Enneagram at Work

101. What are the Biggest Pet Peeves for Type 7's at Work?

• Sarah Wallace • Season 4

Share episode

Do you tend to look on the bright side, and can find the good in almost any situation?


Are you easily fascinated by interesting people, events, and ideas?


Do you find yourself always coming up with new, visionary ideas?


Do you dislike limits of any kind and prefer to keep your options open?


If any of these resonate, you might be an Enneagram Seven.

Or maybe you see these qualities in a co-worker?

Either way, when you listen in, you'll learn more about the Enneagram Type 7 strategies and hear from two real-life experiences to help better understand yourself or your teammates.

Connect with our Case Study "informants," Ellen and Kate, to let them know what resonates with you most about what they shared:

Kate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-son-jd-67035350/
Ellen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingraham/

*************

Not sure what your Enneagram type is yet, but want to?

🎙️Listen to the episode walking you through how to find your type with 2 questions:
https://www.enneagrammba.com/blog/enneagramtest

💖 Use the power of the Enneagram in your romantic relationship inside The Compatible Couple™ experience with Coach Natalia
https://www.enneagrammba.com/compatiblecouple

✏️ Get an overview of all nine types inside the Understanding People at Work Cheat Sheet 
https://www.enneagrammba.com/cheatsheet

Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

🏆 Begin the process of becoming a Dream Team Certified Workplace: https://www.enneagrammba.com/enneagram-certified-workplace


🗓️ Book an Enneagram Workshop for your team retreat at work:
https://www.enneagrammba.com/enneagram-team-workshops


✏️ Get an overview of all nine types inside the Understanding People at Work Cheat Sheet
https://www.enneagrammba.com/cheatsheet

Speaker 1:

This past winter I became obsessed with the wire. It took me only took me 20 years to actually sit down and watch it, but I did finally, and became obsessed. And just all the police work and cases and informants and all this inspired a show that I did over on LinkedIn called the Enneagram case files. So what you're going to hear today is us opening up the case file on the Enneagram type 7. This is a replay that we did a few months ago with our informants, ellen Ingram and Kate Sun, sharing their real life experience as a type 7 to learn from whether you are a type 7 or happen to lead a type 7 or work next to a type 7. So we're going to jump in. There's a little bit of intro with some additional context that'll kind of set the stage for this one, so we'll just go ahead and get into it.

Speaker 1:

This week You're listening to the Enneagram MBA podcast, a show about understanding people at work, including yourself. I'm your host, sarah Wallace, and I'm excited to be diving into this week's episode with you. Well, welcome back to another Enneagram case files here over on LinkedIn. Today we are diving into the anatomy of the Enneagram type 7. We're going to look at what is the thing that drives a type 7 common tendencies, pet peeves at work, how to know, maybe, if you are a type 7, what to know about a type 7 if you are not one but happen to be working with one. And we have a couple of informants that will be joining us for the case file review to kind of share their real life experience as a type 7. Before we get into that, though, we're going to just look at the kind of big picture what makes a 7 a 7. And as we go through this, as as always, i'll just say a quick hello. I am Sarah, going to be your guide on this, the lead detective, i've been saying, and I am the owner of Enneagram MBA, a team training company, the host of the Enneagram podcast, and get to facilitate and lead workshops for teams and organizations, and today we are diving into the type 7, which, for those of you who don't know, sometimes is referred to as the enthusiast, the multi tasker There are any type can be enthusiastic, but they kind of have that reputation.

Speaker 1:

At the end of the day, the thing that makes our type 7 the type 7 is this striving to feel excited. They want to be free from limitations. They want to have options, ideally free from emotional pain or discomfort, tend to look on the bright side. Our 7s are also sometimes known as the visionaries. They have this ability to just. They see what's possible in the future And so they're always coming up with new and creative, creative, exciting ideas. They're really focused on taking in as many experiences as they possibly can. We have some of our other types. We've reviewed our type one, our type three, who tend to be kind of more task oriented, goal oriented. We've talked about our type twos being really relationship focused.

Speaker 1:

Our type 7s are really experience focused, whether that's with people, places and a new adventure, a new opportunity, and one of their many superpowers is around enthusiasm. They have this ability to kind of rally everybody else around this new idea. Their energy, their excitement tends to be very contagious and inspiring. They are very spontaneous. They tend to be very upbeat. They can be very energetic. They can also feel like to others that it's just a lot of activity, a little hyperactivity. They can also sometimes come across a self center. They can sometimes come across as distracted And they have a reputation for having lots of ideas but not necessarily the follow through to execute on the ideas and making the commitment to see it to the finish line, and we'll talk more about that later. They're in this head or thinking center of intelligence And, unlike the 5s, 6s, especially where they see into the future, about what might happen, maybe the bad that could happen, and want to be prepared, the 7 tends to focus on the future.

Speaker 1:

But looking at all that is possible, all the things that could happen for the good, all the possibilities, all the potential out there, constantly kind of planning for their next adventure. And we'll struggle sometimes, in that kind of that average level of health, to really be present and get to enjoy the plans that they have been planning for. Their problem solving style tends to be very rose color glasses. Glasses have full. Well, you know, everything happens for a reason. Let's look on the bright side. You know kind of oh, you lost one arm. Well, at least you have, you know you, at least you didn't lose both arms kind of kind of optimism there, which again has its place right. And then, when it comes to getting things done, they are in that assertive stance with our threes and our eights where they're going to just jump right in. They're really focused on the future. Maybe ask for permission later or forgiveness later, rather than permission first, and along the way those sevens will tend to they might just jump in by themselves but they also, because of that you know infectious enthusiasm, they have a much easier time to rally everyone around Their new idea to get it, to get it going. The downside of that sometimes can be not thinking about or maybe ignoring, but I think most of the time not even considering what could go wrong, and so not planning, kind of preparing for those situations and just kind of dealing with that as it might come.

