Problem Solving, Shared Leadership and the Enneagram [Matt Schlegel]

In recent blogs I have described the steps of a problem-solving methodology that I have found works extraordinarily well in helping teams solve complex problems. What I have also found is that different team members contribute in different ways, and their contributions are better aligned with some steps of the problem-solving process than others. Imagine if there were a way to understand how each team member best contributes to the problem solving. Imagine if you had a way to ensure that there were strong contributors at each step of the way through the problem-solving process. Also, imagine if you understood when there was too much or too little representation of a particular strength so that you could avoid some classic problem-solving mistakes (for instance, paralysis by analysis.) The next sequence of blogs will describe the connection between people’s strengths and weaknesses and the process itself.

The basic premise of this discussion is that we can find a method that does provide a link between each step in the problem-solving process and people’s strengths and weaknesses. I discovered such a link while studying the Enneagram. For those of you not familiar with the Enneagram, I recommend checking out this link. I find that this book is a great introduction to the Enneagram.

During an Enneagram workshop I attended, the question was raised as to why there are numbers to describe the different personality types. The instructor indicated that the numbers are arranged in the order that people solve problems. Voila! The Enneagram not only describes 9 basic personality types, but it also describes the order in which each type contributes to a way humans solve problems. Fascinating! It was based on this bit of inspiration that I started to develop the problem-solving process I have described in previous blogs. In using this process with teams, I did find that there is a strong correlation between a person’s Enneagram type and their ability to contribute to the problem-solving process. I used this correlation to promote leadership of those with particular strengths as the team needed those strengths during a particular phase. Asking people to do what they are naturally gifted to do yields remarkable results. I believe this is one of the most powerful aspects of this problem-solving process.

Matt Schlegel has studied the Enneagram since 2001. His introduction to the Enneagram came through his family. Over time, he found that it was a useful tool in helping resolve conflicts in the workplace and getting teams to work together more effectively. He also discovered its powerful use as a problem-solving tool. Matt continues to study the Enneagram, discovering something new and interesting with every encounter.