The Enneagram – self-awareness, development and an understanding of others
The Enneagram is a unique tool for self-awareness, development and for understanding other people. It describes nine different basic strategies that everyone will recognize parts of. Not only does the Enneagram point out our different ways of acting, it also creates an understanding of why this is. It teaches us to be more accepting of other people’s challenging sides, and to start focusing on each other’s assets. The starting point is our different ways of looking at the world.
One could say that the Enneagram maps out nine different human strategies and offers a detailed description of the deep-seated motives for why we have certain patterns and behaviors. The Enneagram describes what subconsciously motivates people and what makes different personality types function optimally. The model shows how we can develop, become more present and increase our ability to successfully handle both work and our private lives.
All Enneagram personality types are equally good, but they have different strengths and face different challenges. What is easy for one can be difficult for another, and vice versa. It also shows our different reactions to stress, for example. Having a model to base talks in the workplace on makes it easier for us to reflect on ourselves and one other. By referring to personality types, we can be specific without becoming personal.
The Enneagram is used by companies the world over to increase self-awareness among leaders and employees. It is taught at university level, for example in the United States, South America and Spain. The Enneagram has been validated by the Psychosometric Institute in England and through research in Belgium and the United States.
The Enneagram has far more uses than regular personality tests and provides concrete support for personal development. One benchmark report based on interviews with 72 companies showed that working with the Enneagram had led to improvements in, among other things, commitment, efficiency, communication and collaborative skills among employees.
The word “Enneagram” comes from the Greek words ennea, which means “nine”, and gram, which means “model”. The Enneagram can be described as a nine-point model. (If you think of a “diagram” as being a model made up of two lines, the Enneagram has nine).
The Enneagram differs from most general models for personality typification:
- It is an “open source” tool which does not require licenses
- It has a higher degree of recognition as it has more basic strategies
- It describes both how we behave and why – revealing both conscious and unconscious driving forces
- It has a logical structure and model, thus being easy to apply
- It has a number of development levels enabling in-depth analysis and development paths
“All Enneagram personality types are equally good, but they have different strengths and face different challenges.”
Web-based testing tool – the Global Leadership Profile
The Global Leadership Profile is an assessment and feedback process that measures a combination of internal thinking and external behavior, from your perspective and from the point of view of others. This type of feedback and self-assessment is what you need to establish your starting point, i.e. what kind of leader you currently are and the areas that may need some improvement for you to become the best leader possible.
The Global Leadership Profile is an internet-based measuring tool that helps you assess your different leadership qualities. After this, it’s time for other people – who know you well – to give their assessment of the same qualities.
What are the benefits of this form of assessment?
Feedback from people who work close to you is a valuable source of information, but it doesn’t always come your way naturally. When you assess a person’s behavior using the Global Leadership Profile, the result is honest and balanced, partly because your characteristics are sometimes more easily identifiable to others, but also because your behavior affects them. This is a perfect tool for people and groups who understand the importance of their own impact on their environment.
All feedback from this assessment is confidential.
Web-based testing tools – 360-degree indicator
The 360-degree indicator is a learning tool based on the Enneagram personality model. Through the Enneagram, you reach the core of your personality, all the way in to your values, convictions and what motivates these. The 360-degree indicator offers a learning tool that goes deeper than common behavioral typologies and regular personality testing.
It is called a learning tool because while you learn about the nine Enneagram types, you are also meant to assess the extent to which you recognize yourself in each of the types.
You also have the option of filling in a free version of the 360-degree indicator and inviting your friends to do the same. The free version of the test is meant to give you a taste of the complete 360-degree indicator and it ends with a chart showing to what extent you show up in each of the nine Enneagram types. You also get access to brief descriptions of all types.