Your team says they want "diverse perspectives." What they actually have is six people who think identically and two who stopped speaking up.
Remember high school? Jocks with jocks. Nerds with nerds. Drama kids in their corner. Fast forward to your workplace — it’s the exact same dynamic with business casual.
Teams self-select for similarity. It’s comfortable. It’s efficient. It’s also why your “brainstorms” produce the same three ideas every time.
Groupthink isn’t a failure of effort. It’s the default outcome when you let teams form organically. Everyone hires people they “click with” — which means people who think like them.
The Enneagram reveals what your team is actually missing.
The Enneagram Triads: Decoding Communication Styles
The Enneagram offers three key groupings that illuminate different communication styles. These triads provide insight into how team members interact, cope with challenges, and relate to others.
Hornevian Groups: How We Engage with the World
The Hornevian groups, named after psychoanalyst Karen Horney, describe how types interact with others and their environment. These groups reveal whether a person tends to move towards, away from, or against others in their interactions.
- Assertives (Types 3, 7, 8): Direct, action-oriented communicators who often take charge in conversations.
- Compliants (Types 1, 2, 6): Collaborative communicators who seek consensus and harmony in discussions.
- Withdrawn (Types 4, 5, 9): Reflective communicators who may need time to process before contributing.
Understanding these engagement styles can help teams balance leadership and collaboration effectively. By recognizing each member’s natural tendencies, teams can create an environment where all voices are heard and valued.
Harmonic Groups: How We Handle Conflict
Harmonic groups reflect how types cope with difficulty and conflict. These groups provide insight into a person’s default response when faced with challenges or disagreements.
- Competency Types (1, 3, 5) approach problems logically, valuing efficiency and objectivity.
- Reactive Types (4, 6, 8) are emotionally expressive, seeking understanding and validation.
- Positive Outlook Types (2, 7, 9) focus on possibilities and silver linings, often trying to maintain harmony.
Recognizing these coping mechanisms can help teams navigate conflicts more smoothly and leverage different problem-solving approaches. By understanding each member’s default conflict style, teams can develop strategies to address disagreements constructively.
Object Relations: How We Connect with Others
Object Relations groups, rooted in psychoanalytic theory, describe core relational issues. These groups shed light on how individuals form and maintain relationships within the team.
- Attachment Types (3, 6, 9): Seek connection and validation from others.
- Frustration Types (1, 4, 7): Often feel a sense of inner lack or missing piece.
- Rejection Types (2, 5, 8): May struggle with closeness, either pushing away or withdrawing.
Understanding these relational patterns can foster empathy and improve team bonding. By recognizing each member’s attachment style, teams can create an environment that supports healthy relationships and collaboration.
Enneagram Combinations: The Power of Diversity
Different Enneagram combinations can create unique team dynamics. By intentionally combining diverse types, teams can leverage a wide range of strengths and perspectives.
Consider an ”Innovative Thinkers” team comprising Type 5 (The Investigator), Type 7 (The Enthusiast), and Type 1 (The Perfectionist). This combination fosters a dynamic environment where innovative ideas are generated, evaluated, and refined to ensure high-quality outcomes. The Investigator brings depth of knowledge, the Enthusiast contributes creative energy, and the Perfectionist ensures precision in execution.
A ”Compassionate Problem Solvers” team might combine Type 2 (The Helper), Type 6 (The Loyalist), and Type 9 (The Peacemaker). This group excels at understanding others’ needs and developing inclusive solutions. The Helper brings emotional intelligence, the Loyalist contributes strategic thinking, and the Peacemaker ensures all perspectives are considered.
For an ”Ambitious Achievers” team, consider Types 3 (The Achiever), 4 (The Individualist), and 8 (The Challenger). This combination nurtures a competitive atmosphere where team members push each other to maximize their potential while maintaining a strong sense of identity and purpose.
By understanding these dynamics, leaders can strategically compose teams to address specific challenges or goals. The key is to balance different strengths and perspectives to create a well-rounded, high-performing team.
Using the Enneagram to Address Key Team Issues
The Enneagram provides a pathway to address critical team issues such as diversity of thought, inclusive language, and perspective-taking.
Diversity of Thought: Leveraging Different Mental Models
The Enneagram reveals how different types approach problems and generate ideas. By understanding these diverse thinking styles, teams can assign roles that leverage each type’s strengths. For instance, a Type 5 might excel at in-depth research, while a Type 7 could lead brainstorming sessions. Type 1s might be best suited for quality control and refinement of ideas.
To maximize diversity of thought, create processes that accommodate different processing styles. This might involve:
- A mix of individual reflection time and group discussions
- Alternating between structured and free-form ideation sessions
- Rotating leadership roles to ensure different perspectives guide the team
By intentionally incorporating diverse thinking styles, teams can generate more innovative and comprehensive solutions to complex problems.
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Inclusive Language: Speaking Everyone’s Language
Different Enneagram types respond to and use language differently. To create a more inclusive environment, tailor communication styles to suit different types. For example, Competency types might appreciate clear, logical explanations, while Reactive types might respond better to emotionally resonant language.
Use a mix of communication channels to ensure all team members feel comfortable expressing their ideas. This could include written reports for those who process information best in writing, verbal discussions for those who think best out loud, and one-on-one check-ins for those who prefer more intimate communication settings.
More in the different communication styles of each type.
Perspective Taking: Walking in Another’s Shoes
The Enneagram offers a framework for understanding others’ viewpoints. Use Enneagram insights to anticipate potential conflicts and address them proactively. For instance, a Type 8’s directness might clash with a Type 9’s desire for harmony. By understanding these tendencies, team leaders can mediate effectively.
Foster a culture of curiosity about different personality types and their unique contributions. This might involve regular team exercises where members share their perspectives on a given issue, explicitly framed through their Enneagram lens.
The Power of Open-Ended Questions
The key to unlocking the benefits of a diverse team lies in asking better questions. Open-ended questions serve as a practical tool for understanding and improving team dynamics.
Start with “How” and “Why” questions to prompt explanation and exploration. “How can we improve our team collaboration?” encourages team members to think critically about current processes and potential improvements. Follow up with “What” questions to explore ideas and opinions. “What challenges have you faced in this project?” allows team members to share their unique experiences and insights.
To dig deeper, consider using these types of questions:
- Elaboration requests: “Can you tell me more about your approach to problem-solving?”
- Reflective questions: “Why do you believe this strategy is best for our team?”
- Emotion-focused questions: “How do you feel about our recent changes?”
- Experience-based questions: “Can you share a time when you learned from a failure?”
By consistently using these types of questions, teams can foster open communication, uncover blind spots, and leverage the full spectrum of perspectives within the group.
The Uncomfortable Truth
Building a genuinely diverse team is uncomfortable. By design.
If everyone “gets along” immediately, you probably hired the same person nine times.
Real diversity means:
- Type 8s pushing back hard while Type 9s wish everyone would calm down
- Type 5s wanting more data while Type 7s want to move faster
- Type 1s focused on quality while Type 3s focus on speed
These tensions aren’t problems to solve. They’re features to leverage.
Start here:
- Map your team’s current Enneagram composition
- Identify what’s missing (usually the types that “wouldn’t fit in”)
- Hire for the discomfort you need, not the comfort you want
The teams that win aren’t the ones that avoid friction. They’re the ones that learned how to use it.
What type is your team missing?