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Enneagram at Work

Enneagram at Work

Written 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
  • 123. How Enneagram Type 2s Can Give More Effective Feedback at Work

    123. How Enneagram Type 2s Can Give More Effective Feedback at Work
    Jun 13 2026
    For Type 2s, the Coach (source: Awareness to Action Enneagram), giving feedback isn't just uncomfortable, it can feel genuinely risky. When connection is your currency, anything that might strain a relationship hits differently. In this episode, we're walking through why feedback feels so hard for this type, what Type 2s are already doing well, and a few adjustments that can help their feedback actually land, without sacrificing the warmth that makes them so good at leading people in the first place.What You'll Hear in This EpisodeType 2s are wired to see the best in people. That's such a strength, but in a feedback conversation, it can work against you. The message gets softened, exceptions keep getting made, and the person on the receiving end walks away thinking everything is fine when it isn't. This episode helps Type 2s separate the person they care about from the behavior that needs to change, so they can deliver honest feedback without feeling like they're damaging the relationship because staying quiet is actually what damages it.3 Things to DO as a Type 2 When Giving FeedbackAnchor the conversation in the relationship first. Before you get into the feedback, let the other person know you're coming from a place of care. Something like "I'm bringing this up because I care about you and your success here" is genuine, coming from a Type 2, and people will feel that. It lowers their guard and opens them up before the harder part of the conversation begins.Use your coaching instinct to frame it as "here's what I see in you, and here's what's getting in the way." This lets you stay connected to their potential while still giving honest, specific feedback and clear recommendations for change. It's the sweet spot for this type.Stay specific about the behavior, not the person. You might genuinely adore this person, but their behavior is causing a problem. Keep those two things separate. When they blur together, the feedback gets confusing to deliver and confusing to receive.3 Things to AVOID as a Type 2 When Giving FeedbackSoftening the message so much it doesn't land. If you've sandwiched the feedback so thoroughly that the other person walks away thinking everything is fine, you haven't helped them. And helping people is the whole point. Clear feedback delivered with warmth is still kind. Unclear feedback delivered with warmth is just a missed opportunity.Continuing to make exceptions to protect the relationship. One more chance, let's see what happens. I'll say something next time. Sound familiar? The relationship is actually better served by honest feedback than by silence. Staying quiet to avoid discomfort puts your comfort above what that person actually needs. A small reframe that might help: not saying something isn't kind. It just feels easier in the moment.Waiting until you're frustrated to finally say something. Type 2s can have a slow burn, putting things off, making exceptions, absorbing frustration, until it all comes out at once from a place of resentment or total depletion. By then, the message gets lost in the heat of the moment. Say something before you get there.A Phrase to Try"I'm telling you this because I genuinely believe in what you're capable of, and I'd rather have this conversation now than watch something get in your way."That's it. That's the whole spirit of Type 2 feedback done well. Use it at the start, the end, or somewhere in the middle, and make it yours.Resources + Next StepsAre you a Type 2 with something to add, validate, or push back on? Or do you work with a Type 2 and want to share what you appreciate about how they show up as a leader and communicator? We'd love to hear from you at enneagrammba.com/contact.If you want to keep building your leadership communication 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 explore in our workshops — company retreats, team training 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.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
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    12 mins
  • 122. Coworker Chemistry: The Type 5 & Type 7 Dynamic

    122. Coworker Chemistry: The Type 5 & Type 7 Dynamic
    Jun 9 2026

    Both of these types are driven by ideas. Both can light up a room when the topic is right. But underneath that shared curiosity, two very different strivings are running the show.

    The Five's striving to feel detached, capable, and competent isn't about being a know-it-all, it's about making sure they have enough before they give anything away. They go inward, go deep, and conserve their energy carefully. The Seven's striving to feel excited and satisfied isn't about being scattered, but rather about staying energized and in motion. They go outward, go wide, and keep moving because slowing down feels like being limited and contained.

    One goes within to recharge. The other expands to stay fueled up. Put them on the same team and you get either the most idea-generating pairing in the building... or two people who genuinely cannot figure out why the other one works the way they do. The difference usually comes down to whether they understand what's actually driving each other.

