SPEAKER_00 0:03

You're listening to the Enneagram at Work Podcast, a show about understanding people at work, including yourself. I'm your host, Sarah Wallace, and I'm looking forward to diving into this week's episode with you. Welcome back to another episode here on the Enneagram at Work Podcast, but also specifically welcome back to our Enneagram derailler series. This concept comes from the Awareness to Action Enneagram, and we are looking at how each type kind of gets off track at work. What are those common tendencies most of the time as we go through these? Whether you're this week's type or not, there's probably one or two that you can relate to that will also get you off track regardless of your type. So today we're diving into the type five. We're gonna look specifically at that. Last week we looked at the type six. Now for the type fours, I know I teased it saying that we were gonna do type four last week. And I apologize for that. Um, I didn't like what I had written, and I had type six up already, so I did that one. We will get to you, you type fours uh next week. So stay tuned for that. I hope you'll hang with us for this one though as we cover type five. Um, because like I said, you probably can see yourself getting off track in some way or the other uh with one of these, and it will help you better understand a teammate that you probably have somewhere on your team in another department, a client, a vendor who you will maybe notice some of these things in them. And I always encourage us to tune in, regardless if it's our type or not, because one of the biggest benefits with the Enneagram, especially in the work that we do here at Enneagram MBA, has to do with yes, absolutely knowing yourself, understanding yourself, understanding the impact that you might unintentionally be having on the people in your life and the people that you work with, and also getting some really helpful insight about the people that you work next to. So I hear this with all of our uh the workshop experiences we do, the different trainings, and most recently we were, I was specifically um down in Nashville for a conference in the dental industry. It was the 3D Dentist Growth Summit. So if you happen to be um listening from that event, I gotta say they were some of the fun, if not the most fun, uh attendees of any conference I have been a part of, whether I am speaking at a the conference or as an attendee myself. This group was up and going and and lively at 9 a.m. And they had had a long, what sounded like very fun night, but a long late night. Um, and so I always expect, okay, we're you know, make sure they get the coffee. I'm gonna, you know, the pressure's on not to uh put people to sleep this early in the morning. This pressure's on, also a little after lunch at times. Um, but the the um the MC, the the host of this group had the crowd going, the crowd was engaged, so it was it was a really, really fun experience. And what I heard, the most common piece of feedback, I asked this group to share their top just one takeaway. And there was some version of I really enjoyed learning about the other people's perspectives. Uh, one specific piece of feedback, what somebody was saying, it was so enlightening, it was so eye-opening. I found it really valuable to learn about my personality type, but more than that, this helped me realize how those around me perceive me and are affected by those traits. Somebody else also said this will help me communicate better with others and understand their perspective rather than just maybe feeling frustrated when there is a miscommunication or disagreement. So that others piece is there, both understanding how others perceive us and helping us better understand others' perspective. So um I love that benefit of the Enneagram, and so it's always great to hear that others are also experiencing the benefit from those Enneagram insights and and understanding ourselves is so important, um, but those other things can be just as important. So um, with that, let's dive in to our type five derailers as a reminder. Our type fives are striving to feel detached. We use the language and the definition from any or uh from the awareness to action Enneagram, uh Mario Secora, uh, kind of the the creator behind that, and he says that the type fives are striving to feel detached. You might also hear this striving to feel capable, competent. Um, sometimes they have a nickname as the observer, and they interact with the world by this striving to feel detached. So they are very observant, they tend to be very logical, generally pretty reserved, and they really focus on problem solving, innovative ideas, and data gathering. Now, when they overdo it, we're gonna look at what what happens, some of those derailers today. Um, but they these people on your team tend to have really eye-opening, important, meaningful insight. They have this capacity to analyze their environment very quickly and then kind of pull together their observations, kind of synthesize what they're seeing into a big picture. They really can see things that others might just miss. And we'll talk about sometimes our our fives here that in a meeting they might seem like they're really aloof, they're not paying attention, they're not engaged. What but what most fives will tell you though is that oh, I'm really engaged. It's just it's happening all up here, and I'm pointing to my forehead, which is the side of my head. It's all happening in in their brains, which we we cannot observe from the outside, but they're taking it in, they're observing, um, they're observing the conversation, the