"What are you on the Enneagram? I bet you are a one or a three." Questions like this are becoming more and more common as the craze of the Enneagram fad continues. In case you haven't heard of it, the Enneagram is a personality tool that classifies individuals into one of nine personality types. (Links to take the test for free are in the conclusion of this piece!) It is one of the many tools available that can be used to better understand both ourselves and the people around us. Specifically, it can be used to increase both employee engagement and the performance of our practices. Over the years, many personality and workplace quizzes businesses have been used to interview potential employees and even adjust existing roles, but these are often met with resistance and rampant eye-rolling. One benefit for you as a practice owner is that your employees will likely be excited about the idea of collectively taking the Enneagram and learning more about each other.
Before we dive in a little bit deeper and discuss a few ways the Enneagram can improve your practice, we need to understand the nine personality types. See the list below for the different personality types according to the Enneagram Institute: Type One: The Reformer The Rational, Idealistic Type: Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled, and Perfectionistic Type Two: The Helper The Caring, Interpersonal Type: Demonstrative, Generous, People-Pleasing, and Possessive Type Three: The Achiever The Success-Oriented, Pragmatic Type: Adaptive, Excelling, Driven, and Image-Conscious Type 4: The Individualist The Sensitive, Withdrawn Type: Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, and Temperamental Type 5: The Investigator The Intense, Cerebral Type: Perceptive, Innovative, Secretive, and Isolated Type 6: The Loyalist The Committed, Security-Oriented Type: Engaging, Responsible, Anxious, and Suspicious Type 7: The Enthusiast The Busy, Fun-Loving Type: Spontaneous, Versatile, Distractible, and Scattered Type 8: The Challenger The Powerful, Dominating Type: Self-Confident, Decisive, Willful, and Confrontational Type 9: The Peacemaker The Easygoing, Self-Effacing Type: Receptive, Reassuring, Agreeable, and Complacent As you read over these personality types, you probably have a good idea as to not only what type you are, but also where several of your employees fall as well. It is relatively easy to see which types would perform best within the roles of a medical practice. As an example, someone who is a helper is probably not who you want managing your practice, but they would be a great fit for the front desk. The same could be said for a peacemaker. So how could using the Enneagram in your practice be beneficial? Here are a few ways... Self-Awareness We might all claim to be self-aware, but those around us might not agree. Our behavior and the way we react to certain situations often cause confusion and can hinder both personal and professional relationships. It is widely agreed that a high sense of self-awareness leads to better performance, more influence, and authenticity in the workplace. Aren't those qualities we desire for each member of our teams? This is an area the Enneagram can help since it gives us language to describe how we are wired while simultaneously helping understand those around us. One of the most important ways self-awareness plays out within a business is reminding us that not everyone sees the world through our eyes. An increase in self-awareness gives us more compassion and empathy not only for our coworkers, but also for our patients. Simply put, when we understand ourselves and acknowledge that we are all different, it increases avenues of communication. Communication As a practice owner and leader, your commitment to the personal and professional well-being of your staff is of utmost importance. The way this commitment is most often expressed to members of your team is through communication. When you and your team not only know each other professionally but understand what makes each other "tick," off and new lines of communication are automatically opened. As people with different backgrounds and worldviews, we all need to be communicated with in different ways. Imagine each member of your team taking the Enneagram and you, the practice owner, having profiles of each employee. If you are speaking with someone who is a loyalist, it will be important for you to note your appreciation for what they are doing in the practice. On the opposite side of the spectrum, challengers and achievers would appreciate a more direct approach. Think of the people you interact with the most in your life. Odds are you communicate with all of them differently by being sensitive to their personalities and preferences. The same approach needs to be taken with our employees and patients. Paul J. Meyer, founder of the Success Motivation Institute, once said, "Communication - the human connection - is the key to personal and career success." Keeping that in mind, it isn't hard to imagine how utilizing a tool like the Enneagram can have a dramatic impact on a practice's bottom line. Bottom Line Medical practices are often seen as just that, but we know that there is so much more involved. There may be no profession in which customer service is more important. As we noted in our recent post on the MGMA's 2018 Patient Survey, patients put more weight on how they are treated as people than they do the actual care they receive. The use of the Enneagram to increase our practice's capacity for self-awareness and communication will have a huge impact on patient interaction. Patients have a keen sense of practice culture and are attentive to their interaction with both doctors and staff. The better we know ourselves and communicate with patients, the more likely we are to maintain long-term patient relationships and increase referrals. Conclusion There are many tools we can use to better understand our teams and the people around us, but the Enneagram is a great tool that can be used to build your team and improve your business. If you are interested in using the Enneagram in your practice, Eclectic Energies offers a free test! Click here to take it! Once you take the test, The Enneagram Institute offers additional tools for you and your team to learn more about the personality types and how we interact with one another. Let us know if you decide to take the test! We would love to hear about it!
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AuthorThe staff and doctors at VisionAmerica are committed to providing relevant information for you, your patients and your practice. We hope you find the information in our blog post helpful. Archives
August 2019
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