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Understanding Personality Types and Behavior Patterns for Harmonious Relationships
at Work
With Coen Tan
KEY PRINCIPLES OF THE ENNEAGRAMThe Enneagram is a personality type instrument.
People do not change from one basic personality type to another.
There are 9 types, and ALL 9 types reside within you, meaning you will need to depend on the strengths of each type. Your core type is your base.
Saying you’re one type does not “box you up” into that type and that you cannot grow.
KEY PRINCIPLES OF THE ENNEAGRAMThe descriptions of the personality types are universal and apply equally to males and females, since no type is inherently masculine or feminine.
The numerical ranking of the types is not significant. A larger number is no better than a smaller number; it is not better to be a Nine than a Two because nine is a bigger number.
No type is inherently better or worse than any other. While all the personality types have unique assets and liabilities, some types are often more desirable than others in any given culture or group.
ETHICAL USE OF THE ENNEAGRAMHelp others discover their type; don't tell then
what type they areAvoid stereotyping. Each of us is an individual
expression of our type.Don't make excuses or find faults for behavior
based on type.Refrain from using your style as a justification
for your actions.
ETHICAL USE OF THE ENNEAGRAM
When you have a negative reaction to another type, investigate your own reactivity. Don't assume the issue is with the other.
Respect the privacy and personal boundaries of other participants.
Avoid making key life decisions based on type
Union
-9 months to 1 year
UNDERSTANDING PERSONALITY (NATURE OR NURTURE???)
1 year to 4 years
Separation
4 years to 12 years
SocializationIndividuation
Rest of Life
The Three Centers of Intelligence
Rank the Following 3 Emotions, How Often do you Feel Them?
AngerSadness
Fear
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THE THREE CENTRES OF INTELLIGENCE
Body Centered TypesBase Emotion: Anger
Heart-Centered TypesBase Emotion: Sadness
Head-Centered TypesBase Emotion: Fear
Introduction to the Enneagram
Types
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THE ENNEAGRAM
The Achiever / PerformerThe Need to Succeed
TYPE 3: THE PERFORMER / ACHIEVERThrees seek to create an image of success or competence, and to gain the admiration of others, through active efforts in both work and appearance.They are extremely competent and effective doers who get a lot done, making things happen by finding the most direct path to their goal, removing obstacles along the way.Threes are skilled at using goals to motivate their efforts and are resourceful and productive in achieving these goals.However, they may lose sight of who they really are apart from the persona they have adopted to achieve their goals.May become over identified with their persona and under identified with who they really are.
Energy Focus:•Tasks – Getting things done•Achievement of goals
Body Language:•Highly adaptable to situation•Highly energetic when focused
Vocals / Speech Patterns:•Usually straight to the point•Can also be empathetic if the situations call for it
Type Threes
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THE ENNEAGRAM
The Helper / Giver The Need to be Needed
TYPE 2: THE HELPERUsually empathetic to others' needs, often anticipating them even before they are communicatedThe eagerness to give belies the deep craving they have to be lovedTwos find self-worth in being needed by those they value and unconsciously seeking to get their needs met in returnIf they give without receiving, they may end up feeling unappreciatedThey end up denying their own needs and lose a clear sense of how they really feel.At times they may get in their own way by overdoing shape-shifting to please others.
Energy Focus:•Other-focused•Relationship and connection
Body Language:•Warm, soft, friendly facial features•Usually reaching out towards others
Vocals / Speech Patterns:•Usually softer, warmer tone of voice•Unlikely to use strong words, because that will cause disconnection
Type Twos
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THE ENNEAGRAM
The Romantic / IndividualistThe Need to be Special
TYPE 4: THE INDIVIDUALISTHave a natural gift for understanding the deeper emotional level of experience and seeing the beauty in darker emotions that other types avoidTheir regular contact with their own emotional terrain gives them comfort in being with intense feeling and empowering others to feel and accept their emotion.Fours value the expression of authentic emotion and can support others with great care, respect and sensitivity when they are experiencing painful emotions. Emotional fixation is envy and Type 4 constantly compare themselvesCan become attached to their feelings in a way that prevent them from thinking objectively or taking action
Energy Focus:•Inward-focused (What am I feeling?)•Originality, uniqueness, beauty, self-expression
Body Language:•Really depends on level of introversion/extraversion •Expressive fours can be very animated and express their emotions strongly
Vocals / Speech Patterns:•Depends on intensity of feelings expressed, usually gifted with words, like “painting a picture with words”•Use words like “I think, I feel”
Type Fours
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THE ENNEAGRAM The PeacemakerThe Need to Avoid Conflict
TYPE 9: THE PEACEMAKERGet very good at suppressing feelings, numbing their emotions, not wanting to feel or show itTend not to feel angry often as they focus too much on staying comfortable and avoiding conflictDo not internalise their emotions regardless of whether they are aware of these emotionsUsually self-forgetting, giving up their own priorities, preferences, opinions in order to “go along and get along”Emotional and mental pattern of “merging” with others, individuals, groups, in order to not have to take responsibility for their own feelings
Energy Focus:•Other focused •Harmony, comfort
Body Language:•Usually neutral, calm and do not betray internal emotions•Can come across as welcoming, receptive, which puts people at ease
Vocals / Speech Patterns:•Use of qualifying words like “it depends…, generally...”•Usually quite calm, and less likely to be explosive unless very angry
Type Nines
The PerfectionistThe Need to be Right
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THE ENNEAGRAM
TYPE 1: THE PERFECTIONISTSeeks to be good and do the right thing to satisfy an urgent need to be virtuous and responsible and to avoid blame.Constantly geared towards complying with rules and standards, wanting to look right, flawless, perfectOnes are reliable, responsible, honest, well-intentioned, conscientious, hardworking, practical and thrifty.Rigidity, criticism and continuous judgement are characteristic of Type OnesOn the lowerside, Types 1s can suffer from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)Big growth is the need to tame their sometimes harsh criticality and take things less seriously, to relax their inner critic
Energy Focus:•Both internal and external (checking external cues against internal standards of right / wrong)•Being right, doing things the right way
Body Language:•Usually have furrowed brow, looking “critical”•Can come across as serious, critical
Vocals / Speech Patterns:•Tend to “sermonize”, using words like ”you should…, you need to...”
