Enneagram Workshop Design
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complete pdf version)
I've been approached by a company to work
with their management team using the Enneagram. I've
explained it's very new to me but they're still keen for
me to use it in a workshop: (1) How the Enneagram can be
used in the business context. (2) How the different
personality styles affect the dynamics of the teams. (3)
How individuals can help each other work on their
weaknesses. Some challenge!! I'm going to use the Riso
Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator. There are 12 members in
the team, all at management level, and I'd like to use
lots of interactive group work, with some fun time. Do
you have any ideas on team work - games or quizzes I
could use?
Most important, use yourself as an exemplar: (1) If you're a
Five, tell personal stories about how the Enneagram
has changed you, made you more effective (this models for them the value of
self-disclosure, and when you explain that self-disclosure is difficult for a Five it will
demonstrate the value of the Enneagram). (2) As a Five it will be your tendency to try to
"teach" them everything they need to know. Work against that tendency. Try
instead to engage them in discovering their Enneagram styles and how those
styles affect their work
together. Use your knowledge to help confirm their discoveries.
I'm glad you've been honest with your clients about your
level of knowledge about the Enneagram. There are so many useful materials, I know you can do a good job. I place a lot of responsibility on the clients -
to determine their own
style and for making the training work. Actually, I think of any
training opportunity as a consultation - that is, I tailor the training to the specific
group and their needs. You've probably read how I did that with
one team. So any exercises (or "games") I create are
work-related, and to the degree possible, tailored to their particular line of work.
I might, for example, design a case study based on one or two
of their key clients, and have them guess the individual's Enneagram style, or if it's a
company, typing the general company atmosphere – does it come across as an "Eight" organization? A "One" organization? Why? Why not? You can
set them up in two teams and create a little competition over it – a
debate where each tries to persuade the other as to the
client/client organization's "style" – then problem solve together
on how to approach the clients differently given their conclusions.
They're asking all the right questions. (How use in a business context?
How do Enneagram styles affect team dynamics? How each can help others work on weaknesses?)
I'd
interview them ahead of time, if possible, and identify their strengths
and weaknesses as a team regardless of styles... then you can create some hands-on
exercises to help bring out their Enneagram-related characteristics.
The
Riso
Indicator is fine, but I strongly recommend you not rely solely on a
questionnaire to identify their styles, and
tell your clients, as well, to use the instrument as an "indicator."
Answering the questions helps make them aware of
the nine
styles,
and often eliminates the obvious poor matches, but no instrument has been
validated to my satisfaction, and you can waste precious time if you rely on their scores as indications of
Enneagram style. I often start with a round-robin (depending on the size of the group) with each of
them indicating their "best guess" at this point about their "style"
and why they think that, then encourage them to keep their options open as I teach the
nine styles with examples (tell them ahead of time if you're going to do this, so they do their
homework).
If you haven't already done so, I urge you to have them purchase
copies of Michael
Goldberg's The Nine Ways of Working ahead of time, and to use his
descriptions as
another data point for figuring out their style. If that's not possible, give
them copies of Nine Ways at the workshop with a homework assignment or two.
You're welcome to use the
case descriptions from my web site if you think they'll help
(and as long as you give me credit). Also, I've borrowed
liberally from Goldberg's book when I've done training. For
example, at the end of each chapter he gives ideas for how
to work better with different Enneagram styles. His "Cardinal Rules" are invaluable.
I always build in a feedback session with management
teams. Because you have the luxury of
two days, you can focus mostly on discovery/learning the first day. But I would hit home
on the second day with real-life issues. By this time more trust has been built and you can set
up a START-STOP-CONTINUE feedback exercise:
-
Each is given a piece of flipchart paper (and if possible
one of 12 different colors of marking pen). At the top is written "Given my Enneagram
Style I need to..." and then the paper is divided into three sections, one headed
"START," one headed "STOP," and one headed "CONTINUE."
-
Each writes his or her name in the upper right-hand corner,
and is given five minutes to fill in one item for each of their own three sections (for
example, as a Nine I might write "STOP... agreeing to projects I don't want to do and
them grousing about having to do them;" "START... speaking up in meetings;"
"CONTINUE... being a good listener."
-
After five minutes they tape their sheets to the wall.
Then in a moving circle, each spends five minutes at each of the other posted charts,
adding one item for each section. At the end of this, each has five minutes to ask questions
for clarification only, NON-DEFENSIVELY – the point is to understand the feedback they've
been given, not to rationalize their behavior.
-
Each now has a flip chart page with twelve ideas, including
their own, for what they can appreciate ("CONTINUE") and what they could work on
("START," "STOP"). Any patterns will also be apparent (for example if
most of the feedback includes different ways of framing the same strength or weakness).
-
Then I set them the task of working individually to choose
at least one item they will COMMIT to work on, and to write out HOW they plan to do that,
and what SUPPORT they will need from other team members. These are shared and captured on
a team to-do list on a flip chart. This could take all morning.
