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If the Enneagram typing process has ever given you frustration, grief, you're feeling defeated, I can't figure out my type, uh, this episode is for you. And I cannot guarantee, and I will not guarantee, that you will leave this episode knowing what your type is. But I hope to help you either get unstuck if you've really been struggling between one or the other, some things to reflect on, to think about, to do, to ask. And then if you keep taking the assessment and free quizzes out there, reading things online, and you get a different answer every time, um, or you've landed on something and it just doesn't resonate, I'm gonna give you some things to think about. 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. This can be a really frustrating process because I think, especially in the workplace, we want to click a few buttons and tell some tool or software about ourselves, and then we want that immediate answer. It can be so gratifying just to, you know, pop it up. Um, the Enneagram isn't that. It is it is a process, it is not just a click through a couple things and and get this result. Um, that result, you can use it as a data point, but it cannot be used as the end all be all or to say, oh, this thing knows better than I do. So in the workplace, too, the typing process can get a little extra tricky because we're not always our true 100% authentic self, right? A lot of times we are having to conform to the job duties or the role that we have been hired to do. Um, we have to potentially conform or do things that maybe aren't our go-to based on the team we're on, the manager that we're reporting to, the company culture. And so, of course, it's going to be a little, a little murky, a little clouded to see, to think about your type in the workplace because so many people say, Well, I'm this type at work, but at home, I can see myself more like this. And uh, and and that makes sense. At work, we're often showing up how we should be or we think we should be, and that makes typing difficult. The other thing that can make typing difficult is we get too focused on the behaviors of the type. And we do here at Enneagram MBA give many disclaimers about when we talk about common tendencies of each of the types, that just because you recognize um a tendency in yourself from the type six list, let's say, doesn't mean that you're a six. And vice versa. Just because everything on the these common behaviors in the workplace list of a type six, you don't resonate with them all, doesn't necessarily mean you're not a six. It's just some clues. Again, it's some data points, giving you some things to think about, reflect on, but ultimately it's not about behavior. It's understanding what is that feeling need or that motivation that influences my thinking that then influences my behavior. So the Enneagram is more about why we do something, what we're needing to feel, um, not just what we do. And so we can have a type one and a type three, which is very common, um, looking very similar, wanting very similar things, excellence, um, being hardworking, wanting things to go well. Um, and so you can, they can look a lot alike, and that can be really hard. Am I a one or am I a three? Both are very high performers. Um, both hold themselves to a high standard, hold their teams to high standards, but for very different reasons. And adding in the instinctual biases, those preserving, navigating, transmitting, can also offer some additional clarity in okay, the preserving three, for example, can behave much like a one at times, what you would think of as your textbook one. And so, okay, this is why this is why those behaviors are really resonating. This is why people are saying this, but I'm still feeling more pulled towards the striving to feel outstanding of a three, but my behaviors might be looking like a one because of the these preserving values that I have that kind of shape the expression of the three versus the transmitting three, which is gonna look uh very different. So understanding that second layer, um thinking of it like flavors. Each type has three flavors. So we end up having 27 different types, 27 flavors. Um, and that can also, it can feel overwhelming, it can be a little bit more complex, but that complexity can also be really helpful in the typing process and understanding um why you could be the same type as a teammate that you feel like we are so different from. So those are some things that can make the typing process tricky. Um, the most reliable way to type yourself is nothing sexy. It's not fun, it's it's it's boring. And it is just simply starting with education and not just a quiz. And it is much more fun to take a quiz to get a result. Um, it also kind of takes the pressure off you. You don't have to think quite as hard. Um, because it's like, oh, well, I answered these questions and this is the answer that I got back. And that is easier. And you can feel like, okay, well, I don't know everything about the Enneagram. So if this thing is saying that I'm a type five, then I must be a type five. Um, versus having to kind of go through all the nine types, at least a short description, and start eliminating. Um, pretty most people, you you can maybe see one or two things in in all the types, maybe, but most of the time you can say, you know what, if if I had to choose though, this this one definitely isn't gonna be me. Um, and you can start eliminating them. And this really is the best way to find your type. It is, like I said, you got to think a little bit more. There's not official guidance, you're not necessarily gonna get um a pretty landing page with your or a report with your confirmation of your type, but that that's the best way to get to the quote unquote right type because you're asking yourself questions you've never asked before. You're thinking about things maybe you haven't thought about before. And this is why um I go back and forth internally with with how we do things here at Enneagram MBA. We still use the Ready Enneagram Institute question um test, which is 144 questions, uh, takes about 30 to 45 minutes. It is robust. And what I like about it, um, well, actually, let me um I'm gonna talk about that at the end. So I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I do go back and forth if we should use the the test or just introduce the nine types first. And I'll talk about why we've left it the way we have in just a minute. But this is why we can go into a conference event and introduce the nine types and then give people an opportunity at the end of two hours to break out by the type that they feel most resonates at this point in time. And