261. Type 3 at Work: Adaptable Doesn’t Mean Inauthentic

The Enneagram made the news this week! And not in some obscure personality blog, but on CNBC.Kara Nortman, who's helped build and invest in professional women's sports organizations, recently talked about the role the Enneagram has played in her career and leadership.The article also mentioned some of the other successful business leaders who've talked publicly about using the Enneagram, from Dropbox to Shopify.Enneagram MBA also had the opportunity to bring you some of those conversations firsthand, including leaders at ButcherBox and members of the Dallas Cowboys organization.So in this episode, I wanted to do something a little different. We're going to look at a few real-world examples of leaders and organizations using the Enneagram, what they say they've learned, and what the rest of us can take away from their experiences.Resources mentioned in this episode: CNBC Article Interview with Butcherbox CEO and Chief People OfficerInterview with Dallas Cowboys Digital Signage Leaders*****Want to bring these kinds of conversations to your team?Enneagram MBA workshops help teams better understand how different people communicate, process information, navigate conflict, and work together.You can explore facilitated workshops and team-development experiences, or start with the free Enneagram Workshop Planning Kit to think through the right experience for your team.Are you also in the sports industry like Kara? Check out our Enneagram Experiences for Sports Organizations here. Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

Have you ever left a meeting thinking it was productive, while someone else left feeling rushed, unheard, or confused?That doesn’t necessarily mean the meeting was bad.It may just mean different people were paying attention to different things, processing information differently, and defining “productive” in completely different ways.In this episode, we talk about how the Enneagram can help teams understand why the same meeting can feel so different depending on who is in the room.We cover:Why not everyone thinks out loudHow meetings can unintentionally favor faster processorsWhy silence doesn’t always mean disengagementThe different ways people define a productive meetingHow different priorities shape what people notice and contributeWhy some teammates want to decide quickly while others need more timeThe difference between participation and airtimeHow people respond differently when tension or disagreement enters the roomWhy teams can miss important perspectives when the same voices dominate every meetingPractical ways leaders can create more useful, inclusive conversationsA few questions to consider before your next meeting:What is the purpose of this meeting?What do we need to leave with?Who needs context or information beforehand?How will we make room for different processing and participation styles?Are we discussing, deciding, or informing?And one reflection for afterward:Did the structure help us hear the perspectives we needed, or just the fastest and loudest ones?The goal isn’t for everyone to participate the same way.It’s to create enough structure and awareness that different people can contribute their best thinking.*****Want to bring this kind of conversation to your team?Enneagram MBA workshops help teams better understand how different people communicate, process information, navigate conflict, and work together.You can explore facilitated workshops and team-development experiences, or start with the free Enneagram Workshop Planning Kit to think through the right experience for your team.Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

Type 3s can sometimes get labeled as fake, overly polished, image-focused, or too concerned with what other people think.But that interpretation can miss something important.What may look like image management from the outside can often be adaptability, situational awareness, and a strong instinct for what a particular moment requires.In this episode, we explore what people often get wrong about Type 3 at work, and why being strategic about how you show up doesn’t automatically mean you’re being inauthentic.We cover:Why Type 3s are often highly aware of goals, expectations, and what success looks likeHow adaptability can be mistaken for being “fake”The difference between adjusting your approach and pretending to be someone you’re notWhy presentation, credibility, and buy-in can matter so much to Type 3sThe strengths Type 3s can bring through execution, momentum, and effectivenessHow ambition and polish can become overusedThe risk of losing touch with what you actually want while chasing successWhy vulnerability can feel especially uncomfortable when competence mattersHow coworkers and managers can better support Type 3sA few questions for Type 3s to consider:Am I adapting to the situation... or abandoning something important about myself to succeed in it?Would I still want this if no one else was impressed by it?The goal isn’t for Type 3s to become less ambitious, less polished, or less strategic.It’s to make sure the image stays connected to the person underneath it.You can be intentional about how you show up without losing who you are.*****Want to bring these conversations to your team?Enneagram MBA workshops help teams better understand the patterns behind how people communicate, lead, collaborate, and respond under pressure.You can explore facilitated workshops and team-development experiences, or start with the free Enneagram Workshop Planning Kit to think through the right experience for your team. Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

