"change"from"being"trapped"in"
shortBterm"behaviors"that"undermine"
longBterm"solutions"to"facing"the"
world"in"a"way"that"is"flexible,"open,"
and"responsive"to"the"circumstances"
at"hand."Continuing"with"Type"Six"as"
an"example,"the"client"may"rewrite"
their"understanding"of"the"strategy"
from"“avoiding"risk"will"keep"me"
secure”"to"“if"I"don’t"learn"to"take"
some"degree"of"risk"I"will"be"less"
effective"at"work,"which"will"really"
threaten"my"security"because"I"might"
get"fired.”"
"
Understanding"this"rewriting"of"the"
strategy"will"help"coaches"avoid"
failure"caused"by"a"focus"on"tactical"
fixes"so"common"in"the"Enneagram"
literature."I"must"rewrite"the"story—
change"the"way"I"think—before"a"
mere"tactical"change"will"be"able"to"
take"root."If"I"believe"at"some"level"that"
the"new"behavior"will"undermine"my"
strategy—my"trusted"and"reliable"way"
of"approaching"life—I"will"ultimately"
abandon"that"behavior."
"
Change"occurs"not"by"trying"to"be"
something"different"than"we"are"but"
from"a"gradual"process"of"redefining"
our"preferred"strategy"so"we"are"able"
to"be"adaptive"rather"than"stuck"in"
outmoded"views"of"the"world.""
"
The#Connecting#Points#"
In"“Awareness"to"Action,”"we"referred"
to"the"strategy"found"at"one’s"
Enneagram"point"the"preferred#strategy"because"it"is"the"one"that"we"rely"on"most"commonly"as"a"nonB
conscious"default"pattern."That"is,"it"is"
our"preferred#strategy"for"solving"problems."People"familiar"with"the"
Enneagram"know"that"there"is"a"
significance"to"the"connecting"points"
of"the"diagram."We"referred"to"the"
connecting"points,"commonly"referred"
to"as"the"stress"and"security"points,"as"the"support"and"neglected"strategies."
Our"rationale"for"this"reflects"the"bias"
of"a"coach—we"get"into"trouble"when"
we"fall"back"on"the"support"strategy"to"
reinforce"our"preferred"strategy"or"
Copyright*2012.*Mario*Sikora*www.awarenesstoaction.com*
7"
when"we"neglect"a"strategy"that"could"
be"useful"to"us"at"a"given"time."The"
developmental"goal"is"not"to"be"more"
like"one"type"or"less"like"another,"it"is"
to"learn"to"use"the"strategies"in"a"
healthy,"adaptive"way"rather"than"
avoid"them"or"use"them"
maladaptively.""
"
A"fixated"Nine,"for"example,"who’s"
preferred"strategy"is"“striving"to"be"
peaceful,”"will"overuse"this"strategy,"
neglect"to"use"the"strategy"at"point"
Three"of"striving"to"be"outstanding"at"
critical"times"when"the"strategy"is"
called"for,"or"fall"back"on"the"strategy"
at"point"Six"of"“striving"to"be"secure”"
in"maladaptive"ways"in"order"to"help"
them"maintain"a"feeling"of"being"
peaceful."As"a"coach"working"with"a"
Nine,"I"would"be"looking"out"for"these"
patterns"and"helping"the"client"rewrite"
their"strategies"so"they"can"be"used"
appropriately.""
"
"
The!Core!Qualities!"
Again,"the"strategies"heuristic"does"
not"address"every"problem."Another"
model"I"use"is"what"I"call"the"“core"
qualities,”"fundamental"aspects"of"the"
human"condition"that"become"stunted"
in"our"childhood."Very"often,"the"client"
is"not"aware"of"how"this"stunting"of"
the"core"qualities"affects"them,"but"
when"stress"builds"and"they"are"
particularly"selfBreflective,"they"will"
see"how"the"stunting"has"left"them"
feeling"deficient"and"vulnerable."
"
Again,"I’ll"refer"the"reader"to"a"
previous"article"(http://www.eB
junkie.com/mariosikora/product/467
082.php#Notes+and+the+Melody+5)"
and"rather"than"go"into"the"core"
qualities"in"detail"here"I"will"refer"the"
reader"to"that"article."The"nine"core"
qualities"are"listed"in"Table"2.""
"
The"model"of"the"core"qualities"helps"
the"coach"further"refine"what"issues"
may"be"obstacles"to"the"growth"of"the"
client."Continuing"on"with"EnneaBType"
Nine,"as"a"coach"I"know"to"be"on"the"
lookout"for"issues"related"to"the"
quality"at"point"Nine"and"the"
connecting"points"of"Three"and"Six."I"
know"that"there"is"a"high"probability"
that"the"stunting"of"these"three"
qualities"is"an"issue"that"needs"to"be"
addressed."I"know"that"at"a"deep"level,"
a"level"the"client"may"not"be"often"
aware"of,"they"feel"that"in"they"are"in"
some"way"deficient"in"benevolence"(the"feeling"of"being"basically"good),"
value"(a"feeling"of"inherent"worth"independent"of"accomplishment),"and"
will"(the"confidence"in"one’s"ability"to"survive"and"prevail"over"one’s"
circumstances)."This"knowledge"helps"
me"better"understand"the"internal"
obstacles"the"client"faces"and"how"to"
help"the"client"overcome"them.
