Development Plan for an Enneagram Five

Out of the Box Coaching and
BREAKTHROUGHS WITH THE ENNEAGRAM, Mary R. Bast, Ph.D.

Executive Development Plan
for Jake Parsons -- Style Five

Note to the Reader: What follows is a development plan created for a Style Five executive. While "Jake" is unique in many ways, his story illustrates how some Five dynamics play out in the workplace. Jake's MBTI profile (ISTJ) is unusual for a Five. Fives are likely to be introverts ("I") but often prefer Intuition (N) and Perception (P), so the more typical Five profile on the MBTI is INTP. As you read through this plan, begin to formulate what you'd suggest as developmental actions for Jake (and for Fives in general). Then compare your ideas against his actual development work.

I. ENNEAGRAM LEADERSHIP STYLE

Fives tend to escape from their unconscious fear of being emotionally overwhelmed by focusing on specific areas of life they feel they can master. They're typically intelligent people and profound thinkers, with deep areas of expertise. They can seem too intense and even detached to others because they tend to retreat to their minds and watch the outside world from this safe vantage point. Fives often have a "hoarding" quality which can be manifested in taking in large amounts of data; gathering information makes them feel secure. At the same time, they tend not to be very forthcoming to others with either information or feelings. They're not the only Enneagram styles who avoid interpersonal confrontation, but they do it in their own way: burying themselves in whatever they're thinking about and/or working on. Fives don't easily trust others, and find it difficult to express their feelings openly. Once developed, though, their capacity for friendship and commitment can be very deep. Fives can develop themselves by observing and disengaging from their overuse of intellectuality, and by creating an interpersonal "suit of armor;" i.e., by looking for support in the external world rather than letting their fears lead them to withdrawal, by creating boundaries that allow them to proceed without fearing being "invaded" emotionally. Self-aware Fives gradually learn to be more self-disclosing. Even the slightest evidence of such interpersonal generosity can make significant changes in their relationships with others. (See Riso's Enneagram Transformations, Condon's Easy in Your Harness tape series, and Palmer's The Enneagram.)

II. MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR PROFILE

People with your MBTI profile (ISTJ) tend to be dependable, realistic, practical, and factual. They accept responsibility, often beyond the call of duty. Their private reactions are often vivid and intense, yet they look calm and composed, even in a crisis. They're painstaking and systematic, do not enter into things impulsively, but once committed they're hard to distract or discourage. Their practical judgment and valuing of procedure makes ISTJs consistent and conservative, assembling necessary facts to support their evaluations and decisions. They may encounter problems if they expect everyone to be as logical and analytical as they are; thus there's a danger they'll inappropriately judge others or override less forceful people. ISTJs may retreat from others and become absorbed with their inner reactions. The word of ISTJs is their bond. When they do see what really matters to others, they may go to generous lengths to help. However, they tend not to be influenced by others' priorities, preferring instead to make up their own minds and to work steadily toward what they want to accomplish. (See Hirsch & Kummerow's Introduction to Type in Organizations, Keirsey & Bates' Please Understand Me, and Myers' Introduction to Type.)

III. STRENGTHS

Jake, you're seen by sources of input to your development plan as very knowledgeable about computers in particular and about the company's business in general. You're the most respected person in the documentation area. Others acknowledge you've had a difficult task to consolidate the needs of the outlying divisions, particularly without the anticipated technology in place. Further, start-up efforts like the one you've been responsible for are known to involve a learning curve, to evoke additional pressure from a variety of sources, and to evoke problems with morale. In response to these predictable problems you've remained comparatively calm and have worked hard to be responsive to management and to employees. You're described as intelligent, focused, strong-thinking, and thorough: you organize data well to document progress, and you're energetic and dedicated, ready to "roll up your sleeves" when necessary. A particular strength is your ability to envision future possibilities and your innovative approach to problem-solving: While some managers would have difficulty with the constant changes in the corporation, you've remained flexible, versatile, and open to better ways of doing things. Personally, you're seen as professional, likeable, fairly adaptable, honest, sincere, and dedicated to the company.

IV. DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Communication/Teamwork

You're seen as "a very positive person who tries to keep people 'up' on the floor." You express yourself well, conduct briefings with competence, and handle yourself confidently in presentations to senior management. You appear to handle differences of opinion professionally: you play peoples' opinions back to them, objectively evaluate the data, and smooth over conflicts within your own management area. You tend to be logical and calm, and to respond to others best when they use logical arguments. However, there are two areas of communication you need to think about:

As you know from conversations with your boss, he's been covering for you by adding notes to your somewhat cryptic e-mail responses to others. Your colleagues have said when they send you an e-mail they only hope for a reply. This is an aspect of your "hoarding" quality, which has also shown up in not coming to meetings with your peers or showing up late and/or leaving early. Furthermore, when you do attend you rarely talk or listen but "never gives anything back." This leads to a perception of you as "aloof" or even "closed to new ideas" because people have no clue what's going on in your mind. One of your team-mates said, "Jake's not the type to come out and say 'Good morning', but he will if you meet him half way." Unfortunately, not everyone knows this, and even those who do are tired of having to seek you out.

One employee said, "If you talk to Jake, he's right on your level," but most of them are afraid to speak to you, and the rest say you jump to conclusions, talk down to them, cut people off, or put people down with such statements as, "I don't buy that! I've done that job and...". Sometimes your condescension is conveyed nonverbally. ("The message is, 'Why am I wasting my time?'") This is quite characteristic of the Five: you've probably thought things through so thoroughly, it's easy to defend a viewpoint and be impatient with others' views.

As communication relates to teamwork, you certainly convey the importance of quality, and you respond in principle to the company's stated value of One Team, One Goal. In practice, though, your interactions with your peers have not particularly promoted teamwork. As one said, "He lives in his own world and I have to chase information down in order to do my own job." Even when you seem cooperative you sometimes go off and do it your own way anyway, sometimes when you've agreed otherwise. This is frustrating to others and can become a trust issue: "Jake will say it's a good idea, then do what he wants." I think this is a further reflection of your Enneagram Five style. You need time to go away and think about things before coming to a full conclusion; unfortunately, this is coupled with your tendency to not give out information, so the parties involved don't know how your thinking has changed.

A number of comments were made in the first round of interviews that you have been getting better in the area of communication. The staff meetings are helping, you have been getting out on the floor more and talking to people, listening better, and your e-mail responses are more complete. It will be important to continue building on this improvement.

Management

While you've acknowledged your tendency as a manager to be somewhat "hard", for those who "give 100%" you're seen as a resource and a teacher, available to help with personal problems. However, there's great diversity in your management team and it will be necessary to devote significant energy to developing those who aren't performing up to standards. Your preference for relating to associates only one-on-one has created a particular difficulty in the impression of favoritism.

You've said you don't delegate as well as you should, tending to keep too much on your plate, although you're doing more and more delegating. You often deal directly with associates, even when their manager is someone you see as capable. This is a key development area.

As mentioned above, your management staff meetings are helping to improve communications. The group is now at a point where some team building would be timely, as they continue to develop their ability to use each other as resources and to support you as a group.

Associates need to hear they're doing a good job; this is not voiced enough, through you or your managers. Sample comments: "Spot Awards were given out behind closed doors." "If he knows you support him he'll recognize you; if you do something to lose his trust you might as well leave the company."

* * * * *

Note to the Reader: Before you continue, review the feedback above and think about how you would suggest that Jake develop himself. Then compare your ideas to the action steps in his development plan.

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