Enneagram Type 4s are creative individuals who adopt an unconventional approach toward their life. They are ‘Individualists’. Hence, these people receive motivation from expressing their uniqueness and standing out from the crowd. Enneagram 4 workplace habits refer to how people with this personality type behave when they play their role as a colleague, a subordinate, and a manager.
An ideal workplace for these people lets them use their creativity. It gives them the feeling that they can make a name for themselves. They will ideally prefer doing things on their own rather than working for someone else.
If you are unaware of your Enneagram type, take the online personality test to determine the same. One of the most popular testing methods for enneagrams is the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator. It will enable you to take note of all your professional habits.
Enneagram 4 Workplace Habits
SUMMARY
Enneagram 4 workplace habits talk of how professionals with this personality type play their roles as colleagues, subordinates, and managers. It also mentions their ability to offer creative ideas during business meetings and resolve conflicts in an organization.
Enneagram 4 personality type people are sensitive and expressive in their behavioral patterns. Their focus lies on creativity and doing things differently from others. It allows them to become unique and maintain high standards. They remain on the lookout to find their identity. As a co-worker, enneagram four will always give sufficient space to their colleagues. It will let them be creative. Fours will also accept their perspectives about various aspects of life.
They belong to the emotional world. Their emotions can play out mostly when they are at work. This results in making things intense for others to handle at certain times. Enneagram Fours have the habit of daydreaming. Therefore, they can easily get swept away in their feelings. It might make them move away from reality. These people would look to attain increased emotional states.
People with the enneagram four personality type thrive in their careers while working for organizations that let them experience spontaneity and variety. These individuals struggle to cope with an organized framework and a self-centered approach. Those workplaces that offer encouragement to work through these limitations can help them attain balance in their professional life.
These Type 4s have the habit of paying attention to authenticity. They use their intuition to understand the hidden meanings behind a situation. An enneagram type 4 will give their best in those work environments when they can make a meaningful contribution. They will enjoy getting the chance to leverage their emotional perceptions. Individualists even like those workplaces where they manage to influence customers, suppliers, and all other related parties who make up any workplace.
Enneagram fours will never dedicate themselves to work in those organizations which do not pay attention to their observations and perceptions. Some triggers can make Enneagram 4s feel misunderstood, ignored, or overlooked. Those trigger points will adversely affect their performance. Hence, acceptance and recognition are the two key factors for people with this personality type. They help them stay at the workplace along with co-workers in a harmonious manner.
Let us now discuss how these individuals handle different positions at the workplace –
Enneagram 4 as a colleague
When Enneagram 4 works as a colleague, they focus on displaying their helpful and compassionate nature. They are sensitive and stay aware of their feelings. It enables them to notice even the slightest mood change that occurs among their co-workers.
Fours even tend to understand the psychological struggles of their colleagues much better than any other enneagram type. During adverse situations, Fours are the ideal helping hands for their colleagues.
Unfortunately, Enneagram 4s do not fare well as team players. It is because they are more talented and creative compared to others. Hence, these people might face problems fitting within a team almost under all circumstances.
These individuals love working independently. They always prefer carrying out various responsibilities at their own pace. Still, if any situation demands the same, enneagram fours can prove their capability while collaborating with others.
People with this personality type love to develop close emotional and meaningful ties with their co-workers. Then they will feel at ease while carrying out their organizational responsibilities.
Enneagram 4 as a subordinate
An Enneagram 4, while working as a subordinate, might struggle to do justice to this role. The reason behind this struggle is their inability to take orders from their seniors. As they always wish to work on their own, these people could feel stifled if someone asks them to do something how they want.
They fail to operate under strict rules and regulations. Their seniors put some unnecessary means of discipline in place. Then, under those situations, enneagram fours may not give out performance at healthy levels. They will search for a way out and attain some freedom.
Enneagram fours are creative people. Thus, they tend to flourish under such settings that let them work with independence. They prefer facing minimum interference from their senior executives and boss. Their main aim is to look for flexibility in the working environment.
Due to their poor self-esteem, Fours always want to receive appreciation for the efforts they put into their work. There are occasions when these people might see themselves as a misfit because of carrying different mental energy from their other teammates.
Under those circumstances, if they can receive appreciation for their innovative ideas and creative work from their reporting managers, Enneagram Fours may perform much better than they had done earlier.
People with the enneagram four personality types want to feel accepted and appreciated. Therefore, they require a compassionate senior who can develop a deeper level of understanding of their personality without making any critical judgment.
