The Enneagram for Educators S. 3 E. 34
Listen to this episode to learn about the Enneagram, a tool which helps us to understand our thought and behavior patterns as well as how we are motivated.
Show Notes:
Episode summary:
If you have ever struggled with motivation in your life or classroom, today’s episode is for you! We are going to introduce you to the tool of the Enneagram, which has great potential for educators. The Enneagram will help you understand people’s thinking and behavior patterns and how they are motivated. As certified Enneagram trainers, we are excited to share this episode which is the first episode in our special series on the Enneagram.
In this episode:
What is the Enneagram?
We are so excited to bring you this series on the Enneagram.
You’ve probably taken several different personality traits assessments. Some examples are The DISC, True Colors, StrengthsFinders, the Myers -Briggs Type Indicator, and many others.
The Enneagram is similar to these assessments, but also very different.
In many personality assessments, you learn about yourself, but aren’t really called to do anything. They offer a picture of who you are. The Enneagram shows you who you are at the moment, but even better yet, it gives you a glimpse of who you could be. It’s like a road map, or your personal GPS, it shows us where we are at the moment, and gives up a plan for where we can go. The purpose of the Enneagram is transformation.
The Enneagram focuses on patterns of behavior and the motivations behind them. The Enneagram is not just about understanding our patterns, it is about using that knowledge to transform our ways of thinking, acting and relating to ourselves and others.
Why use the Enneagram?
- To understand our strengths and our challenges
- Understand the basic needs, fears and desires and motivations of ourselves and others
- To understand how to move towards our unique greatness
- A way of coming to and owning your authentic self – be more of who you really are
- Walk through the world with a stronger sense of compassion and empathy.
Here are some things to consider when talking about the Enneagram:
The Enneagram is more than just a party trick or a little magazine quiz that is fun but doesn’t mean much. You’ve all done those quizzes on social media- Which Harry Potter Character are You?, or Which Disney Character are You?.
Those are often fun in the moment, but don’t tell you much about yourself and have no lasting meaning. They certainly don’t help you to transform in any meaningful way or help you to understand others in a way that helps you improve your relationships.
The Enneagram has a long and deep history. In fact, what we are going to talk about in this series just gets at the very tip of the Enneagram iceberg. You can study this deeply, reading hundreds of books and taking extensive training.
We are both Enneagram certified trainers, so we’ve been doing the work. Even though we have had lengthy trainings, read a lot, and have had experience using the Enneagram in workshops, we feel that we have barely touched the surface. If you are like us, you may find out that once you start learning about the Enneagram you want to understand it more and go much deeper. We’ll just say that the potential is there for deep study.
You may have learned your “number” or type, or heard other people talking about their number. The number is not important- it’s really about understanding the patterns of each type.
You have to apply the knowledge of the patterns in order for the Enneagram to become useful. If the Enneagram helps you to see patterns in yourself or others, and then you use that insight to improve the way you conduct your life, it doesn’t really matter what type you are.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
All models are wrong, but some are useful.
You are more than your number.
This isn’t an attempt to put labels on people or to put them into a box. People often protest about being put into a box, but the Enneagram shows you that you are probably already in a box.
We all have access to three centers of intelligence.
Let’s start with a little quiz. Here are three statements, which one is most like you?
- I am connected to my rational side. I tend to analyze and think through things. I follow my head.
- I am connected to and often lead with my feelings. I follow my heart.
- I am connected to and often follow my gut instincts. I go with my gut.
The answer to your question should be a good first indication of your Enneagram type or number. It can help you narrow from nine types to three types.
The Wizard of Oz Analogy
Before we start explaining the three centers of intelligence and which types align with each center, take a minute and think of three characters you have likely met. This is the trio that travels with Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz books and movie.
There is The Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. Each of these characters is traveling on a journey to find something.
What is the Scarecrow looking for? A Brain. The Brain is the representative of the head type of intelligence. This is the type of intelligence we often think of first- thinking, brain smarts, using your head. This is also known as IQ- or intelligence quotient. This will include Enneagram types 5, 6, and 7. We’ll talk more about that in the next few podcast episodes.
Then there is the Tin Man. What does he want? A Heart. This is feeling intelligence, also known as HQ or heart quotient. You know you are using heart intelligence when say things like, “I just feel that this is the right thing to do,” or “ I know it in my heart.” The heart types include types 2, 3, and 4.
And last but not least is the Cowardly Lion. What is he looking for? Courage. Courage, is GQ,- the gut quotient. You are using your gut intelligence if you say things like, “I feel it in my gut.” This is an instinctual type of intelligence- you go with your gut. You are quick to make decisions and confident in your choices. The gut types of the Enneagram are types 8, 9, and 1.
We will do a separate episode for each of the three centers of intelligence and go into much more detail about each type in those episodes. This episode is the first in a series.
Stay tuned for next time when we continue our Enneagram journey. Make sure you follow the Inspired Together Teachers podcast in your podcast host so you don’t miss it. Or sign up for our free newsletter on this website.
Recap:
The Enneagram is a great tool to help you understand yourself. It is really helpful to discover your behavior patterns, and more importantly what motivates you to do the things you do. You’ll understand more about your strengths and your challenges. It is like your own personal roadmap for personal growth. The Enneagram will also help you to understand others, and to build better relationships. In this episode you learned about the three centers of intelligence and whether you are a thinking type, a heart type or a gut type. Join us next time as we begin digging to the individual Enneagram types.
Related episodes:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Free Enneagram test:
https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test
Book:
The Road Back to You by Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile
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[…] on the Enneagram. Today’s episode is part two, and if you haven’t already listened to part one, Episode 34 The Enneagram for Educators you might want to go and check out that […]