In the Spring of 1996, shortly before I began teaching at The Catholic University of America, I attended a compelling author talk in New York at Marble Collegiate Church, (led for many years by Norman Vincent Peale) by Tony Schwartz, who later became Founder and CEO of The Energy Project. The subject was the newly released paperback edition of his book What Really Matters: Searching for Wisdom in America.
The book, which Tony inscribed for me, and which I still consult, is a highly personal cross-country odyssey centered around personal growth, human potential and mind-body work. He interviewed such luminaries as the late Ram Dass, Betty Edwards, and Jim Loehr, who seven years later became Tony’s co-author for The Power of Full Engagement.
Another major interviewee was Helen Palmer, author of the classic 1991 book The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others In Your Life. The publicist/Renaissance Woman Kathryn Hall helped launch that book, one of the best known works on the personality type tool that continues to make inroads into public awareness. So when Kathryn recently approached me about a new Enneagram-focused book by R. Karl Hebenstreit, I was intrigued.
I’m grateful to Kathryn for making the connection, and to Karl for answering my questions about the Enneagram and its continued relevance, as well as about his own career as an author and knowledge worker.
For the non-specialist reader, how would you characterize the basic premise of, and the research that went into writing The How and Why: Taking Care of Business with the Enneagram – Third Edition?
The How and Why: Taking Care of Business with the Enneagram – Third Edition is the product of a labor of love that really started over 20 years ago … and continues today. It’s a book that shows how the Enneagram framework can be used in Organization Development interventions, including leadership development, team development, change leadership, communications, decision-making, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, employee engagement, etc. I was fortunate to be given the chance to present my novel applications of the Enneagram in my corporate work at local and international Enneagram conferences. I never intended to write a book, but was asked by a conference participant in Canada that attended my workshop, “When is the book coming out?” I was initially taken aback, being comfortable with my conference presentations and sharing, and then realized, why not?
My Ph.D. dissertation research findings became a chapter, as did all of my OD interventions to date (resulting in the 2016 first edition). My involvement with the International Enneagram Association provided me with visibility to all others working in the field, along with their work and findings. The evolving nature and understanding of the Enneagram, and its growing applications, led to even more developments and updates, resulting in the 2nd and now 3rd Editions of this work.
There are quite a few assessments in use in today’s workplaces along with the Enneagram, such as Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), DiSC, and others. Coupled with all the different types of leadership and management methodologies, is it possible that knowledge workers (no matter what type of field they work in) can have what might be called assessment/methodology fatigue?
Totally. You’re touching on dangerous territory where leaders and/or organizations stumble across a “flavor of the day” and want to do something different with their teams, rather than diving deeper within one methodology; they’re looking for the next big, quick, fun, shiny fix, rather than doing the more difficult work of diving deeper into understanding and developing themselves. “Oh, we did MBTI/Myers-Briggs at last year’s strategic off-site, let’s do DiSC this year!” The assessments you mentioned (other than the Enneagram) are all behaviorally-based, and thus, somewhat superficial. They are still useful in getting people to talk about their preferences in communication styles, thinking/processing styles, orientation to time, etc.
However, they don’t go to the deeper level of the why – the motivation and values behind the behavior we see. The same behavior may be due to a multitude of motivations. If we don’t know what someone else’s motivation is, we assume, based on our own self-knowledge – and end up victims of the fundamental attribution error – assuming the worst in others.
However, if we truly dive deeper and find out what really makes us and our colleagues/friends/partners/stakeholders tick (and even ticked off!), we will develop a better understanding of ourselves as well as others and have better, sustainable relationships.
In addition, the Enneagram invites us to integrate all nine energies and perspectives so that we have a truly whole and complete understanding of every situation and respond appropriately, productively, and effectively. The Enneagram is a far more complex and all-encompassing system that can be built upon, and applied to many different challenges and topics, rather than being seen and used as a one-off “fun” employee event.
Also, it’s important to mention that the Enneagram is not intended to “box” people or be used as an excuse for the continuation of bad behavior – it’s a self-awareness and self-development tool that shows us what “box” we’re already in (how others already perceive us) and how to break out of this fixated state and access/integrate the other eight energies and perspectives available to all of us, so that we become better and more effective human beings and leaders.
In your line of work, how crucial is it to hold a number of these degrees and certifications You have a variety of educational degrees, as well as a number of workplace certifications in MBTI, the Enneagram, the International Coach Federation, and others?
I will give the standard consultant answer to this fundamental question: It depends! If you’re just starting out in your field/discipline and need foundational knowledge, a network of peers, confidence, and credibility with clients/stakeholders, absolutely! When I was first starting out, I credit my Master’s program in HR Management for my first two jobs (local companies recruited from this program). My network from my coaching certification yielded some amazing coaching opportunities. As has my Enneagram network. Some corporations and clients look for certifications to ensure that a certain standard of excellence is met. Others do not.
Professional associations like the International Coach Federation and International Enneagram Association are a great source of networking, getting new clients, continuing your education so that you’re staying current on what’s going on in your field/discipline and can provide the best service to your clients, collegial support, friendships, and credibility. On the flip side, it depends on your target clients and also on your own needs – if you’re a long-term practitioner with a steady client base that has no sign of diminishing, you may not feel the need to go after certifications or join professional associations – yet they can’t hurt!