    The Strengths of This Pairing:

    • The Five goes deep; the Seven goes wide; together they cover interesting topics that neither could cover alone, and the best ideas usually live in the overlap
    • Sevens draw Fives out of their heads and into momentum; that spark can get a Five's best thinking off the whiteboard and into the world
    • Fives give Sevens something they rarely slow down for: needed rigor, helping stress-test an idea before it's already been announced to the whole company
    • Both types are genuinely energized by learning; when they find a topic they're both excited about, the conversation is electric and the output shows it

    Potential Friction:

    • The Seven's pace can feel reckless to a Five; the Five's pace can feel like hesitation to a Seven, and both interpretations are wrong, but neither person says so
    • The Seven keeps introducing new ideas before the Five has finished with the last one, and the Five quietly loses trust in the Seven's ability to actually execute
    • The Five's need for quiet and solitude to do their best thinking can feel like rejection to a Seven who is energized by engagement and presence
    • Both types avoid sitting with hard things, but from opposite directions; the Seven pivots away through optimism and activity, the Five retreats into analysis, and difficult conversations end up intellectualized or quietly dropped instead of actually resolved

    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
    52 mins
  • 221. How Enneagram Type 3s Can Give More Effective Feedback at Work

    221. How Enneagram Type 3s Can Give More Effective Feedback at Work
    Jun 6 2026
    Type 3s are probably the most comfortable type when it comes to giving feedback: direct, efficient, and genuinely invested in bringing people along toward success. But that same drive that makes feedback feel natural can also cause it to miss the mark. In this Starting Monday episode, we're breaking down three things Type 3s should keep doing and three things worth reconsidering, so your feedback actually lands.What You'll Hear in This EpisodeType 3s are wired to go far and go fast. That energy is an asset in feedback conversations...until it isn't. When efficiency skips the human element, even the most well-intentioned feedback can feel abrupt, harsh, or like a performance management move rather than genuine investment. This episode walks through small but meaningful tweaks that can make your feedback land the way you actually intend it to.3 Things to DO as a Type 3 When Giving FeedbackLead with genuine belief in their potential. You already see what people are capable of. Make sure they know that before you get into the issue. That context changes everything about how the feedback is received.Be direct and specific about what needs to change and what success looks like. This comes naturally to you, so keep leaning into it. Bonus: ask what success looks like for them too. When you can align your definition of success with theirs, the feedback becomes something you're both working toward together.Keep it future-focused. Type 3s naturally have a "jump and the net will appear" mentality, bring that same energy to feedback. Frame the conversation around where you're headed, not just what went wrong. That forward-facing message is more motivating for the other person and honestly more natural for you.3 Things to AVOID as a Type 3 When Giving FeedbackRushing through the emotional part to get to the action items. Even a simple "I know this might be hard to hear..." creates space for the other person to feel like you get them, not just manage them. Emotions that come up aren't a detour. They're often important information.Assuming everyone else loves direct feedback as much as you do. Some types, think 2s, 9s, maybe 7s, need a little more relational cushioning before they can actually hear what you're saying. A small amount of rapport-building upfront makes the feedback that much more effective. It's not a waste of time. It's what makes the directness work.Delivering feedback in passing. The hallway-between-meetings efficiency instinct is real for Type 3s, but what feels like getting it done can feel like an ambush to the other person. Give feedback its own space, even if it's brief, so it can actually move the needle.A Phrase to Try"I'm telling you this because I think you have what it takes, and I don't want anything to get in the way of that."Put it at the beginning, the end, or both. It signals exactly why you're having this conversation, and for a Type 3, that's genuinely true.Resources + Next Steps1) Have something to add? If you're a Type 3 and want to push back, validate, or add something to the list (or if you work with a Type 3!) and want to share what you appreciate about how they give feedback, we'd love to hear from you at enneagrammba.com/contact.2) If you want to keep building your leadership communication 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/resources.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 insights from the Enneagram.Want to be notified when Claude responds?NotifySonnet 4.6Have 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
    13 mins
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