Also on the second afternoon I often have them
conduct a real meeting with an ongoing topic or problem they need to solve (needs to be
planned ahead of time, of course). Assign each person a couple of people to observe for
Enneagram dynamics while the meeting is going on (by this time you'll know their
styles and
can create simple Observer Sheets that they can use for brief notes). You, of course,
will be the main observer and can facilitate a debriefing at the end of the meeting
about how their Enneagram dynamics played out - if the meeting is long enough they'll
forget to "pose," and you'll get very rich data.
Other ideas for team-work/games:
-
Loretta Brady's
Finding
Yourself on the Enneagram has terrific cartoons that capture
body language as well as spoken language. I've used these for a "quiz" by
creating overhead transparencies and asking participants to identify Enneagram
styles within each cartoon.
-
I've
also had fun with other cartoons, such as
Far
Side or Dilbert, as a way to have people confirm their
understanding of the Enneagram (either as a handout or using other media). The
biggest value of
this is in what you and they learn from the discussion.
-
You can do something similar by referring
to a TV show that has a
variety of characters – I've used Seinfeld with a management team, and our local chapter
used an old M*A*S*H show. You'll want to pick a show that most people in the group are
familiar with. Of course there's not enough information to really confirm the characters'
styles,
but asking people why they make certain guesses is an excellent way to deepen their
learning.
-
Susan
Forster and Peter O'Hanrahan have a
booklet on Transformational Leadership. For each style they cover
"characteristics," "potential problems," "strengths," and
"suggestions for professional development."
-
I've made quizzes
from brief summaries of client
conversations. Hand out these brief descriptions along with an answer sheet, then put
people in pairs or larger break-out groups to discuss and defend their choices. You can
use mine or create some of your own (these are not in order of Enneagram style
by number):
-
"At our level a lot
of people take signals from us and we need to be
aware of what we project out. I'm an expansionist of
sorts
– I like seeing success breed upon success. I
seem to be exceptionally good at sailing; I've
competed in a world championship and was going to
represent this country in the Olympics, but my new
job as Vice President didn't leave me time."
-
"I was told I don't speak
up enough. I almost have to be asked my opinion; I find it very difficult to talk when you
don't think anyone is listening. When a new subject comes up I don't have any reaction
until I've thought about it; then my strategy is to pick the right moment so as not to
create too much debate. I like to listen, take what people say, build a consensus, and
build a solution."
-
"Some people ask me into
a conversation just because they know I'll come at it from a totally different angle. I've
always had compassion for others but it also comes from personal tragedy. I always felt
different in my family. My brothers convinced me when I was small that I was adopted
– they
actually convinced me that this old woman who ran the elevator was my real mother! Often I
consider leaving this organization because nobody seems to understand how to think outside
the box."
-
"I grew up in the
depression and my father never had a job until I was in the first grade. I've found that
if you can work with people and understand some basic principles you can run just about
anything. There's a fun side of me that's viewed by some with too much emphasis. About a
month ago my boss told me for the third time in a year there's a perception I'm not
really serious."
-
"I'm my own worst critic.
I'm very demanding of myself and realize everybody else can't live up to my standards. If
I'm busy I'll just bark something out to people. When I was a kid I got good grades,
always did very well, but I couldn't satisfy my parents – their message was always, 'You
can do better.' I find myself conveying the same message to the people who work for
me."
-
"I've learned over the
years that no matter how much gray matter you've got, if you don't stay current and
improve what you've got, it doesn't matter. I have an open-door policy; my people know
they can come to me at any time, but the people who work for me are well-qualified and
don't need much direction. I hate having group meetings because they're generally a waste
of time – you can get a lot more accomplished by going directly to the person with the
expertise."
-
"In the past I was always
promoted because I did the best job I could and was loyal to my boss. I'm a fairly
organized person and I think I plan well – particularly contingency planning, knowing
where the obstacles will be. If I've erred it would be on the side of second-guessing my
decisions. I'll never get over not getting that recent promotion -- I feel resentful, but
also disappointed with myself."
-
"How can I make a
breakthrough with my boss that I'm absolutely doing all I can? Since last year I've been
saying very loudly that I'm overworked. They get me to do things by saying, 'You do it so
well, there's no one else here who can do it.' I feel I cut off pieces of myself and feed
them to people."
-
"For as long as I can
remember I've been on my own. Honesty is one of my faults because I tell people like it
is
– and they might not want to know. I know I'm tough, but I'm compassionate. They tell me
I can eat a guy's rear end up better than anybody else; but each time I've gone off the
deep end, the person I've jumped on was not doing what I told him to do."
(Answers: a = Style 3, b =
Style 9, c = Style 4, d = Style 7, e = Style1, f = Style 5,
g = Style 6, h = Style 2, i = Style 8)
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