In self-development work it seems to me that people often fall in love with the first assessment tool that offered them some insight. The Enneagram is that tool for me. This model of nine worldviews and ways of focusing attention was the first window that allowed me to see that how I was in the world made sense in the larger scheme of things. At the same time it held up a mirror so that for the first time I understood the concept of “blindspot” and how mine played out in my thinking and behaviour.

During a recent visit to Victoria British Columbia I attended an Introduction to the Enneagram workshop hosted by Kira MacDuffee and Edward Colley. Both Kira and Edward use the Enneagram as a lens in their work with clients as Clinical Counsellors so they have an intimate familiarity with the model.

While their presentation was chock full of useful and practical applications of the the model what I appreciated most was just how grounded their teaching was in the deeper meanings offered by the Enneagram. One of the things that initially appealed to me about the Enneagram was illustrated by the respectful approach taken by my first teachers. Kira and Edward made a point of setting the training in a historical context and helping us make the distinction between finding our type as an orientation – a home base and using it as yet another way to excuse or restrict ourselves. They reinforced the importance of not using the model label but rather to understand possible dynamics between essence qualities and how our personality acts to compensate for loss of connection with that essence quality.

The participants in the workshop responded to this approach willingly engaging in exercises designed to mark out how aspects of the various types are alive for each of us. One woman, an Enneagram Four expressed the impact of taking an online Enneagram assessment, ” When I got my Enneagram results it was one of the few times I’d felt seen and by a computer at that!”

The reminder that the Enneagram is a map of how we have lost our connection to our central nature, a look at our strategy to avoid pain was enough to remind me why I fell in love with it in the first place. It has helped me develop compassion for myself and others.

Thank you Kira and Edward

There have been surveys done on the MBTI profiles of Twitter users, and now in a recent post on his blog, Life Coach Yost asks what about Facebook. As a self -disclosed INTJ, Yost admits to the natural fit between his preferences and Twitter which he took to right away. Perhaps the attraction in part is that Twitter, apart from the 140 character limit, allows him to interact on his own terms. That 140 character limit might be a real bonus feature to an INTJ in terms of tailoring the responses that they receive from others…short and sweet and to the point.

Facebook is another story. I am curious what makes it seem so different? Not only is there the possibility of greater, well longer, interactions but perhaps the fact that followers are called “friends” adds another level of commitment to the relationship.

In his post Yost makes the distinction between the use of Social Media in a business context and personal use. Just to back up a moment to look at some lingering perceptions of Facebook in general, it seems to me that there are many factors that influence one’s ideas about the value of using Facebook for a professional or business person. Many people who have steered clear of using Facebook have the notion that it is for kids, or for family or focused soley on the trivial aspects of one’s social life. I have heard some professionals who fear Facebook because they have concerns about their privacy and the impact that Facebook may have on their reputation.

Facebook may not be for everyone but the territory has shifted and there are increasing numbers of people successfully incorporating Facebook into their overall marketing strategy as one component of their Social Media approach.

To get back to the question Life Coach Yost poses about the value of Facebook. I think that understanding why and how you might want to use it is helpful. Then you have a road map for how you want to engage. As well as having the context of an overall marketing/personal branding strategy, I can imagine using Facebook as a way of connecting with others if you have a special interest or hobby. For someone with INTJ preferences Facebook offers a way to widen the circle of people who may be interested in what you have to offer while at the same time putting you in the driver seat of how and when you wish to interact.

As for the issue of having Facebook be a distraction from engaging with real live breathing friends. I can imagine the seductive nature of this idea. If you are using Facebook as part of your business building, I would not confuse the issue by using it as your mechanism to keep up with friends.

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If you find yourself complaining about your work, dreading getting out of bed for yet another day that seems meaningless or dreaming of running away to some remote island, chances are you are not plugged into your genius zone. Before you guffaw, panic or otherwise dismiss the notion of genius, let me reassure you that I am not talking about anything outside of what is real for you. This is the territory that happens when we are in tune with who we are and operating so that we are tapped into our strengths, natural motivation and intrinsic creativity… nothing WOO – WOO to fear here.

The free course that I offer on the home page of my blog site will explain the genius model and give you some ways to explore looking at what this might mean in your life. The end goal is to reallocate how you invest your time, energy and resources so that you spend more time in the creative, enlivening zone of your genius and less in the energy draining approach of being an ongoing fixer upper project.

Working with the genius model is not a one time event but rather an approach or orientation. Some of the suggestions in this course will resonate more for you than others but it is jam-packed with tips and ideas that have worked for people who have used this model to shift how they view their work.

Sign up to receive a link to a genius boost every three days. From these 21 tips you can pick and choose what makes sense for you right now.

I’d love to hear about your genius and how you live in the zone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIT7easNGFE

Visioning through collage making is something that I have done with individual clients and teams. The process typically includes some upfront exercises and discussions to clarify the purpose of the exploration and to focus in on what’s important. During the collage making itself participants are encouraged to be spontaneous and allow surprises to happen. And they do!

If time allows my preference is always to work on good quality gessoed canvas with professional quality paint. Colour plays an important role in setting the tone. I want people to be able to paint their canvas the colour that matches their vision. If you just asked what the heck does that mean, it’s not so woo woo. If the next steps will require the intention of passion and drive the colour might be red or orange, if the coming year is one of integration a cooler colour such as blue or green may be the right call. In all the years of doing this people just know what colour they need/want after a few exercises upfront to mine for gold.

Because we integrate the cognitive processes at the beginning, people are more willing to go into a “play” zone, similar to brainstorming where we say YES to everything and then edit down afterward by listening to our intuition and the wisdom of the body as well as our more rational side.

This collage making process integrates nicely with other work:

• Creating a vision of excellent client care for a service organization
• Emerging the leading edge of personal leadership for directors and managers
• Anchoring discoveries during an intact team offsite
• Setting an intention for the upcoming year for independent professionals / coaches /consultants
• Rounding out a business planning session to capture the essence of the new direction
• Illustrating the sweet spot of growth as part of retreat using the Enneagram
• Focusing on what’s important for individuals dealing with cancer

I have had 99% positive response

• From people of all MBTI types
• From senior managers who came into the room shocked and clutching the door who later did a complete 180 dragging me into their office to brag about their piece during the following months
• From coaches who have brought their clients for a joint session. The clients not only gained some insight but by seeing their coach work the level of trust, transparency and deep conversation was enhanced
• From team members who were surprised at what they learned about each other

Because the message of the collage is captured visually with colour and images the person is able to anchor the essence of their intention for what they are focusing on next. I have heard from people who put the collage in their office but also from folks who have theirs in the laundry room or bathroom where they will see it. I have one friend who does an annual collage and swears it is her best planning tool as she almost always completes her vision withing six months.

Collage – have you done one?

ESTP's Hands On TO DO Bulletin Board

There may be as many ways of keeping track of things “to do” as there are MBTI types. This Dominant Sensing ESTP likes to see their To Do’s, move them around as things progress and enjoy seeing them completed with a slam dunk into the garbage can (aka trash). Booyah indeed – making a check mark or putting a line through an item seems lame in comparison.