dynamic, the information that's being shared. And so uh we'll we'll joke around that this is the type of person that says, show me the data, don't give me the drama. So this is not your office gossip type of people. And typically they can they can absolutely be on a team and enjoy being on a team. This is the person though that just may not have, most likely will not have an open door policy. You know, some of us will say, Oh, my door is always open. Fives are gonna not say, my door is not always open. And if it is open, you know, you need to knock or you need to have some sort of appointment set before you walk through it. So I had shared that example um at the conference last week, and there were a couple fives in the audience who were shaking their head and saying, Oh yeah, this is me. I really feel seen here. So um they bring a lot to a team, as do all the types, bring a unique perspective, some unique strengths and talents. Um, we're gonna look though now at sometimes how this type can get off track at work. And and we can think of these as um blind spots a little bit, just things they that might be tripping them up with their career advancement, with the day-to-day, with their workplace relationships. So the first derailler, no surprise for somebody who is observing, taking all this information, analyzing all of this information, um, they can sometimes overthink and underdo. So our fives tend to prefer analysis over action. When they do take action, it is going to be from a place of extreme thoughtfulness. There, they will have spent time weighing the pros and cons, looking at all the information, looking at their research, and really coming up with the opposite of impulsive uh action. However, sometimes they can get off track because they just keep analyzing, keep analyzing. Um, and then they can kind of get stuck in the research and and thinking. And so this can trip them up in a project. They can uh others can be really frustrated by this. This might be your threes, your eights, maybe your sevens, who are you know, tend to just jump and then the net will appear, leap and the net will appear, kind of people will figure it out along the way. And fives, along with some other types, I I think sixes can can be in here, maybe some one energy you might be hearing, um, really want to slow it down. Hey, I want to take it in. I want to make sure that we're making thoughtful decisions before we just take action. However, there is a point where you need to take that step. And so that will be the question for our type fives is how will you know when you have enough, enough information, when you've done enough analysis? How will you know? And that's an important question to actually get an answer to so that when you have reached that point, you can take action, even though it might not feel comfortable, even though you might still want to continue researching, continue thinking. All right, the second derailler for our type fives is not nurturing relationships. So this can look like avoiding uh your networking opportunities, your social opportunities at the office, that happy hour outside the office, at a conference event, at your team off-site, and not prioritize just keeping in touch with people that are important to you. Now, of course, you can kind of start to think how this might play out in a five's personal life, but at work, this can impact their career advancement. This can impact um, you know, talking to, you know, the the the leadership who need to hear them, or uh it might hinder their collaboration opportunities. And especially as a type five gets into leadership positions, this will be something to really reflect on and assess and and tweak if needed, because you're gonna have to lead people who are gonna are gonna need some more relationship nurturing than maybe comes natural to you, and then maybe you're initially comfortable with. And we'll we'll talk about some of the things to to get back on track at the end. Um at the same time, this can be a strength, they tend to have very healthy boundaries, they know when they've had enough. Hey, I want to be invited to happy hour after our team retreat, but I may have had enough. Um, and I and so I'm going to kindly pass on this, respectfully pass. Um, I've heard some fives talk about removing themselves from the group text. Uh, there's a group that this and you might be listening, there is a group who had a um Avenger kind of meme group, group message going on, and just kind of just kind of a fun, not entirely work-related, but just something fun to connect outside of the day-to-day task. And one of the five said, you know, I didn't, I I removed myself. I didn't want to be bothered by the dings, I didn't really have anything to say. I just wanted to be kind of left alone and do my thing. And I've heard that from other fives, whether it's a Slack group or it is a text message group. Um, and so I get it. And there may be opportunities or uh there may be situations where, you know, just drop a can you drop a meme? Can can you just do a little, you know, uh heart on the message, just just to engage, right? You don't have to be the most engaged, but is there an opportunity to be engaged and nurture those relationships that are important to you? Um the third derailer that can come up for a type five is needing to show off intellectually. Now they can come across at times as a know-it-all, where they might share too much in one area, they might overwhelm others in a meeting and a in a in a project, a conversation with all of that information. Um, and they might give too much attention to unnecessary