"
"
Copyright*2012.*Mario*Sikora*www.awarenesstoaction.com*
8"
TABLE 2: The Core Qualities !
One !Objectivity"
Two Compassion"
Three Value
Four Individuality"
Five Intuition"
Six! Will"
Seven! Joy"
Eight! Vitality"
Nine! Benevolence"
"
"
"
The!Accelerators!"
The"dilemma"with"the"core"qualities"is"
that"they"are"not"something"that"you"
can"force"to"grow."They"were"stunted"
in"childhood"and"need"time"to"grow"to"
maturity."The"analogy"that"I"use"is"that"
they"are"like"sapling"on"its"way"to"
becoming"an"oak"tree;"you"can’t"pull"
on"the"sapling"to"make"it"grow"but"you"
can"create"an"environment"that"will"
nurture"its"development."This"is"
where"the"fourth"model,"the"
accelerators,"comes"into"play.""
The"Accelerators"are"practices"
particularly"useful"to"people"of"the"
correlated"EnneaBtype."Practicing"the"
accelerators"helps"us"grow"and"be"
more"flexible,"but"in"particular"it"helps"
us"create"a"state"of"mind"that"helps"the"
core"qualities"mature."(The"complete"
list"appears"in"Table"3.)"
"
Again,"using"EnneaBtype"Nine"as"our"
example,"the"client"would"benefit"from"
practicing"generativity"(cultivating"the"next"generation"through"coaching,"
mentoring,"etc.),"purpose"(clearly"defining"and"articulating"the"“why”"of"
their"life),"and"faith"(acting"with"confidence"today"based"on"evidence"of"
past"performance)."
"
"
Copyright*2012.*Mario*Sikora*www.awarenesstoaction.com*
9"
TABLE 3: The Nine Accelerators !
One !Acceptance"
Two Empathy"
Three Purpose
Four Individuation"
Five Conscious!Practice"
Six! Faith"
Seven! Enjoyment"
Eight! SelfMDiscipline"
Nine! Generativity"
"
"
"
Putting!it!Together!"
Combining"the"strategies,"core"
qualities,"and"accelerators"gives"the"
coach"a"very"robust"model"of"what"
obstacles"hinder"each"EnneaBtype"
from"creating"change"and"a"clear"
action"plan"for"overcoming"those"
obstacles."Charts"that"show"these"
elements"combined"into"diagnostic"
and"remedial"charts"for"EnneaBtype"
Nine"are"shown"in"Figures"1"and"2."
"
Part"of"the"“Awareness"to"Action"
Coaching"Program”"is"learning"how"
to"apply"the"nine"diagnostic"and"
remedial"charts"in"work"with"a"
client."The"diagnostic"charts"serve"as"a"
primer"of"things"to"watch"out"for"
while"the"remedial"charts"provide"a"
Copyright*2012.*Mario*Sikora*www.awarenesstoaction.com*
10"
guide"for"what"to"do"about"the"
problems"the"coach"identifies."
"
One"should"not"assume"equal"
importance"in"all"nine"issues"
shown"on"the"diagnostic"charts;"
at"any"given"time"one"or"a"few"of"
the"issues"will"be"acute"and"the"
others"are"of"less"concern."The"
chart"is"meant"as"a"reminder"to"
the"coach"of"obstacles"to"watch"
out"for"during"an"engagement.""
"
Likewise,"the"Remedial"Chart"
shown"in"Figure"2"is"not"meant"
as"a"recipe"for"working"with"a"
Nine;"most"coaching"engagements"are"
far"too"short"to"allow"for"working"on"
all"of"these"issues."It"is"meant"as"a"
guide"for"the"coach"to"appropriate"
corrective"action"once"the"diagnosis"is"
made.""
"
While"no"model"is"complete,"I"have"
found"that"there"are"few"obstacles"to"
growth"whose"removal"cannot"be"
hastened"by"use"of"the"charts,"
combined"with"a"knowledge"of"the"
dynamics"of"the"instinctual"biases.""
"
""
Summary!"
Awareness"to"Action"Coaching"is"a"
robust,"EnneagramBbased"approach"to"
working"with"clients"at"both"the"
strategic"and"tactical"levels."The"
models"described"here"help"the"client"
modify"the"way"he"or"she"thinks"about"
the"world,"learning"to"seek"longBterm"
solutions"rather"than"shortBterm"
solutions"to"the"developmental"
challenges"they"face."Combining"it"
with"the"Awareness"to"Action"
Leadership"model"
(http://enneagramlearning.blogspot.c
om/2012/03/awarenessBtoBactionB
leadership.html)"adds"a"tactical"(or"
“whatBtoBdo”)"element"to"the"coach’s"
work"with"his"or"her"clients."""
"
In"future"articles"I"will"talk"about"some"
of"the"qualities"that"a"good"coach"
should"have.""
"
Stay"tuned…."
"
(For#more#information#on#the#how#to#attend#the#“Awareness#to#Action#Coaching”#training#program,#contact#me#at#Mario@awarenesstoaction.com.)#
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