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Enneagram at Work

Enneagram at Work

By: Enneagram MBA
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Welcome to Enneagram at Work, your Saturday leadership download. We're bringing you insights for your weekend so you're ready for Monday.


This is a podcast about understanding people at work and navigating professional relationships. We spend so much of our time at work, why not make it more enjoyable by working on creating more enjoyable relationships with our teammates?

Listen in each week to gain self-awareness, relationship management, leadership development, personal growth insights, and real-life application ideas through the lens of the Enneagram inside educational episodes and interview conversations.

Learn about bringing the Enneagram to your organization or group and view the current workshop menu at: enneagrammba.com

© 2026 Enneagram at Work Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • 226. How Enneagram Type 9s Can Give More Effective Feedback at Work

    226. How Enneagram Type 9s Can Give More Effective Feedback at Work
    Jun 27 2026

    If you're an Enneagram Type 9, or you lead one, this episode is for you! We're breaking down the do's and don'ts of giving feedback as a Type 9: the Consensus-Builder.

    What You'll Hear in This Episode

    Type 9s bring something genuinely valuable to feedback conversations: warmth, steadiness, and an ability to make people feel safe before things get hard.

    But the same striving to feel at peace that makes Nines so grounding to be around can also turn a feedback conversation into something that never quite happens... or happens so gently that the other person isn't sure anything was said.

    We walk through three things to do and three things to avoid when giving feedback as a Type 9, including a specific phrase you can try that makes the conversation easier to start and harder to accidentally avoid.

    3 Things to DO as a Type 9 When Giving Feedback

    1. Let your warmth open the door, then walk through it. You are naturally good at creating emotional safety before a hard conversation. That's a real skill and is needed, so use it! Just make sure the warmth is the setup, not the whole conversation. The feedback still needs to come out the other side.
    2. Schedule it and treat it like a commitment. Nines are excellent at finding reasons to wait...for a better moment, a calmer week, a version of the conversation that feels less disruptive. Decide in advance when the conversation is happening and hold that like any other meeting on your calendar. The right moment is rarely going to happen.
    3. Translate your observations into specific, concrete language. You notice things other people miss like the shift in someone's energy, the dynamic that's been quietly off for weeks. Trust those instincts, and then put them into words the other person can actually work with. "In our last three project check-ins, I noticed you seemed disengaged" is actionable. "Something feels a little off lately" is easy to dismiss.

    3 Things to AVOID as a Type 9 When Giving Feedback

    1. Softening the message until it disappears. This is the big one. The feedback gets wrapped in so many qualifiers... "it's probably not a big deal," "I could be wrong about this," "I just wanted to mention..." that the other person walks away not entirely sure anything was said. You can be kind and be clear. Those two things are not in conflict.
    2. Waiting until you're frustrated to finally say something. Nines can absorb a lot before they speak up, and by the time they do, there's often more accumulated emotion underneath than either person expected. The goal is to give feedback before it's urgent, not after it's overdue. Small and early is almost always better than big and late.
    3. Letting their discomfort redirect the conversation. If the other person pushes back, gets defensive, or seems upset, the Nine's instinct is to backpedal, to reassure, soften, or quietly walk back what they just said. Notice that impulse and don't follow it. You can hold space for their reaction and hold your ground on what you came to say.

    After listening:

    If this resonated, share it with a Type 9 on your team or the manager who leads one.

    Want type-specific prompts for feedback conversations across all nine types? The Manager's Prompt Pack has you covered. Grab it at enneagrammba.com/resources.

    Interested in bringing this kind of practical Enneagram insight to your whole team? We'd love to talk about a workshop or retreat. Reach out at enneagrammba.com.

    ******

    Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

    🗓️ Book a Guided Enneagram Workshop for your team retreat at work:
    https://www.enneagrammba.com/enneagram-team-workshops


    ✏️ Get an overview of all nine types inside the Understanding People at Work Cheat Sheet
    https://www.enneagrammba.com/cheatsheet
    Show More Show Less
    19 mins
  • 225. How Enneagram Type 1s Can Give More Effective Feedback at Work

