How to move beyond teaching the Enneagram and create experiences that encourage self-discovery, meaningful conversations, and practical application. 

When you're preparing to facilitate an Enneagram workshop, it's easy to focus on the content. 

Which concepts should you introduce? How much time should you spend explaining the nine types? What activities should you include? How will you fit everything into the time you have?

These are all important questions.

But after years of facilitating Enneagram workshops with teams and organizations, I've found that some of the most meaningful moments aren't necessarily the ones I planned into my presentation.

They're the moments when someone recognizes a familiar pattern in themselves. When a colleague shares a perspective that helps someone else see things differently. Or when a group begins to understand why the same situation can look and feel completely different to different people.

Those moments don't happen simply because we share great information about the Enneagram.

They happen when we create opportunities for people to reflect, participate, connect, and apply what they're learning.

The Enneagram provides the framework. Our role as facilitators is to help people make it meaningful.

Whether you're preparing for your first Enneagram workshop or looking for ways to improve the experiences you already lead, here are six principles I encourage you to consider.

1. Start With the People, Not the Presentation 

Before opening your slide deck or deciding which Enneagram concepts to cover, take time to understand the people who will be participating.

Who are they? What brings them together? What are they hoping to get out of the experience?

A leadership team looking to improve communication may benefit from a very different experience than a group of colleagues gathering for an introductory team-building workshop.

Even two groups with the same number of participants and the same amount of time may have completely different needs.

That's why I like to begin with a simple question:

What do we want participants to understand, experience, or do differently because of our time together?

Once you have a clear answer, you can begin making intentional decisions about the content, activities, and conversations that belong in the workshop.

You may discover that some of your favorite material isn't particularly relevant to this audience. That's okay!

The goal isn't to deliver every concept you know about the Enneagram. It's to create an experience that serves the people in the room.

2. Create Opportunities for Self-Discovery 

One of the things I love about the Enneagram is that it invites us to explore the motivations and patterns underneath our behavior.

But there's a difference between telling someone about their type and helping them recognize those patterns for themselves.

As facilitators, we can introduce the framework, explain the different strategies, and share examples. But the real discovery happens when participants begin connecting those concepts to their own experiences.

Instead of simply explaining how a particular Enneagram type might respond to a situation, consider asking participants to reflect on their own responses.

What do they tend to notice first?

What feels most important to them in that situation?

What are they trying to accomplish or avoid?

When participants begin recognizing their own patterns, the Enneagram becomes more than a collection of interesting personality descriptions.

It becomes a tool for understanding themselves.

And that creates a much stronger foundation for understanding one another.

3. Get People Talking to One Another

It's tempting to fill a workshop with information, especially when you're passionate about the Enneagram and have so much you want to share.

But remember: The people in the room bring their own experiences, perspectives, and insights.

And some of the most valuable learning can happen when they begin sharing those perspectives with one another.

In workplace workshops, I want participants to understand more than their own Enneagram patterns. I want them to begin recognizing that their colleagues may approach the same situation with very different priorities, motivations, and assumptions.

That understanding becomes much more meaningful when it comes directly from the people they work with.

Rather than spending the entire session explaining how different types communicate, for example, create opportunities for participants to talk about their own communication preferences.

What helps them feel heard?

What tends to create frustration?

What do they wish their colleagues understood about the way they approach their work?

These conversations allow participants to move beyond generalized type descriptions and begin learning about the actual people they work with.

You don't have to be the person doing all the talking for meaningful learning to happen.

Sometimes, your most important role is asking a thoughtful question and creating space for participants to explore it together.

4. Let Participants Be the Experts on Themselves

The Enneagram is a framework for exploring patterns, motivations, and different ways of experiencing the world.

It's not a tool for telling people who they are.

As facilitators, we may recognize patterns that seem consistent with a particular Enneagram type. We may even have a strong suspicion about someone's type based on what they've shared.

But ultimately, participants are the experts on their own internal experiences.

Our role is to help them explore the framework, ask useful questions, and recognize patterns for themselves.

This becomes especially important when participants are unsure of their type or don't relate to a particular description.

Rather than trying to convince someone that a certain type fits, we can invite them to explore what does and doesn't resonate.

We can also remind participants that sharing an Enneagram type doesn't mean sharing the same personality, preferences, or experiences.

Two people of the same type may approach their work and relationships very differently.

And no one should feel obligated to share their type or personal experiences with the group.

The goal is to create curiosity about ourselves and one another, not to put people into nine neat boxes.

5. Make Application More Important Than Information

Understanding the Enneagram is valuable. But understanding how to use it in everyday relationships is where the framework can become particularly meaningful.

In workplace settings, I want participants to leave with more than an understanding of the nine types.

I want them to begin recognizing how their own patterns influence the way they communicate, collaborate, navigate tension, and respond to the people around them.

That means creating opportunities to connect Enneagram concepts to real workplace situations.

For example, after exploring different communication patterns, you might ask participants to consider an upcoming conversation with a colleague.

What might they approach differently based on what they've learned?

What assumptions might they want to question?

What could they do to better understand the other person's perspective?

These questions help move the conversation from understanding the Enneagram to actually using it.

And application doesn't have to be reserved for the final 15 minutes of your workshop.

You can build opportunities for practical reflection and discussion throughout the experience.

6. Design for What Happens Afterward

One of the questions I encourage facilitators to consider before a workshop even begins is:

What happens when everyone goes back to work?

Participants may leave feeling energized, connected, and excited about what they've learned.

But how will they continue using those insights in their everyday relationships?

The goal isn't for everyone to become an Enneagram expert or remember every characteristic of all nine types.

It's to give people a shared language they can continue using in meetings, feedback conversations, moments of tension, and everyday interactions.

As you're designing your workshop, consider what you want participants to take with them.

Could they identify one communication pattern they want to pay closer attention to?

Could they commit to asking a colleague a different question?

Could the team identify one way they want to use their new shared language in an upcoming meeting?

You might also explore opportunities for the organization to continue the conversation after the workshop.

A short follow-up discussion, a question incorporated into a team meeting, or a manager revisiting a shared insight can help bring the learning back into everyday work.

A meaningful workshop isn't just about what happens during the experience. It's about what participants continue to notice, discuss, and do differently afterward.

Ready to Bring the Enneagram to Your Group?

Whether you're planning an experience for your own team, looking for someone to lead it, or preparing to facilitate workshops with your own clients, there are a few ways to bring these ideas to life.

For Teams and Orgs

Lead It Yourself 

Have someone internally who's comfortable facilitating? Our DIY Enneagram Workshop Kit gives you a professionally designed 2-hour experience, complete with presentation slides, facilitator notes, activities, and participant resources.

Bring In a Facilitator  

Let us design and lead the experience for you! From introductory team workshops and leadership retreats to ongoing development programs and experiences across departments and locations, we'll help you create an experience around your team's goals.