we always say if you're in this breakout group and you're not sure that these are your people, leave and go try on another type. You can always come back, you can always go hop to another group. And after about 90 minutes of learning about the different types, sometimes it's even shorter, you can start to get an idea of which ones you definitely are and which ones you might want to try on. And so that can be a really interesting activity and that can be really um informing for the individual who is trying to understand what type they are, even even in that scenario. So um that is really the best way to find your type. Uh read or listen to the descriptions, find a podcast. Um, also pay attention to which type makes you feel called out. That kind of makes you want to say, you don't know me. You don't know, you don't know me. Uh a lot of times, that's usually your type is when you you kind of feel called out like that. Um, I would also look at uh what I would also look at kind of the overuse strengths of each of the types because I think a lot of times when we look at the strengths or common behaviors, we can think, oh, I aspire to be excellent. I aspire to um be nurturing and empathetic. I inspire to have high integrity and uh you know quality. I inspire to be a direct communicator. And sometimes I can be, sure. Sometimes I can be a direct communicator. So we can we can start to kind of see ourselves and all the positives, but then when we look at, okay, how do these types overuse these strengths? Then we can start to really get get kind of real with ourselves and think, if I was, if I was being honest, where have I struggled the most? Which overuse strengths have been the most common themes of challenges in my life or the cause of the challenges in my life at work, but personal with family, um, with my own, you know, personal goals. Where do I, how do I get tripped up the most? And so that would be the second way that I would look at that is once you start learning about the types, then dig into those strengths and specifically the overuse strengths. And I'll give you an example. Um, I can see myself many times in the type six. And as somebody who identifies most as a type seven, that might be surprising to you. Um that that might sound like some at times they're polar opposites. But when I go out for a run, I'm thinking, do I have my mace? I got my dog with me, like how much time do I have before the sunsets? When I go out hiking, you know, I'm I'm dropping my location to my mom, thinking, oh, just in case, just in case this is the last time you hear from me, um, start here, start looking for me here if I get kidnapped. Uh, and and things like that. And there are there are other things preventative that sometimes I'll worry about or think about. But if I'm being honest, being too cautious has never got me. I don't want to say never, isn't a isn't a theme for the challenges in my life. Um, I don't often get myself into trouble, get stuck, run up against issues, create issues for myself because of the type six overuse strengths. Typically that's not it. How I how I do run into those situations happens a lot when I look at the type seven overuse strengths with the starting new ideas, getting really excited, struggling, following through, sometimes being scattered, um those types of things. And that when I look back on relationships, work, all kinds of things, that's where the majority of my issues have have come up. So you got to be honest with yourself, but that is a also a really great place, just kind of keeping it real with yourself. Um the third option here to dig into your type to get some clarity is to ask for feedback. And there is a lot of caution out there that says you don't want to type anybody else. Be careful about saying, oh, I think you're this type. And there is some truth to that, especially if you're not really close to them, right? Um, but if this is a trusted friend, a trusted coworker, a trusted manager, and you have given them permission to share their feedback, their thoughts, um, that can be really helpful too. You know, how do you experience me? What do you see with my strengths and then the overuse strengths? Um, I'm kind of leaning towards this type too, but what do you see? What do you see that's relevant? Is there another type that you think I should consider? Um, so asking a friend, a coworker, somebody that you trust, a couple people that you trust, um, significant other would probably be a great one too. Um, because they might be able to see, probably will be able to see some patterns that you just don't see or that aren't as aren't as visible at that moment. Um another way and a fourth way is, and this is kind of getting into the next level of the Enneagram, but this might be if you've been learning about the Enneagram for a while, maybe you've gone through an Enneagram workshop, you've read a book, you listened to a podcast, and you're still, oh, am I this or this? And you've gone through which which over you strengths is, you know, do I resonate with the most? Um, something else you can do is start to reflect on the arrows of each of the types, the resource points that can be really helpful, especially when you think about, okay, how do I show up when I am really stressed out, when I am like borderline, burnt out. Um, because each type has their own kind of stressed out coping mechanisms where we just overuse the strengths. And that can be hard. Um, or that can be, that can be helpful in um understanding within that type. But sometimes it's like, I still don't know. And so let's go to your uh resource point, sometimes known as your stress arrow or or the type that you tend to use, we'll call it your supporting strategy to help get your needs met. So it's like you've opened the door with that specific type. Um, in my case, a type seven, but in stressful times and a stressful season when I can't get what I need from that strategy, I'm gonna go to the nine, or not the nine, I'm sorry. I'm gonna go to the one and use that one striving to feel perfect to support my striving to feel excited. And that's going to be expressed a little bit more controlling, maybe a little bit more pess being pessimistic, um, more rigid in my ideas for what should happen the way things should be. And I may not look like the textbook carefree seven that that you think um of me. And so you might think, gosh, I don't know that if you're a seven or am I a seven, but looking into how you navigate stress change um can be really helpful as well. So understanding those arrows. Um, you can use a free quiz. Uh, we have a two-question Enneagram quiz that we have got from um uh the Riso and Hudson Big Blue