Enneagram 9 workplace habits include personality traits that help them thrive in peace and avoid workplace conflicts by any means. At their very core, Enneagram 9s crave for peace and harmony in their environment. They want to avoid conflict with others at all costs.
Not only this, but they also want the people around them in workplaces to have peaceful relations with everyone. Even if any conflict arises that does not involve them, an Enneagram 9 would want to jump in to resolve that conflict.
Nines are sincere and flexible employees. They will come up with innovative ideas to work for in the organization. Sometimes, they will even adopt the ideas of others that seem to be great.
Let’s learn more about the various work roles that they perform along with their communication style and conflict resolution strategies in the organization.
Enneagram 9 Workplace Habits
The RHETI or the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator is one of the most common personality tests available today. This test classifies human personalities into nine different types. Experts call these different personality types the Enneagram personality types.
Before moving further on, we must first know what the word “Enneagram” means. The term “Enneagram” is, in reality, a Greek term. “Ennea” means the number nine. “Gramma” means something that is drawn or painted.
Now, all the 9 Enneagram personality types have some sort of interconnection with each other. Experts can draw these different Enneagram personality types like a map or illustration. This helps to show the interconnection between the different Enneagram types. This explains the reasoning behind the name Enneagram.
Every single Enneagram personality type has one basic fear and a basic motivating factor. This fear and motivation together control every aspect of each personality type. This includes what they love, what they hate, their hobbies, etc. It also controls how they behave in various fields of their daily life, such as their workplace.
Before we discuss Enneagram 9’s workplace habits in detail, we should first talk about what kind of a person a typical Enneagram 9 individual is.
An Enneagram 9’s motivation in life is to achieve inner peace and stability. Most type 9s believe that in order to achieve their own inner peace, they must help the people around them attain peace.
For this reason, they always jump at the opportunity to mediate conflicts between others. They also seem to have a natural talent for conflict resolution. For all these reasons, other people often refer to Enneagram type 9s as “the peacemakers.”
An Enneagram 9’s basic fear is a fear of loss. They may fear losing their loved ones, or even their prized possessions. For this reason, type 9s are sometimes quite possessive of their personal belongings.
But in general, Enneagram 9s have a carefree, easy-going attitude. They seem unperturbed when things do not go their way. Even though they worry inside, they try not to show it on the surface.
An Enneagram 9 believes that there is no point in worrying or being sad or angry about things we cannot change. So, they devote that time and energy to focus on what they can actually change.
In an ideal situation, an Enneagram 9 would prefer a stable working environment. They like to work on things at their own pace. They want their colleagues to help them attain stability and flourish. In turn, they would also help their colleagues with their work.
Enneagram 9s gives strong importance to collaboration and cooperation. This kind of attitude makes them well-suited to strive at all hierarchical levels of any organization.
Enneagram 9 as a Colleague
Most Enneagram type 9s tend to be very helpful as colleagues. This is especially true for healthy type 9s.
Enneagram 9s believe that by helping the people around them, they can achieve their own inner mental peace. For this reason, they always dive in at the opportunity to help others.
Enneagram 9s are open-minded. At the same time, they always want to avoid conflicts with others. In some cases, their desire to avoid conflicts may become so extreme that they avoid voicing their opinions. They are afraid that their opinion may lead to disagreements. In general, Enneagram type 9s is very cooperative as a team member.
They believe that collaboration is the key to achieving success in the workplace. They are quite selfless and never try to hog the limelight that others deserve. As a matter of fact, Enneagram type 9s themselves perform better when their coworkers respect them.
Enneagram 9 as a Manager
One of the great qualities of an Enneagram 9 is that they can judge any situation from other people’s points of view. They are also very open-minded. They believe in cooperative work, rather than individual work.
Enneagram type 9s also have the ability to look at the big picture. Sometimes, an Enneagram 9 would take a decision that others think is a stupid decision. But this decision would benefit everyone in the long term. Type 9s have the farsightedness to judge these kinds of situations. But at the same time, type 9s can also pay attention to the small details, if the situation demands so.
For all these characteristics, type 9s tend to excel at managerial positions. They set high standards for themselves. They also work hard to maintain these standards. Thus, they serve as natural leaders to their subordinates.
Type 9s also have a very inclusive mindset. They encourage it if people bring diverse styles to work. Type 9s have their own way to bring people together.
But at the same time, Enneagram 9s do have some shortcomings as managers. They want to avoid conflicts. In some cases, they may do so by being passive-aggressive. But this kind of attitude does not help to solve the root of the existing problem. This is, in particular, true for average and unhealthy type 9s.
On the other hand, healthy type 9s are good at conflict resolution. They can look at any situation from a neutral point of view. They can understand critical situations from the perspective of every person involved.
This makes them good at mediating conflicts. This is why others often call them peacemakers. So, healthy Enneagram type 9s can be excellent managers.
