The Enneagram at Work:
What Type Are You?

The enneagram is a way of looking at the human mind, generally by categorizing personalities within nine connected types. Enneagram types represent different ways of viewing the world, approaching work, and communicating in relationships. This theory first gained popularity in the 1950s and is a favorite among business management courses.

By understanding which enneagram type you and your colleagues fall into, you can more easily navigate day-to-day work and reach your team goals. Each enneagram type has its own strengths, weaknesses, and communication styles. This information can prove invaluable when working with a small team where interpersonal understanding is key.

The enneagram itself is illustrated as a circle with nine connected points that represent how the nine enneagram types connect and work together. In the most basic sense, you can think of the enneagram as these nine personality types, which we will go over later in this article.

The best way to determine which enneagram personality type you fall into is to take a reputable enneagram personality test. There are several different tests you can take, but they all encompass the same general questions that help get to the heart of your personality. Free tests may not be as comprehensive as professional enneagram type tests, but they can help you gain insight into your enneagram work.

Once you've learned which of the nine enneagram personality types you fall into, it can lead to a world of self-improvement and career development. By knowing your enneagram personality type, you can effectively work on your weaknesses. Just as each enneagram personality type has areas of weakness, they also have areas of strength where they shine and can bring unique skills or perspectives to a team.

Additionally, you can focus your efforts on self-improvement and on activities and skills that are complementary to your enneagram type. For example, a perfectionist may try to incorporate repetition and consistent practice into their personal development routine. Each enneagram type has its own natural way of viewing the world, and identifying this lens can help you use it with greater accuracy to reflect on your own weaknesses.

The perfectionist is known for a tendency to rely on self-control while being responsible, precise, and full of integrity. They often have a natural ability to let go of anger quickly, but struggle with feelings of resentment and handling change. In the same way, the perfectionist also grows angry and upset when they cannot change things to meet their desired goals the first time around.

Therefore, perfectionists often need to work on accepting change and the things that can't be changed. Some things cannot be changed no matter how much effort the perfectionist expends, and coming to terms with this is one of the enneagram type's greatest challenges. A strong support system can help the perfectionist recognize this and overcome their weaknesses.

Helpers are known for placing emphasis on their relationships and making excellent friends, partners, and coworkers. These supportive and empathetic types are good at communicating. However, they often struggle with self-validation and poor self-esteem when their external relationships become tumultuous.

This means that the Helper needs to emphasize using their natural humility to support them in finding the right balance between internal and external validation. If a helper relies too much on their relationships for validation, it can lead to feelings of disappointment or anger over simple miscommunication.

Achievers use their abundant energy to propel them toward their goals, both in their professional and home lives. These types are known as the office "go-getters" and by choice, often take on a far heavier workload than their coworkers. With a natural tendency toward success and goal-setting, achievers often race through the corporate ranks.

At the same time, achievers are likely to suffer from burnout and other negative effects of their intense workloads. Often, the solution is for the achiever to work on letting go of the expectations of others and focus on what makes them truly happy.

The romantic has a deep connection to their emotions and inner feelings. Often employed as artists or creatives, romantics feel true joy in the human experiences and emotions of those around them. These types need a stable foundation of validation and support to thrive in the workplace, as they often find themselves experiencing "imposter syndrome," where they feel as if they don't have the skills or experience to perform their jobs (even if they do).

In the same way, the romantic can be moody at times, especially in the face of disappointment. To overcome this, they should challenge themselves to practice mindfulness and gain more insight into the natural ebb and flow of their emotions.

Investigators have a deep curiosity about themselves, the world around them, and how their work fits into the bigger picture. They have a natural ability to enjoy solitude and use it to pursue knowledge in areas of interest. Investigators usually possess the ability to break down technical concepts in an easily followed conversation style, making them excellent communicators.

Despite this, investigators tend to separate their inner and outer personalities. It can be difficult for them to share their knowledge, passion, and interests with others. To work on this, the investigators should practice vulnerability and open dialogue with those they trust the most.

The skeptic is known for pointing out the flaws of a product or solution that others may not even see. Skeptics sit back and take in all available information before making a decision, making them natural strategic thinkers. They often pay more attention to the needs and wants of others around them than the average person, making them loyal team players.

However, skeptics also struggle with a pessimistic outlook and struggle to remain faithful in ideas or people who have let them down before. To overcome this, skeptics need to work long-term on building trust and becoming vulnerable with those around them.

Enthusiasts have access to boundless energy that they use to fuel their goals and fun-loving spirit. They make wonderful friends and colleagues due to their stellar communication skills. Enthusiasts love to work on multiple projects at once so their energy is not limited.

Despite this, they often face the challenge of being self-centered and "all about the fun." Most of the time, an enthusiast communicates through personal stories that show varying levels of self-absorption. Enthusiasts require grounding with a rock-solid support system and achievable goals to harness the full benefits of their enneagram type.

The challenger is a natural-born leader with an assertive, yet enthusiastic and well-meaning communication style. They often seek to avoid rules, regulations, and anything standing in the way of immediate results. Challengers face life head-on without looking for hidden meanings or implications; this is also known as "taking things at face value."

Nonetheless, challengers deal with their fair share of issues. Often, they will take projects to the extreme and overwork themselves. This brings out the challenger's quick temper, something that requires patience and a willingness to be vulnerable to work through.

Peacemakers are one of the most common enneagram types, known for being amicable and accepting people. One of their strongest skills is being able to adopt the viewpoint of others, seeing a situation from multiple points of view and empathizing with them. At the same time, peacemakers struggle with direction and motivation. To combat this, they need to identify their priorities and make goals that will allow them to put the most important priorities first.

Each enneagram type has a different approach to life, communication, and work. By knowing which of the nine enneagram types your personality falls within, you can adjust how you approach your work. If you're a peacemaker, for example, you can work on being more goal-driven and rely less on your stubborn nature.

The process of learning your enneagram type and how to effectively work with your strengths and weaknesses will take time. Approach your practice with patience and self-compassion. By deciding to take this step toward embracing your enneagram at work, you're already putting yourself on a path toward success.