If your team has already used DISC, you may be wondering whether the Enneagram is basically the same thing, or whether there’s any value in doing both.The short answer: they’re different tools that can support many of the same workplace goals, but they tend to approach those goals through different lenses.In this episode, we explore how DISC and the Enneagram compare when it comes to communication, self-awareness, blind spots, conflict, leadership development, and team growth.We cover:What DISC can help teams understand about workplace behavior and communication preferencesWhat the Enneagram adds by exploring patterns and motivation underneath behaviorWhy two people can show the same behavior for very different reasonsThe difference between quick behavioral adaptation and deeper pattern recognitionHow both tools can support communication, conflict, growth, and blind-spot awarenessWhy the Enneagram may take longer to understand — and why that depth can be usefulHow DISC and the Enneagram can complement each other rather than competeWhat to consider if your team has already completed DISCWhere personality tools can go wrong when labels replace curiosityOne simple way to think about the difference:DISC: How do I tend to show up?Enneagram: What might be driving me to show up that way?Application: What do I want to do differently now that I understand the pattern?Neither framework should become an excuse for behavior or a shortcut for understanding another person.If a personality tool makes us more certain about everyone else and less curious, we’re probably using it wrong.The goal is more flexibility, more awareness, and better conversations — not more labels.DiSC Episode mentioned: Building Better Relationships at Work Using DiSC with Nancy Marmolejo*****Want to bring the Enneagram to your team?Enneagram MBA facilitates practical team workshops and development experiences focused on communication, collaboration, leadership, and workplace relationships.And if you’re still figuring out what kind of experience would be right for your team, start with the free Enneagram Workshop Planning Kit for sample agendas, planning questions, and resources to help you think through your options.Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

Performance reviews are supposed to help people grow.But even accurate feedback can miss the mark if the person receiving it doesn’t fully understand what needs to change, why it matters, or what success looks like moving forward.In this episode, we explore how the Enneagram can help managers make performance conversations more intentional, without lowering expectations or excusing poor performance.The key takeaway here...Personalize the communication, not the accountability.In this episode, we cover:Why managers should start by examining their own feedback patternsThe difference between adjusting your delivery and changing the standardHow to think about what helps an employee actually hear feedbackWhy questions, silence, pushback, or quick agreement may not mean what you assumeHow the Enneagram can help managers approach reactions with more curiosityWays to make performance reviews more of a two-way conversationHow strengths can become liabilities when overusedWhy development is often less about eliminating a strength and more about using it more intentionallyWe also look at a few practical questions managers can ask before a performance review:What do I need this person to understand?What do I need them to do differently?What am I likely to overdo or avoid as the manager?What might help this person hear the message clearly?How will we know this conversation actually led to change?The Enneagram shouldn’t become a script for how to talk to someone.It can be a useful framework for becoming more aware of your own tendencies, considering how another person may receive the message, and making the conversation more clear, useful, and actionable.The goal of a performance review isn’t to make the conversation comfortable.It’s to make the feedback clear enough that the person can actually do something with it.Resources mentioned in the episode:Feedback Cheat Sheet (free resource)Manager Prompt Pack ($47 resource)*****Want to bring this kind of conversation to your team?Enneagram MBA workshops help managers and teams build stronger communication, greater self-awareness, and a shared language for navigating feedback, conflict, collaboration, and everyday work.You can explore facilitated workshops and team-development experiences, or start with the free Enneagram Workshop Planning Kit to think through the right experience for your team.Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

Type 7s can bring something teams genuinely need: energy, possibility, creativity, and the ability to see a way forward when everyone else is focused on what went wrong.That optimism can be a major workplace strength.But what happens when looking on the bright side becomes a way of moving past something that actually needs attention?In this episode, we explore the difference between healthy reframing and avoidance...and how Type 7s can keep the optimism without skipping over the harder parts of work.We cover:Why Type 7 optimism can be such a valuable team strengthThe difference between reframing a problem and bypassing itHow positivity can sometimes be experienced as dismissivenessWhat avoidance can look like after failure, during feedback, or in conflictWhy risk-focused coworkers may not simply be “being negative”The Type 7 tendency to keep options open and move toward what feels new or excitingHow new possibilities can sometimes distract from follow-throughWhat Type 7 leaders may need to remember when conversations stop being funWhy the growth opportunity isn’t becoming less optimistic, it’s increasing your capacity to stay present with what isn’t positive yetA few questions to consider:Am I finding a new perspective... or am I trying to escape an uncomfortable one?Does this situation need a solution yet, or does it need my attention first?Is this new option genuinely better...or is it simply newer?The goal isn’t for Type 7s to lose the possibility, enthusiasm, or hope they naturally bring, but rather to make that optimism even more powerful by being willing to face what’s difficult first, and then ask what else might be possible.*****Want to bring these conversations to your team?Enneagram MBA workshops help teams better understand the patterns they bring into communication, decision-making, conflict, collaboration, and everyday work.You can explore facilitated workshops and team-development experiences, or use the free Enneagram Workshop Planning Kit to start thinking through the right experience for your team.Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