Enneagram 9 as a Subordinate
One thing that makes Enneagram 9 a good subordinate is its open-mindedness. They can be great team players. Most of the time, type 9s are also willing to accept other people’s opinions at face value because they want to avoid conflicts. They think that their ideas will cause controversy or conflict.
So, they prefer to keep quiet and not voice their opinion. Other people often think type 9s to be submissive. For this reason, their supervisors often like them.
But in many cases, this may also lead to problems in the workplace. Some managers prefer their subordinates to be more expressive. They do not like the docile attitude of Enneagram type 9s.
Also in many cases, type 9s may have the correct opinion about something. But still, they prefer to remain silent for fear of conflicts. This may lead to financial or other losses for the company where they are working. It is quite obvious that managers would not prefer this kind of attitude from their subordinates.
Type 9s also has another shortcoming. Most of the time, they prefer to work at their own pace. They do not like working under strict deadlines.
They also do not like to follow any instructions line by line. Enneagram type 9s hate it when others micromanage them. In an ideal work environment, type 9s want their bosses to give them a basic idea of what their task is.
Then, they want to work on the task on their own. But not all managers may prefer this kind of work culture.
This can easily lead to conflicts and strife. Moreover, following deadlines and timelines is a mandatory thing in today’s modern culture. If type 9s appear reluctant to do so, this may create disagreements with their managers.
Enneagram 9 Communication Style in Workplace
For successful communication, one requires to be self-aware and open to different cultural styles. In short, it requires interpersonal skills. But not every person is endowed with such skill and ability. So, each and every person differs in the way they communicate with others.
The Enneagram system of personalities is a very powerful tool. It helps one to understand people in the workplace. It also helps to create effective strategies for successful communication and teamwork.
Enneagram 9s are open to everyone’s perspectives. They are good at considering all sides before making a judgment or taking a decision. Most of the time, this is a good thing. But sometimes, this can lead to ambiguous communications because type 9s see value in most positions.
But overall, type 9s know how to respect the personal boundaries of other people. They are strong believers in the principle of diversity and inclusion. For this reason, colleagues of Enneagram type 9s also value and respect them. They have the ability to understand things at a fundamental level after talking to multiple people on a team. This helps them to look at different perspectives and bring common ground.
How Does an Enneagram 9 Manage Business Meetings?
Enneagram type 9s prefer a slow and steady work environment. This case is not different when they attend meetings in the workplace. Type 9s believe in connecting with people. So, in any meeting, they like a bit of small talk before they get to the main point.
Type 9s tend to be very organized individuals. They like to maintain written documentation of everything. So, they would always read the agendas of the meeting before coming to any meeting. After the meeting is over, they would be the first ones to want to read through the minutes of the meeting.
Enneagram 9s hate it when their efforts go in vain. When they do not get an appreciation for something they have worked hard on, it can make them angry and sad. But type 9s hate going into direct conflicts. They would rather choose to be passive-aggressive.
Enneagram Type 9s also hate it when someone puts them on the spot during a meeting. They like to be well-prepared for everything. So, during a meeting, if their supervisor suddenly asks them to speak about a topic, it will throw them off. For this reason, Enneagram 9s do their thorough homework before attending any meeting.
Conflict Resolution of Enneagram 9 in Workplaces
Enneagram 9s have a strong characteristic of inner tranquillity and peace. They also prefer a peaceful environment around themselves. So, for attaining such a calm and serene environment, they avoid conflict at all costs.
Enneagram Type 9s often like to go with the flow. Even in their workplaces, they merge into the opinion of the majority on most occasions. It is very rare for them to voice their decisions or opinions, specifically when it indicates an opposing position.
Type 9s, as we have already mentioned, are not outspoken at all. So, they often end up devaluing themselves as well as their abilities. For this reason, it is necessary for their supervisors to make them realize that they are as important as others. It is crucial for them to know that their perspectives can bring a change that may lead to better output and productivity.
A very challenging task for type 9s is to stick to their opinions in the face of conflict. Experts often consider type 9s to be the most tired among the other Enneagram types. This is because they spend a lot of time trying to maintain internal as well as external peace.
Enneagram type 9s try to build a harmonious relationship with everyone in their workplace. They always consider other people’s perspectives and acknowledge their efforts. This, in turn, helps to minimize conflicts in the workplace.
Even if a conflict arises, Enneagram 9s look for faster ways to solve it because they are peaceful beings. In most cases, they are good mediators.
They bring together different opinions or sides of an argument which leads to successful conflict resolution. For this reason, other people often call type 9s “the peacemakers.”
To Sum Up
In this article, we have discussed how Enneagram type 9s typically behave in their workplace. They prefer a slow and steady work environment where they can work at their own pace. They can work as a manager or as a subordinate.
On most occasions, they tend to avoid conflicts with others. But in case a conflict arises, they are good at resolving conflicts. They can judge every situation from other people’s points of view. So, they can de-escalate any situation in an effective way. For this reason, others often call them peacemakers.