Enneagram 4 as a manager
Enneagram 4 personality type individual is a naturally empathetic individual. They are sensitive to the emotions of people around them. It allows them to effectively use their words to inspire and motivate their team members. This happens when the team spirit is at its lowest.
Despite this ability, enneagram 4s are not able to manage. It is because fours hate taking up the role of a leader. These people are free-spirited. Thus, they wish to work on their own. Managers with this personality type do not have the habit of giving suggestions or sermons to others.
They might struggle to work with others as they possess average people skills. Even then, if someone forcibly puts them in a managerial position, fours try to do complete justice to it by carrying out their responsibilities in the best possible manner. As a manager, they would look to introduce creativity in the group.
He will allow all his subordinates in the group to nurture the talents they possess within their personalities. Enneagram 4 managers would listen to them and appreciate their new opinions in team meetings.
These enneagram type four managers always acknowledge and give affirmation to the roles of their juniors. This tendency of theirs makes them gain popularity among employees of the organization, carrying other enneagram types.
Enneagram 4 Communication Style in the Workplace
Enneagram type 4 professionals keep gravitating their attention to the missing links in an organization. These people use their integral value of authenticity. It allows them to discuss the exact feelings of employees without any problem.
Due to this reason, fours also do not hesitate to bring up critical issues for discussion. Other individuals might avoid facing them at all costs. Their style of speaking is poetic. They tend to reflect upon themselves while communicating with employees.
The communication style of Enneagram 4 is such that it reflects their appreciation of various aspects of an organization. They think about how to make things better. Fours remain well in tune with others’ feelings, sentiments, and grievances.
As they possess the gift of personal expression, it can pose a challenge to all those who love to have a much more direct style of communicating their thoughts. The verbal and written communication of an enneagram four can be challenging. People will struggle to understand. what they are trying to say. Fours even rely a lot on the use of metaphors.
These professionals can strike the right balance to take care of this issue. An enneagram four can include simple statements to help others know what he is looking for from their end.
When someone works with an enneagram of four colleagues, they must know that their sensitivity can sometimes make them look moody. This personality type individual can even withdraw themselves and remain aloof from others. It is important to note that one must not confront this personality head-on. People must avoid judging them for their actions.
Instead, one must check with the enneagram four how they are doing. It will help to develop a connection. One can tell them they are staying more aloof than they usually do. Then, they can invite them to come forward and share their thoughts. Doing so can make an enneagram of four personality types of individuals feel better.
How Does an Enneagram 4 Manage Business Meetings?
When someone with an enneagram four personality type is part of a professional environment, it is nothing short of a blessing. These people will use their creative minds to give ideas. It will help them find solutions for ensuring the growth of an organization.
It is a common practice for organizations to hold meetings now and then. They do so to review various plans and procedures. The important thing for the management of an organization is to remain optimistic. This will go a long way to ensure the proper execution of concrete action plans and programs. Those plans could be regarding the acquisition and expansion of business.
Enneagram Fours will pay attention to the matters discussed in the meeting. They would look for optimism and encouragement from their seniors. Once they get these, fours will move forward to offer inputs regarding the organization’s progress and growth.
It is necessary for an enneagram four to receive the desired positive signal from the higher authority. Then only enneagram four professionals would feel free to share their creative ideas. They will ultimately help to solve existing problems without any hassle.
Conflict Resolution of Enneagram 4 in Workplaces
The Enneagram Type 4s are those individuals who belong to the reactive group. It is particularly applicable while handling conflicting scenarios in workplaces. The other name for this group is the Emotional Intensity or Realness Group. It denotes that they carry strong emotions in these adverse circumstances.
They will tend to avoid conflict and look out for a supporter. It makes them feel that a supporter would let them attain psychological and spiritual growth. Fours suffer from some basic fears of abandonment and loneliness. It happens because they constantly think they will not receive enough support who can help them come out of a precarious situation.
These people adopt a unique style of dealing with others. Fours keep others’ interests alive on all occasions. They do so by limiting their access to them. It makes their co-workers feel as if enneagram 4s are hard to get.
To Sum Up
Enneagram Type 4 professionals are ambitious, driven, visionary, and charismatic. Amid all these, they tend to experience a whole lot of emotions. Fours always focus on meaning, authenticity, and aesthetics. They wish to develop a unique connection to their work and all other individuals around them.
Their challenge lies in learning how to deal with the monotonous work of carrying out various organizational responsibilities, lowering the level of emotional reactions, and not taking things personally.
No matter in whatever capacity an enneagram type four works, they look for uniqueness and creativity. Hence, they enjoy being with those colleagues, subordinates, and seniors who encourage them to express their opinions creatively and resolve problems on time.
