Working with 5’s, 6’s and 7’s on the enneagram brings joys and challenges. 5’s, 6’s and 7’s often have a cool energy and are often objective, analytically astute, detail oriented, and creative.
Fives – Thinking Matters
Fives have cool, analytical minds. They are intellectually brilliant, feelings and relationships can often present a challenge.
They are innovative and creative, thinking outside of the box because of their cool, clear, analytical mind.
Their super power is their ability to observe. They are masters at observation which leads to creativity and innovation. They see what others don’t see and they see solutions others don’t see.
What do they bring to the workplace?
I can’t emphasis the power of observation. They quietly observe what is happening and will have insights to causes and solutions no one else will have thought of.
Conflict
Conflict will occur in the workplace if they do not have enough autonomy at work. They need to know what is expected of them, when it is due and then they simply want to get on and get the project done. If you invite them into lots of group decision making spaces they will begin to do conflict.
They need to be given time to prepare, they don’t like to be put on the spot.
They will put their defence mechanisms up if they feel the work expectations are unclear, unrealistic or there is too much uncertainty. Fives want to protect their energy so they don’t go home completely depleted at the end of the day.
Caring for a 5
Give them employment which is clear and specific. If you invite them into a team decision making meeting make sure you give them plenty of notice, tell them what the purpose of the meeting is, when it is and when it will most likely finish.
Don’t expect them to engage in brainstorming in the moment. They will need time to think, to process, to prepare.
Sixes – Order, Consistency and Safety matter.
Creating an environment where community happens, and where people feel safe is important to sixes.
Rules, structure, policies and processes matter. They aren’t afraid to ask hard questions if it results in community being built and people being kept safe.
What do they bring to the workplace?
Sixes often play devil’s advocate. Asking the questions no one wants to ask. This can be a bit of a downer when other team members might be excited by a project or hopeful for a project. But their questioning keeps everyone safe and helps the viability and longevity of any project.
They love to think and to plan. They value community and value team. Sixes can work long and hard. Once you have their loyalty they will be incredibly faithful. Incredibly conscientious, they make amazing team players.
Conflict
When a Six spirals down into negativity and catastrophic thinking conflict is inevitable. Sixes can over analyse, overthink spiralling down into fear, anxiety and risk avoidance. This can be difficult for the workplace and other team players.
Never scold or dismiss their concerns. Be calm, and provide reasonable assurance. Help them manage their worst case scenarios. Help them to walk through the negative events they see happening and at each step ask them what happens next. Affirm the negativity of what they are seeing, “Wow you are right if that happens that is bad, so what happens next?” Helping them plot their nightmares can help them see the ridiculous in the situation or help them see their inner resources, their inner guidance and the outside support available to help with the worst case scenario.
Worst case scenarios need to be managed not discounted.
Sixes also struggle with doing. Many times they think they are acting when they are simply thinking. They often confuse action and thinking.
Caring for a Six
Check in with them a lot about where they are with a certain project.
Help them identify when their work loads have become too much and they need to delegate or empower others. If they take on way too much it will make them even more critical, anxious, negative and resentful. Sometimes they need help to break their work down into manageable chunks.
Because they are so good at building community and team they in turn need to be cared for and it is by taking their concerns seriously and having an answer to their concerns that a six will feel supported and valued.
Sevens – Creativity and freedom matter.
Sevens love adventure, they love fast paced, creative environments which offer them independence and a variety of activities.
They are dreamers, creatives and initiators.
They need people around them to help keep them grounded and focused on what is right in front of them.
What do they bring to the workplace?
They bring fun and joy, laughs and lightheartedness.
Sevens have an ability to synthesise and analyse a wide range of information, spot patterns, connect dots and discover where systems overlap. If you have a whiteboard they will fill it with vision and possibility and dreams.
They have an ability to envision, motivate and inspire teams.
The masters of story telling you can give them a microphone and trust them to make a great speech.
Sevens bring the wonder, the miracle, the spontaneous parts of life to the work environment.
Conflict
Sevens do not like to be told what to do, they do not like rules and regulations and they certainly don’t like to manage or to be micro managed.
Decision making can be complex, slow and difficult because sevens like to keep their options open. They don’t like their options being reduced.
They will need a varied job description and encouragement to stay focused.
Never ever put them in a management position or a spot where they have to maintain something forever.
Caring for a 7
They work best in working environments which offer firmness and freedom.
They do need a long leash and lots of encouragement to stay the course.
If they receive firmness together with flexibility, a seven will flourish and help the entire work environment to move ahead. They have boundless energy and can lift an organization simply by showing up with all their optimism.