Type Ones
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THE ENNEAGRAM
The Boss / ChallengerThe Need to have Power
TYPE 8: THE BOSS / CHALLENGERDriven by the need to challenge and have power of controlGood at protecting and making themselves bigger and stronger than they really areDeny their vulnerability, overcompensate by exerting power in direct ways to control what’s happeningCan appear like a “grizzly bear” but often forget that they are like a “teddy bear”Higher purpose of the power is to serve in protection of self and othersEights are surprised to received feedback that others experience them as intimidating, as they don’t intend to be scary
Energy Focus:•Power / authority (who’s in control?)•Fairness, justice
Body Language:•Usually have big actions, “puffing up to appear strong”•Can come across as intimidating, challenging
Vocals / Speech Patterns:•Can be very direct and at times “blunt”•Usually not shy of expressing their opinions, even using strong words to convey urgency or weight
Type Eights
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THE ENNEAGRAM
The LoyalistThe Need to have Security
TYPE 6: THE SKEPTIC LOYALISTFocus on thinking what might go wrong and strategizing and preparing for potential problemsUsually ask many questions just to make self feel secureSixes try to understand threats and uncertain outcomes so that they can prevent something bad from happeningSixes have excellent analytical minds and can be extremely loyal to friends they trustTheir fatal flaw is that they can get stuck in doubt, endless questioning, over analysis, focusing too much on worst case scenarios ad what might go wrong, thus fail to take actionOnce they buy into a cause, they will be very devoted and loyal to the cause
Energy Focus:•Security & danger (Scanning the Environment for Danger)•Trust (“Can I trust this person?”)
Body Language:•Facial expression usually conveys a sense of vigilance•Can be very warm, welcoming, giving when feeling secure
Vocals / Speech Patterns:•Can ask a lot of questions and “figure things out”, usually in order for security•Can carry a questioning tone, as is suspicious
Type Sixes
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THE ENNEAGRAM
The Observer / InvestigatorThe Need to Perceive
TYPE 5: THE OBSERVERPrefer to take themselves away from situations, withdrawing into thinking and detaching from feeling as a way of taking refuge in the inner world.Usually take the posture of the detached observerNeed time alone to rest or “recharge”, away from prying eyes and emotional needs of othersSees knowledge as the most satisfying source of powerHave analytical minds and tend to spend a lot of time pursuing intellectual interests.May hold themselves back from social interactions out of a fear of having their energy depleted by social contact
Energy Focus:•Space, resources, knowledge•Competence, mastery
Body Language:•Facial expression usually conveys a feeling that they are ”processing/thinking”•Can be withdrawn / detached, not expressive with emotions
Vocals / Speech Patterns:•Can ask a lot of questions, just to understand and know•Can carry a tone of “knowing”, sometimes even proud when overdone
Type Fives
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THE ENNEAGRAM
The Epicure / EnthusiastThe Need to avoid Pain
TYPE 7: THE EPICURE / ENTHUSIASTHighly energetic and are usually natural connectorsCan often be seen as the “Life of the Party”Can easily find links and commonalities among seemingly different subjectsAre options maximizers, they love having as many options as possibleEnthusiasm and external show of joy belies an underlying need to avoid feeling painAvoidance of pain means that they often don't experience the fullest depth of their life experiencesAvoid anxiety and fear by moving toward happy feelings, a positive outlook, pleasurable experiences
Energy Focus:•External stimulants, materials, events, people•Fun, enjoyment
Body Language:•Usually highly energetic, positive, expressive with positive emotions (usually with a high sense of humor)•Can also come across as fidgety, easily bored
Vocals / Speech Patterns:•Usually speak in a high energy fashion•Tend to reframe negativity into positivity “always look on the bright side!”
Type Sevens
The PerfectionistThe Need to be Right
The Giver The Need to be Needed
The Achiever / PerformerThe Need to Succeed
The Romantic / IndividualistThe Need to be Special
The Observer / InvestigatorThe Need to Perceive
The LoyalistThe Need to have Security
The Epicure / EnthusiastThe Need to avoid Pain
The Boss / ChallengerThe Need to have Power
The PeacemakerThe Need to Avoid Conflict
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THE ENNEAGRAM
The PerfectionistThe Need to be Right
The Helper / Giver The Need to be Needed
The Achiever / PerformerThe Need to Succeed
The Romantic / IndividualistThe Need to be Special
The Observer / InvestigatorThe Need to Perceive
The LoyalistThe Need for Security
The Epicure / EnthusiastThe Need to avoid Pain
The Boss / ChallengerThe Need for Power
The PeacemakerThe Need to Avoid Conflict
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ENERGYORIENTATION
Assertive Triad - 3, 7, 8Withdrawn Triad - 4, 5, 9Compliant Triad - 1, 2, 6
There are several FREE Enneagram Tests online, but if you want to get a detailed report of your type together with definitive scores, you can take the Enneagram Test athttp://www.wepss.com/buy.asp Please note that this link, and the Enneagram Test you’re taking is provided by Dr Jerome Wagner, Coen’s Enneagram Mentor in the U.S. The USD$10 does not go to Ministry of Influence Pte Ltd, or Coen. You undertake to transact directly between yourself and Dr. Jerome Wagner.
Taking the Enneagram Test