Guess what? There are nine different normals—nine different lenses through which to see the ourselves and our world.  Depending on your enneagram type, you live out of a unique personality story that was shaped by real or perceived early childhood experiences that fuel the core motivations behind how you think, feel, and act.  Your enneagram type also informs the desires and fears that keep this personality tightly wound and in tact.  

Also guess what? At the core of most of our problems are relationships.  Do you know what’s at the heart of those relationships? Yep, our personalities.  

I’m convinced the enneagram is the best tool we have for understanding these nine different normals and bringing greater understanding, compassion, kindness, and cohesion to our relationships, both personally and professionally.  

How does it do this? 

1. It improves our communication.  Depending on your enneagram type, you have a specific way of showing up in relationships as a communicator.  As a type four, I tend to over-communicate and self-reference quite a bit. Flowery and expressive? Perhaps. Clear and concise? Not so much. As I’ve learned about myself as a type four, I’ve become more proficient in balancing this out. This improves communication on all levels because when we have insight into our communication styles and those of other types, we have far more compassion and patience.  
   

2. It fosters collaboration. Understanding each of the nine types’ strengths and challenges allows for greater ease as we identify and harness the sweet spot of each person involved in groups of all types—teams, families, organizations, marriages, you name it.  When we grasp an understanding that, like Stephen Covey said, “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities,” we experience more elegance and flow in our collaborations.    
   

3. It opens the door for engagement. When we have a sense of self-understanding and acceptance, we are naturally more engaged in whatever we focus our energy and attention on.  Why? Because we are in alignment with the truth of who we are. When we live from a place of integrity and authenticity, the fog of self-doubt and sabotage burns off a bit. The enneagram is the most profound and comprehensive tool for developing greater self-understanding and acceptance.
   

4. It manifests productivity. When we communicate better and accept each others’ differences, we collaborate better.  When we can cut through the limiting stories that hold us back, we engage with ourselves and the world with greater love and confidence.  As a bi-product, we naturally connect to greater productivity.  This isn’t about striving, it’s about softening into the truth of who we are, and as a result, playing for instead of against, our own team.  

Cultivating a strong culture starts with nurturing kindness towards ourselves and the person right in front of us, whatever their normal may be.