Why and how Enneagram coaching works

With the knowledge of the Enneagram, the coach is able to ask questions that go much deeper than the realm of our everyday challenges and goals. The coach can make the coachee aware of the things that prevent him/her from achieving a goal or cause a problem to keep reoccuring. This possibility lies in the knowledge you get when working with the Enneagram as a tool in coaching, because you are dealing with a person's different psychological structures and defense mechanisms as well as blind, hidden and unused potentials. This way, you will find different nuances in the personality types, and you will have a wider range of techniques to help increase your awareness and adjust your questions to the person you are coaching.

The effect you get from working with the essential motives is lasting change. Working with the most fundamental layers of your personality, you adjust your outlook on life. This causes a lot of minor annoyances and undesirable behavioural patterns to automatically change or simply lose their meaning. Thus, you create a life in balance with room to concentrate on things that are important to you and that add meaning to your life.

Why Enneagram Coaching works:

E-coach model

Coaching step 1:

In your consciousness you have problems, challenges, tasks, goals and dreams. The only thing that you actually need to do is to work out a plan and act on it. You adjust/reflect on it in the process so that it becomes even more effective.

Coaching step 2:

On your unconscious level you also have problems, challenges, goals etc. which governed by your values and convictions. When you become aware of them and work with them you also influence your issues or themes on the surface as you become aware of what it is that motivates you to pursue the things you want to achieve. You let go of the goals that are not really important to you or that you are not motivated to achieve, and you will find that some of your issues will seem trivial when they prove to be of no importance after all.

Coaching step 3:

On your unconscious level you have your essential problems, challenges, tasks, goals and dreams. You have experienced them in situations in your life when you have been really passionate about something, or as issues to which you have been unable to find a long-lasting solution despite several attempts. When you are in contact with these problems, challenges, tasks or dreams you discover your fundamental motives, and when you work on these deep levels of your personality you get in contact with the essential elements of yourself. This means that it will have an effect on you on many levels, from physical reactions to a changed outlook on life and attitude. It is here that you by means of simple and effective methods can find the elements that bring you joy and a good quality of life and make you a more whole human being.

The ultimate effect: Creating awareness and processing these deep and essential life issues creates an effect on your entire system of values and convictions and makes it possible to lead a happy life in which you choose freely and with flexibility the things that take you in the very direction you want. You will be regarded as a pleasant and well-balanced human being, having the drive and strength to achieve what you want. You can also use it to change the small things in your everyday life with a lasting effect, just making it easier to be you.

The following outline shows how you can work with different areas in your life through coaching:

Symptom	Metode	Effect from coaching
You are aware of the problem and the challenge or of what you want.	Self-coaching Step 1	1-3 sessions bring you forward and create a certain amount of awareness, recognition of yourself and increase your trust in yourself.
You may be aware of the problem or of what you want. You have tried different solutions but you find that the problem returns. You feel stuck.	Professional coaching Step 2	3-6 sessions create change and increase your awareness of your behavioural patterns. You are motivated towards change and this increases your satisfaction with living in accordance with your own values.
You do not want to face the problem directly. You react with strong emotions like anger, sorrow and you feel faint. You do not understand the cause.	Enneagram coaching Step 3	6-12 sessions. Lasting change increases your self-confidence and self-esteem as well as your inner peace and balance. You are well on your way to freeing yourself from old behavioural patterns and moving towards focussing on the joy of living and a quality of life for yourself.

Symptom

Metode

Effect from coaching

You are aware of the problem and the challenge or of what you want.

Self-coaching

Step 1

1-3 sessions bring you forward and create a certain amount of awareness, recognition of yourself and increase your trust in yourself.

You may be aware of the problem or of what you want. You have tried different solutions but you find that the problem returns. You feel stuck.

Professional coaching

Step 2

3-6 sessions create change and increase your awareness of your behavioural patterns. You are motivated towards change and this increases your satisfaction with living in accordance with your own values.

You do not want to face the problem directly. You react with strong emotions like anger, sorrow and you feel faint. You do not understand the cause.

Enneagram coaching

Step 3

6-12 sessions. Lasting change increases your self-confidence and self-esteem as well as your inner peace and balance. You are well on your way to freeing yourself from old behavioural patterns and moving towards focussing on the joy of living and a quality of life for yourself.

Self coaching:

Here you can use a coach, a close friend or a colleague who is familiar with coaching tools.

Professional coaching:

Requires a coach who has an certification in coaching and knows how to work with values and convictions. This could e.g. be an EnneagramCoach™ or an other kind of certified coach.

Enneagram Coaching:

Use a certified EnneagramCoach who can ask questions which take you behind your defense mechanisms and who is trained to deal and work with frustration and other unexpected reactions which often follow when you discover "new" sides to your personality.