We all have workplace habits that seem to follow us around, especially when we’re stressed, under pressure, or moving too fast to notice our own patterns.In this Halloween-themed episode, we’re looking at one habit that can “haunt” each Enneagram type at work.The good news is that we’re doomed to repeat these patterns forever because awareness gives us a chance to catch them earlier and choose a different response.In this episode, we explore:Type 9: the opinion they never said out loudType 8: the moment they went in at a 10 when a 5 would have workedType 7: the commitment they keep trying to escapeType 6: the “what if?” scenario that keeps multiplyingType 5: the conversation they keep waiting to feel fully prepared forType 4: the feeling that something is missingType 3: the pressure to always be performingType 2: the resentment that can show up after overgivingType 1: the mistake they can’t stop noticingAlong the way, you'll also hear a practical reflection question for each type, including:Does this actually need to be fixed? Or is it simply not how I would have done it?Do I actually need more information? Or am I waiting to feel completely certain?Does this situation actually require all of my intensity?What do I think about this before I start considering what everyone else thinks?The intention of this episode is to help you notice your haunting habit a little sooner, before it starts running the meeting, the conversation, the deadline, or the relationship.Because the patterns that once haunted us don’t have to keep following us forever.Want to bring this kind of conversation to your team?Enneagram MBA workshops help teams better understand themselves, their coworkers, and the patterns that can create friction at work — while keeping the experience practical, positive, and useful.You can also explore the free Enneagram Workshop Planning Kit for sample agendas, planning ideas, and resources to help you design an Enneagram experience for your team.Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

Goal setting often starts with what we think we need to fix.But what if a better approach was to first understand where your attention naturally goes, where you tend to experience friction, and what you may be overlooking altogether?In this episode, we use the Instinctual Biases from the Awareness to Action framework to look at goal setting from a different angle.  We explore the three Instinctual Biases:Preserving: attention to resources, comfort, maintenance, health, risk, and sustainabilityNavigating: attention to relationships, social dynamics, roles, hierarchy, and how people work togetherTransmitting: attention to impact, influence, visibility, meaningful work, and leaving a lasting impression Then we look at the three zones connected to each instinctual pattern:Zone of Enthusiasm: where your attention naturally goes and where you may already have strengths to leverageZone of Inner Conflict: where you may experience more friction, effort, or push-pull tensionZone of Indifference: where you may be less likely to focus your attention and where a blind spot may exist Instead of trying to completely reinvent yourself, consider setting three kinds of goals:One goal to leverage.What strength can you use more intentionally?One goal to stretch.What small behavior could help you grow in an area that feels less natural?One goal to notice.What might you be overlooking simply because it doesn’t naturally capture your attention? The episode also walks through what this can look like for Preservers, Navigators, and Transmitters in the workplace - from risk assessment and process awareness, to organizational savvy and consensus building, to influence, visibility, and communicating a compelling vision.  We can use our Instinctual Bias to better understand what already comes naturally, where you may need a small stretch, and where increased awareness could strengthen the way you work, lead, and relate to others.Want to explore your Instinctual Bias?Enneagram MBA also incorporates the Instinctual Biases into full-day workshops, team-development programs, and follow-up experiences for teams that have already learned the nine Enneagram types.  And if you’re planning an Enneagram experience internally, check out the free Enneagram Workshop Planning Kit for sample agendas, room setup ideas, pre-workshop checklists, and tools for making the case to your leadership team.Resources Mentioned in the Episode:Article: Awareness to Action: Instinctual Bias OverviewFree Quiz: Instinctual Bias + Type Video: Instinctual Biases within an OrganizationVideo: The Preserving TeammateVideo: The Navigating TeammateVideo: The Transmitting TeammateHave a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