    225. How Enneagram Type 1s Can Give More Effective Feedback at Work
    Jun 20 2026
    Type 1s, known as the Administrator (source: Awareness to Action Enneagram) care deeply about doing things right. They're clear, they're specific, and they genuinely want the person in front of them to improve. But that same commitment to high standards can sometimes get in the way of the feedback actually landing. In this episode, we're walking through what Type 1s are already doing well and a few things worth adjusting so their feedback inspires rather than overwhelms.What You'll Hear in This EpisodeUnlike some types who soften feedback to the point of losing the message, Type 1s don't have that problem. Their challenge is almost the opposite. The inner critic that drives their own high standards can quietly seep into how feedback is delivered, in tone, body language, and the sheer volume of things they want to address at once. This episode helps Type 1s channel their gift for seeing what should be into feedback that motivates real change.A Note Before You Go InBefore the conversation, check in with your inner critic. Type 1s have an inner voice that is louder, harsher, and more relentless than most, and what feels like honest, measured feedback on the outside can sometimes be that inner critic talking. Ask yourself: is this feedback honest and helpful, or is it starting to bleed into perfect and harsh? That check-in can set the whole tone.3 Things to DO as a Type 1 When Giving FeedbackLead with positive intent and say it out loud. It might feel obvious to you that you're coming from a place of care, but the other person doesn't always know that. Don't skip the setup. A quick "I'm bringing this up because I want you to succeed" changes how everything that follows is received.Be specific and factual, not evaluative. There's a difference between "the report was missing the Q3 projections" and "the report wasn't good enough." The first is actionable. The second stings without direction. Type 1s naturally gravitate toward specifics, just make sure the inner critic isn't swapping facts for judgment.Offer a clear path forward. You have a rare ability to see what should be - use it. Don't just address what went wrong; give the person a concrete next step. That "good to great" instinct is a gift. Use it to look forward. 3 Things to AVOID as a Type 1 When Giving FeedbackLetting frustration show up in your tone or body language. Your words might be measured and thoughtful, and they usually are, but feelings can come through in your face and your voice without you realizing it. One Type 1 leader we worked with laughed about how his team called it his "resting [you know what] face." He had no idea he was doing it. Just something to be aware of and occasionally soften.Stacking all the things at once. Your standards are high, and there's probably a lot you could address. But delivering a long list of everything that needs to be fixed can feel overwhelming and even hopeless on the receiving end, like I can't do anything right, so why try? Prioritize the most important thing. Let the rest go for now and come back to it after the first priority is addressed.Assuming the goal is obvious. You know you're giving this feedback so they can improve. They might not feel that in the moment. Saying it explicitly isn't redundant, it's what makes the feedback land as support rather than criticism.A Phrase to Try"I'm bringing this up because I know you're capable of excellence. You can meet this standard...and I'm here to help you get there."Say it at the start, wrap up with it, or both. It reminds the other person, and yourself, why this conversation is happening.Resources + Next StepsAre you a Type 1 with something to add, push back on, or a real-world example to share? We'd love to hear from you at enneagrammba.com/contact. And if you work for or with a Type 1 and want to share what you genuinely appreciate about how they lead and give feedback, we want to hear that too.If you want to keep building your communication and leadership skills by type, grab the Enneagram Manager's Prompt Pack - a practical, downloadable guide organized by real workplace situations so you always know what to say and how to say it. Find it at enneagrammba.com.And if this episode got you thinking about how your team gives and receives feedback, that's exactly what we dig into in our workshops, company retreats, team building events, industry conferences, and more. Head to enneagrammba.com to explore your options and start the conversation.Enneagram MBA is a team training and leadership development company based in the Louisville metro area. We help organizations build self-aware, high-performing teams using Enneagram insights.Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here! 🗓️ Book a Guided Enneagram Workshop for your team retreat at work:https://www.enneagrammba.com/enneagram-team-workshops✏️ Get an overview of all nine types inside the Understanding People at Work Cheat Sheethttps://www.enneagrammba.com/cheatsheet
    Show More Show Less
    14 mins
  • 224. Coworker Chemistry: Type 3 & Type 4 Dynamic

    224. Coworker Chemistry: Type 3 & Type 4 Dynamic
    Jun 18 2026

    Check out the Backstory vs. Bullet Points episode mentioned here!

    -> https://www.buzzsprout.com/1850780/episodes/16622539


    What happens when the Achiever and the Individualist end up on the same team? In this episode of Coworker Chemistry, we dig into the Type 3 + Type 4 dynamic - the strengths, the friction, the communication gaps, and what growth actually looks like when someone striving to feel outstanding meets someone striving to feel unique and authentic.

    The Strengths of This Pairing:

    • The Three drives toward the finish line; the Four makes sure what gets built there actually means something, together they produce work that doesn't just perform well, it stands out
    • Fours can help Threes to slow down and ask whether the goal is worth chasing, producing work that's genuinely differentiated rather than just technically impressive
    • Threes can pull Fours forward; their bias toward action and deadlines is often exactly what gets a Four's best creative work out of their head and into the world
    • Fours bring creative depth; Threes bring polished execution. That combination is genuinely rare and genuinely valuable on any team!

    Where the Friction Lives:

    • The Three is ready to present before the Four is ready to ship, and the Four is still refining while the Three has already sent the deck. The gap in speed is real.
    • Threes shift to fit the room; Fours resist any shift that feels like a compromise of who they are. What the Three calls professional, the Four can read as inauthentic.
    • When a Three gets the credit, and the Four feels pushed into the background, the resentment is quiet, but it can build deep.
    • Threes manage emotions to keep things moving; Fours bring emotional honesty as a feature of their work. The Three reads the Four as too sensitive, the Four reads the Three as performative, and both are missing the point.

    Resources + Links:

    • Learn more about the 3-part Dream Team Momentum program: enneagrammba.com/enneagram-team-workshops
    • Run your own Enneagram Workshop: enneagrammba.com/enneagram-workshop-kit
    • Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahlynnwallace/
    • Take the 2-question Enneagram quiz: enneagrammba.com/blog/enneagramtest
    • Work with Sarah - workshops, speaking, and team facilitation: enneagrammba.com/enneagram-speaker


    Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

    🗓️ Book a Guided Enneagram Workshop for your team retreat at work:
    https://www.enneagrammba.com/enneagram-team-workshops


    ✏️ Get an overview of all nine types inside the Understanding People at Work Cheat Sheet
    https://www.enneagrammba.com/cheatsheet
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
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