details. Again, we can already start to think based on what we know about the different types, there's gonna be some types that really appreciate this. I'm thinking of our type sixes again. I'm thinking maybe our type ones. Um, I was just in a group uh with a group up in Canada, and they were talking about, hey, I really like context. Like, yes, I want to get to the point of it, but I also want some sort of information around the three bullet points. Like, why are we doing this? Uh, what's the big picture? How does this fit in? Can I get some additional context? So they're gonna probably appreciate some of this that the type five will have in other areas and with other people and in other situations, this is gonna drive them crazy. They're gonna think, gosh, we just want the three bullet points. We just want the one, like this is what we need kind of thing. Um, and all of these additional details are gonna be overwhelming. So again, it's kind of this isn't, these aren't blanket derailers every time, every situation, every person. Um, but just kind of know who's in front of you. And this can be a common derailleur, a common behavior, a common tendency that can trip our type fives up in the workplace by oversharing. So um one of the things we'll talk about um with growth opportunities will overlay the emotional intelligence competencies. And there is one that has communication um as the as the competency, but we've broken it out into two types of communication. We've broken it out into that direct um communication, but also uh concise communication. It is um understanding who's in front of you, the situation, and and what is required of you in that moment in front of that person. And it might be different, and so there's a little bit of that, you know, um social awareness, kind of uh organizational, political awareness that's gonna be a part of that and understanding what you share. Okay, the other thing that can get our type fives off track at work is being unaware of your impact on others. Um fives tend to turn inward, they they might withdraw in order to get their needs met, where there's other types that push outwards or will connect with others. Um, and so they spend a lot of time inside their heads with their own thoughts, but sometimes this can negatively impact the people around them, the people that they might be leading, the people that they're working next to, maybe their customers, maybe other stakeholders who really do need their attention or their action in certain situations. So just being aware of it might be comfortable for you to withdraw, but understand how that might be impacting other people. And sometimes they might appreciate it, sure, but other times it that might be a blind spot for you in the workplace, especially again as a leader, uh, where you have people who have different communication styles and needs and preferences and connection levels, and so tuning into that. All right, and then the last derailler is not sharing information. So they have they are very um sensitive to their energy levels, their resource levels. Um, how much do I have? I'm very tuned into that as a five. And so sometimes they can be hoarders of information, not wanting to share with their teammates, with the other department, even when it would be in the best interest for the group or the project, because they're thinking, I've spent my precious energy finding out this information, making this analysis. Um, this is a resource now that I have, and I just don't want to be kind of willy-nilly, you know, giving it out, sharing it. However, this might again impact their career advancement, um, hinder team collaboration, cross-department collaboration. And so just something to be aware of. These things aren't gonna get you off track all the time, every time. Uh, but it can be something that regularly comes up that you may not realize. So it's it's worth reflecting on all of these that may impact your relationships at work, causing miscommunication, causing frustration, making you know, group projects, working together, getting things accomplished that you want to get accomplished, even if it's by yourself, you're probably gonna need some other people. It it can it can hinder that forward movement towards your goals, towards the the completion of things, um, if you're not kind of dialed in to what's working and what's not. So, how does a five get back on track? One, learn to collaborate with others. So create alignments with people who can help you implement your ideas. Again, we're not saying here you have to be best friends and really open up and talk to every single person that you come into contact on a daily basis. Not at all, right? Um, nobody really needs to be doing that. That's gonna exhaust you. You're not gonna get the things done that you need to get done. What we're talking about here, though, is really identifying who those people are that you do need to step out of your comfort zone a little bit with. You need to put a little bit more energy into and effort into. Um, so so be thinking about where are those um where are those aligned relationships that can help you get the things you need to get done done. The other way to stop uh or to get back on track is to stop preparing for life and start living it. So this this might not feel um this may not feel natural, but you probably have more than enough information to begin a project or maybe even finish it. Just it let's be done with it. And so again, that question of when is enough enough, I think is important to s to think about at the beginning of every every project. project, um, every goal, because