Type 8s can have a reputation for being intense, confrontational, or even angry, but that isn’t usually what’s happening.Often, what others experience as intensity may simply be directness, urgency, passion, confidence, or a willingness to say the thing everyone else is avoiding.In this episode, we look at what Type 8 energy can bring to the workplace, including:Courage and decisivenessA willingness to take charge when leadership is neededFierce protection of people they trustComfort addressing difficult issues directlyWhy challenging questions aren’t necessarily personalHow tone, pace, certainty, and intensity can sometimes overshadow the actual messageWhy indirect communication and “beating around the bush” can be especially frustrating for Type 8sThe difference between intention and impactHow coworkers can communicate more effectively with an Eight by being clear, concise, and honestFor Type 8s, no one is telling them to try and be less powerful.Instead, it's more about being intentional with the power they already have.A helpful question to consider:Does this situation actually require all of my intensity?Sometimes the answer will absolutely be yes.Other times, the same message may be more effective at a lower volume.The goal isn’t to become less direct, less confident, or less powerful; it’s to reflect on and recognize when your clarity is enough.Bring this conversation to your teamThese are the kinds of conversations we explore inside Enneagram MBA workshops, where teams learn more about the nine Enneagram types, their own patterns, and how coworkers may experience one another differently.Our workshops are designed to be practical, positive, and interactive — helping people better understand themselves and the people they work with without labeling or putting anyone in a box.And if you’re planning an Enneagram workshop internally, check out the free Enneagram Workshop Planning Kit for sample agendas, room setup ideas, pre- and post-workshop resources, planning checklists, and tools to help make the case internally.Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

Featuring Special Guest: Andy Bales | Enneagram Type 6What does it actually look like when people use the Enneagram at work, not just during a workshop, but in everyday decisions, conversations, and leadership challenges?In this episode of Enneagram at Work, I'm joined by Andy Bales, a retired engineer, manager, and global supply chain leader who spent 35 years working for a Fortune 500 company. Along the way, Andy became an internal champion for the Enneagram, introducing it to coworkers, leaders, and teams across the organization.Andy shares several real-world stories of how understanding personality and motivation helped people navigate difficult relationships, influence leadership, build stronger partnerships, and recognize their own patterns before those patterns led to burnout.In this episode, you'll hear:How a mechanical engineer became an internal Enneagram champion at a Fortune 500 company.Why understanding someone's motivation can be more useful than simply observing their behavior.What it means to "speak to someone's listening" and how Andy adjusted his communication with Type 8 and Type 3 leaders.How understanding a command-and-control leader helped Andy build trust and become more influential.How a Type 3 executive used his Enneagram insights to develop his leadership approach and help build a strong organizational culture.How a Type 1 project manager turned a frustrating working relationship into a successful partnership.How a newly promoted Type 2 manager recognized her overgiving tendencies, established boundaries, and began asking for help.Why Andy encourages leaders to practice the Platinum Rule: Treat others the way they want to be treated.Why an Enneagram assessment is a starting point - not necessarily the final answer- when identifying your type.A few key takeaways...Understanding motivation changes the conversation. Two employees may behave similarly for entirely different reasons. The Enneagram helps us explore what might be driving those behaviors.You don't have to change someone's personality to improve a working relationship. Sometimes the better approach is to understand their perspective and adjust how you communicate and collaborate.Self-awareness should lead to action. Whether that means delegating more, setting boundaries, building trust, or approaching a challenging colleague differently, the value comes from what you do with the insight.About Andy BalesAndy Bales spent 35 years working in engineering, management, and global supply chain leadership at a Fortune 500 company. An Enneagram Type 6 with a Preserving Instinctual Bias, Andy has studied and applied the Enneagram since 2000, introducing the framework to colleagues and helping individuals better understand their types.His experience includes facilitating Enneagram training, mentoring employees, and helping leaders apply personality insights to real workplace situations.Connect with Andy: [email protected] Enneagram MBAEnneagram MBA helps teams and leaders build stronger working relationships through practical, engaging Enneagram-based training.Explore our workplace workshops, leadership development experiences, and team resources at enneagrammba.com.To get a typing session with Andy, learn more here: https://www.enneagrammba.com/enneagram-coachingHave a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!