The enneagram
is unique and useful tool used to understand our motivations and our
personality traits. Several large
organizations and corporations have been known to use the Enneagram as a means
of anticipating individual's reactions to
certain situations which maybe stressful.
How does the Enneagram work? It
consists of a framework that categorises people into nine basic personalities.
It is represented as a “enneagon”, a circle surrounding an equilateral triangle
and two incomplete triangles that meet in nine points along the circle’s
circumference. Although the origins of this system are unclear, some say it was
based on Sufi Mysticism. The Ennea means
"nine" in Greek, and gram refers to "model".
It is widely believed that a person can only have one
place/number on the Enneagram, which will not change with time. What will
happen as a person ages is their characteristics may soften or become more
pronounced as they grow and develop. It is also believed that we are strongly
influenced by the numbers on either side of our core personality type. For
example, although my core traits are that of a type 5, I may be heavily
influenced by type 4.
The first step to determining your Enneagram type is by
making an honest assessment of their strengths and weaknesses.
In brief, the nine personality types are as follows:
Type One: The Perfectionist, The Reformer, The Critic & the Impatient Orderly.
Type Two: The Helper, The Giver & the Loving person.
Type Three: The Achiever, The Performer, The Motivator & The Effective Person
Type Four: The Romantic, The Artist, The Individualist & The Connoisseur.
Type Five: The Observer, The Thinker, The Investigator, The Innovator & The Sage.
Type Six: The Loyalist, The Trooper, The Devil's Advocate & The Trouble-shooter.
Type Seven: The Adventurer, The Epicure, The Optimist & The Generalist.
Type Eight: The Challenger, The Leader, The Top Dog & The Leader.
Type Nine: The Mediator, The Abdicator, The Peacemaker & the Equaliser.
