The Enneagram Triads provide a great way to gain insight on the communication and relationship patterns within a team or organization.
If you missed Part 1 of this series, be sure to check it out here for a review of Enneagram Triads and Scenario 1, HERE.
Let’s dive in to Scenario 2:
Scenario 2: Members of a team dispersed amongst all three triads.
If a team has multiple members in each triad, this can be a strength in areas such as:
Decision Making
Project Management
Hiring
Strategic Planning
Healthy Conflict
Leadership Development
For example, when a team is faced with making a tough decision, each triad will provide value to help the team reach an informed conclusion:
Individuals in the GUT triad can harness their motivation and mission-driven thinking to approach the decision making from a place of purpose. This will ensure alignment with previously stated and agreed upon values that the team shares.
Individuals in the HEAD triad will bring forth the hard data to the table. They are apt to bring forth relevant and supporting facts that should be considered to make an educated decision.
Individuals in the HEART triad will ensure that during the decision making process people are valued for their contribution. Where applicable, they will also bring an empathetic lens through which to view the decision and its impact on others.
Below is an exercise that can be used to facilitate a team with this disbursement across triads. This is designed to be used by a team leader or outside facilitator.
This can be used for an informal team building session, a portion of a team offsite or it can be abridged for a 90 minute team meeting. Use your creativity to fit this with your team, its size and the circumstances!
Start with an opening discussion that reviews the different Enneagram triads (this may be best suited after a previous session where each of the individual Enneagram types is discussed and individuals have had the opportunity to do a deeper dive into their Enneagram type)
Divide the team into their respective triads and have them review the BLINDSPOTS section of their triad.
Provide each small group with the following questions for discussion, and ask them to prepare answers to share back with the larger group:
Which blindspot do you see most evident in your collective triad?
How does this blindspot impact the team?
What are 2 strategies your triad can adopt to bring awareness to these blindspots?
What do each of you need to do personally to avoid being stopped by any of the blindspots mentioned?
After facilitating a large group discussion about blindspots, ask the triad groups to gather again. This time they will look at the “IF NOT” section of the OTHER triads. For example, the HEAD triad group will look at the IF NOT sections of the HEART and the GUT triad.
Provide each small group with the following questions for discussion, and ask them to prepare answers to share back with the group:
What is your single biggest insight about each of the other two triads?
In what specific situations that your team experiences can you use the suggestions in the “IF NOT” section for each of the triads you discussed?
What strategy suggestions do you have for the overall team to apply this knowledge to the specific situations mentioned in the earlier question?
Collect all of the strategy suggestions and facilitate a larger team discussion that may encourage the team to adopt some of the suggested strategies.
What resonates with the most amount of team members?
What positive outcomes can result from employing some of the suggested strategies?
To wrap up this session or meeting, ask each team member to share their top 2 insights from the discussions and one tangible goal they have for themselves.
Click here for Part 3 of the series.