book. Uh, and we turned it into a two-question quiz, and that can give you some guidance. Um, it is a tool that I will link up here, or if you just search on Google two question Enneagram test, two question free Enneagram test, um, you'll see a pop-up from Enneagram MBA. Um that can get you some, maybe validate your current hypothesis or give you another data point to consider. Um, and then for that deeper clarity, getting some deeper insight, we do use Enneagram Institute's ready paid assessment. And it's 144 questions, like I said, it it um it takes 30 to 45 minutes to to go through. Ideally, you want to be doing it in one setting. So it's you know, it's a it's a time commitment. And then uh it's going to give you back all nine types, but it's gonna rank them. And I do like that. I do like that because I think that's also kind of interesting for our workshop experiences, especially. Sometimes we'll look at what was your lowest? Why do you think that that showed up as your lowest? Um, what should we know about that? And you can have some interesting conversations about their lower types. And sometimes, not always, but sometimes it will come up where somebody's they leave a workshop or we've gone through a few workshops together and they look back at their results and they'll say, you know what? I ranked lowest as a type nine. But as I'm learning about these, I actually think my highest is a type nine. Um, and so again, that's why we want to be really careful with these tests, these quizzes, and we just rely on whatever they tell us. We have to use some reflection, some getting feedback from trusted people. Um, but it can be a useful starting point. So we've gone through, I think, six ways to gain some additional clarity. Hopefully, there's something new in there for you if you've been trying to figure out, am I this or am I that? Um, but really it's what is asking yourself, what's my default mode when things go wrong? What's my coping mechanism mechanism? What's my go-to strategy when things go wrong? Because when everything's going right, you're you're, you know, you're kind of acting right. However, you think right is, whatever you think the right way, however you think your manager wants you to show up, however, you this vision of yourself, you know, when everything's going fine and you're not stressed, you can show up that way. But it's when things start to go off the rails a little bit that your, you know, your true self can come out and you start to notice how you navigate, try and get through that uncomfortable, difficult situation. Do you withdraw? Do you get really intense and more aggressive? Um, do you, I'm trying to think, put a positive spin on it? You know, how do you get through those things, um, those times, those moments at work when things go wrong? So reflect on, okay, if I'm being honest, I gotta be honest with myself, how do I show up when things go wrong? Um, another question you could self-reflect on as you look at the nine types to try to narrow it down is what do I avoid at all costs in the professional setting? Is it speaking up in a meeting? And then I think a great follow-up question is why do I avoid those behaviors or those situations or those people? What do I avoid at all costs? And then think about why do I do it? Is it because I'm afraid of saying the wrong thing in a meeting? And so I don't want to speak up and I don't want to make the boat rock. I don't want to start unnecessary conflict, I don't want the attention on me. Um, what what is that reason? And then think about your stress, your motivation, decision-making processes. Do you need a lot of time? Do you need a lot of information? Do you like to talk things through? Do you go with your gut? Um, all of those can give you clues into what is that feeling need that is going to influence your thought thinking, that's gonna influence your behaviors, and that we call your Enneagram type. Um, so those are some things to to reflect on. Ultimately, though, this is it's not an easy process. Um, it is a process, though. And so to keep keep that in mind, sometimes people get through the process faster than others. Um, but this is part of the self-growth. It starts here, even if you don't yet know your type. So the deeper um your understanding of your type, the more valuable the Enneagram becomes. So at some point, it is important, it is extra helpful to land on a type or feel confident about where you are with the nine types if you're gonna use this framework. If you're not gonna use the framework, you know, it it it doesn't matter. Um, but if you've decided, hey, our team, myself, our organization, we're gonna use the Enneagram as a framework, it is important to eventually have everybody get some level of confidence about where they are as far as their dominant type. Um, because then you can start to use it. Then it becomes that much more valuable with the self-growth process, personal development, as well as relationship development awareness, relationship management. Um so in the show notes in closing, I will include that free two question quiz, give you a starting point if you just have no clue, or if you want to share it with somebody and start the conversation. Um, it also gives you at the end, it will give you your result. And then at the bottom, there's a really easy just click and you can retake it. So if you were stuck between, am I this or this? I went with that first one in the first question, but what if I went with the second answer in the first question? What would have come back? You can easily retake it. You can have a conversation um with a teammate, somebody at home using that. That's kind of a fun way to do that. And then uh the best way, you know, I will say if you just continue to be stuck is to uh work with a professional Enneagram coach who understands the typing process, understands all those nuances. So we have typing coaches specifically here on staff at Enneagram MBA. And so I will um include a link if you are interested in booking a typing session or a set of uh sessions to kind of give you some guidance for okay, now I've nailed my type, but what do I do with it? Um, I'll you'll we'll give you some ideas, some things to look at specific to you, your role, your workplace, your type based on um those conversations that you're having with our one of our coaches on staff. So, with that, if you have had any other systems, resources, uh things that you have used to help you uncover your type or feel confident in your type, please share. I'll I will pass those along to the rest of the listeners in a future episode. But with that, as always, I appreciate you being here. Um, and uh we'll see you in the next one.