Managing Personalities

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Managing Personalities
MANAGING
PERSONALITIES
How to work with different types of people

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Attribution: All images are from sources where a Creative Commons license exists for commercial use. All icons are on subscription
from thenounproject. All clipart is from free sources. The MTL Professional Development Programme is copyright of Manage Train
Learn.
Managing
Personalities
Introduction: A few years ago, the idea of managing people's personalities would have
been unheard of. As a result, in both personal relationships and relationships at work,
people have suffered for years from unresolved personality conflicts and
misunderstandings. By working with a system such as the Enneagram, it is now possible
to not only understand what makes others tick, but to help them "tick" better.

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/poptech/5106113672/
Managers can become great at understanding people
1. WHAT THE
ENNEAGRAM
CAN TEACH US
A study of human personality types has three
benefits for managers. Firstly, it enables them to
identify the key characteristics that will affect
how people do a job. We know, for example, that
a One will do a piece of work conscientiously,
while a Three will make it look good. Secondly,
this knowledge can help us predict how people
will behave in certain roles such as team leaders
and team players. The third benefit is that it can
give us clues as to how people can best be
developed and make the most of their potential.

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2. PREDICTING
PERFORMANCE
The Enneagram is a great performance predictor
A knowledge of the Enneagram types gives us an
insight into just how someone will "typically"
behave in their jobs. For example, a One values
work that is purposeful and organised. A Two
values team work. A Three values high-profile
work. A Four values distinctive work. A Five values
thoughtful work. A Six values authorised work. A
Seven values new project work. An Eight values
challenging work. A Nine values work when it
requires little effort and flows naturally.

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The unaware person will play a limited role in life
3. ROLES
PEOPLE PLAY
https://www.flickr.com/photos/renaud44/5543086249/
Once we know a person's type, we can predict
how well they will perform in a team, particularly
when under pressure. For example, Ones will play
the moral role. Twos will play the relationship
role. Threes will play the winner role. Fours will
play the creative role. Fives will play the observer
role. Sixes will play the checker role. Sevens will
play the go-fer role. Eights will play the leader
role. Nines will play the co-ordinator role. These
roles are similar to the roles discovered in
research by people like Belbin.

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4. PATHS TO
GROWTH OR
STAGNATION
https://pixabay.com/en/forking-road-split-road-travel-839830/
In life, you can choose to grow or stagnate
When our psychological state is positive, ie when
we accept ourselves and are willing to take risks
beyond our type, then we are said to be
"integrating", ie becoming more whole. When our
psychological state is negative, ie when we lack
self-awareness and are unwilling to take risks
through fear, we are said to be "disintegrating", ie
becoming more fragmented and stuck. The
Enneagram model helps us see the opportunities
for growth and the dangers of stagnation.

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We grow and connect when we move beyond our type
5. TOWARDS
WHOLENESS
https://pixabay.com/en/selfie-children-phone-asia-1822563/
When we move to our Integrating point, we
become more attractive to others because, in
going against our type, we become more human.
Here are the Integrating points: 1's move to 7 and
open up possibilities. 2's move to 4 and look
inside themselves. 3's move to 6 and think about
others. 4's move to 1 and connect with solid facts.
5's move to 8 and are eager to act. 6's move to 9
and trust others. 7's move to 5 and pause to
think. 8's move to 2 and become compassionate.
9's move to 3 and act on what they want.

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6. TOWARDS
ALIENATION
https://pixabay.com/en/lonely-hiding-sad-young-alone-1822414/
We alienate ourselves if we fail to move beyond type
Just as we move one way round the Enneagram
to integrate, we can also move in a disintegrating
direction. Here are these disintegrating points: 1's
move to 4 and become melancholic. 2's move to 8
and become bossy. 3's move to 9 and become
indecisive. 4's move to 2 and become dependent.
5's move to 7 and spew out ideas. 6's move to 3
and charge ahead without looking. 7's move to 1
and become rigid. 8's move to 5 and become
withdrawn. 9's move to 6, and become
suspicious.

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Working with people’s types can help them grow
7. THE
ENNEAGRAM
PRIZES
For those who work with others, the Enneagram
offers 3 precious prizes. First, the chance to see
into other people's hearts and minds. This
awareness allows us to understand how they see,
and act in, the world. Second, the chance to fully
accept others, regardless of what they do and
how they behave. Third, the chance to help them
grow. Through awareness and acceptance, we
validate who they are. They can make the most of
their natural strengths and develop in wholly
healthy, productive, and connected ways.

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This has been a Slide Topic from Manage Train Learn
AFinal
Word
Working on people's personalities as a route to getting the best out of them has enormous
benefits. It works with what comes naturally. It focuses on their strengths. It develops their unique
gifts for others. And it is wholly life-affirming.

Managing Personalities

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