otherwise you can just spend more than necessary um time that that that you don't need um continuing to prepare to continuing continuing to research continuing to analyze and it's kind of uh the what is it diminishing returns like your your roi at some point with all of that observation and analyzing goes down down down until it it may it may even start to to have be in the red and have a negative impact uh getting back on track don't minimize your needs so again our fives are really dialed into um resources and their energy and they may come from a place of lack more so than than a few of the other types and it might feel like oh you know I I don't want to you know I'd rather have this but I you know I don't want to say anything or um I'm gonna like I'm gonna get those needs met by withdrawing um into my mind and and to you know just get quiet um but don't assume that people don't care that they can't help you um or don't assume that people can read your mind and know what you need and so this is one of those get out of your head and use your voice and say hey I need this or I'm not okay or it would be really helpful if this happened or this is frustrating me. What can we do about it rather than keeping it in your head and trying to figure it out by yourself inside your own head balance the desire to always be learning can it can be another way that our fives can get back on track. Have I taken enough courses do I have enough information have I read enough books most likely yes and what's going to be your kind of cadence for reading learning preparing and then action reading learning we're not saying quit learning quit reading quit quit taking courses you know um but it is just being aware of when it is negatively impacting your career advancement the relationships that you have at work your your leadership development skills and and kind of balance that okay I don't always need to be learning now it's time to put those learnings and that information into the real world and apply it and use it and take action on it and then the last one to help our fives get back on track and you may not like this but it is to get to know others make a point to get to know more about your teammates even if you just start with hey what's your weekend plans have you seen any good movies what series are you loving on Netflix? Is there a podcast that I should try out on my commute to work or while I walk around the neighborhood on my lunch break um little little questions you know uh and again this doesn't have to be with every single person at work but maybe there's one or two or three key people that this would really make a difference with maybe it's your boss maybe it's a specific person that you lead maybe it's a teammate that you work with on a daily basis what purposeful conversations can you start to get to know them to nurture that relationship um asking those little questions can really make a big difference in somebody feeling connected to you and trusting you and um working towards your goals building momentum together so with that you'll have to let me know I I love hearing from you all so if there is something as a type five that really stood out to you or something that you would add or you work with a five and you see this and you've tried something else um let me know enneagrammba.com forward slash contact um I've heard I've been hearing for more of you all about certain episodes that resonate and uh little pieces of feedback little real world examples so let me know what comes up for you what came up for you for this one if you saw yourself in any of these if you saw your teammate share it with somebody who you think would uh enjoy it get something from it and this is the type of stuff that we talk about and really dive deeper in in our Enneagram workshops everything from our Enneagram introduction workshops we'll we'll get more into type five workplace preferences pet peeves and then in those workshops the team members have an opportunity to take the Enneagram information and then apply it to their individual preferences pet peeves and just use it kind of as a conversation starter a way to start a meaningful conversation a way to get to learn about their teammates share and advocate for themselves and so it really is these workshops that we we do you know I'm talking Enneagram theory uh Enneagram kind of textbook information right here um and it really becomes helpful and can come alive and you can use it beyond just this episode um when you start to think about how does this impact me? How does this show up for me? And here's what I want to do to start a conversation with somebody else about it. And so those are the things that we start to initiate we start to uh practice and work on and give some guidance for what to do after that inside our workshop. So if that's something you'd like to bring to your own team I'm gonna invite you to check out our workshop training options two hours half day um full day and we are tweaking the curriculum a little bit um coming up this summer and we're gonna be kind of rearranging our five five phase kind of training workshops uh series to to uh to help people start to identify their type a little more clearly a little more accurately earlier on so um that's coming but our the the full day is going to become our signature workshop for that reason but we have we have virtual in person so check us out um either myself or one of our other very charming and engaging facilitators uh will come out and walk you through this so with that thanks so much for being here and uh I'll see you in the next one for our type four derailers