Speaker 1:

I want to bring our informants in just a moment. We have Kate and we have Ellen, and I'm going to go back to this slide. Welcome, hello, hello. Thank you for being willing to be an informants. Ellen, i'm going to. I'm going to call on you first if you're willing to share What about the seven energy resonates with you the most?

Speaker 2:

Well, the first time I learned about Enneagram. Can I give a little background?

Speaker 2:

Yeah please do. I worked with the Enneagram coach, linda L-I-M-D-A Brown, and I have been working with this company, helios, who works in corporate culture, and they recommended her because they all used her as a coach And to give you some real background. I've been in recovery from alcoholism. I've been sobered 33 years. I bring that up because you know I went through such a huge personality, you know learning more, getting sober and going through the 12 steps and working on myself And I never learned as much until I did the Enneagram And I think that you know a revolutionary in my life And what was really interesting to me was learning.

Speaker 2:

Well, i knew a lot of the stuff because I had done strength finders and Helios has strength scopes, which measures what your, what energizes you because you can be good at something But not like that. So I think a lot of what it was very validating to learn all this about myself and what was the good. But it was also really interesting to look at what, what I need to work on And a lot of that was really surprising to me. But because I had done the 12 steps and you know you do so much inventory, i was really open to learning about it so I can go more into the negative. But what really resonates with me is I'm not hyperactive, but I have a lot of ideas. I'm very enthusiastic, i do look on the bright side And I love to work with a group. I have learned that I do not do well alone. Did that answer your question?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I was actually going to share with anybody else in the recovery community.

Speaker 2:

I don't know if you've read this.

Speaker 1:

There is an Enneagram for Recovery book by just Jenner Kaye, and I have looked for this person more and I just can't find any more out about them, but I'll put this in the show notes for anybody else. Yeah, i got it on Amazon, i believe, the Enneagram for Recovery, so that might be interesting for anybody else.

Speaker 2:

Oh, I love that.

Speaker 1:

And just really quick. I'm curious as a follow up did you immediately know that that was your dominant type, or were there a couple that you struggled between in the beginning?

Speaker 2:

Well, when I took one of those little tests online. it actually said I was a nine And when I did the deep dive with the IEQ nine individual professional report, that's when I came out as a seven and working with Linda, i realized, yeah, i really am a seven.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it helps. It does help to work with somebody. Thank you for sharing that. We'll come back to some of what you said. Kaye, i want to bring you in and I'm going to ask you the same thing What are some of the pieces of the seven either that we've covered or that we haven't, that really resonate with you?

Speaker 3:

Yeah. So first off, ellen, 33 years sober. I just feel like congratulations and like badass, i'm like that's so awesome.

Speaker 3:

And someone who has family members, or sober too, or you know, has sobriety. That's just so amazing. And just a few notes to you, so yeah. So when I first kind of started exploring Intergram, i did a couple of tests and then I also met or learned about Intergram through you, sarah, and so it came out between like seven and two for me, and the more I kind of like read up on the two, i definitely feel like the seven is more of my personality.

Speaker 3:

Professionally and in my personal relationships, i typically am pretty enthusiastic. I am very much into, you know, spontaneous. If there is a topic that is being discussed more than two times, i am probably beating my head on the wall, which you know can be good professionally. But also, you know, sometimes you do have to rehash things out multiple times. So that's definitely where I do see that aspect of me struggle a little bit professionally and having to work on my patients. So, yeah, i love working in groups too And I think it's super fun. You do have group settings. To kind of be the person that I don't know energizes, i do definitely feel like I fall into that category of being the energetic one who's pushing the energy, who's like really trying to push to get things done And like seeing how it all works together, you know, at the beginning of a project, and understanding the different streamlines where different individuals will come in and fit the piece or project, and like really supporting it through the end of the life of getting it done.

Speaker 1:

So, yeah, Yeah, yeah, it's so interesting. I was also deciding if I was a two or seven in the beginning to Kate, i think there's a couple reasons for that, but that that's interesting. And you said and let's see. And you said a nine, ellen, right, was the other one for you. Okay, yeah, that is another kind of very common one.

Speaker 1:

It's really interesting for the seven, at least for me, and I'll ask both of you what your thoughts are on this, because, yes, in that stereotypical range, i think sevens, you know kind of some of us will fit that, that stereotypical, you know, hyperactive, scattered, you know, have trouble with commitment. But the more that we learn, the more that we grow, the less will actually look like that seven, like each type. So for the seven, i've always owned it really interesting and also really helpful that our arrows, or what I just learned that they can also be called, is called resource points, which I love. That idea is the type one, striving to be perfect, and the type five, striving to feel capable, competent, kind of self sufficient. And initially I thought I was like those are two of the most boring types, like I don't want anything to do with those, and then, ironically, there are lots of things within those two that I intentionally try to kind of bring in to help me, you know, bring a vision to life and get it across the finish line, to commit to something, to focus on something, to to be okay with being by myself, And so I'll ask each of you.

Speaker 1:

So the one tends to be pretty structured Again, we're talking stereotypes, so not all and everyone, but just that energy in general tends to be pretty self disciplined, self controlled, preferred structure, routine, kind of has a set of rules, which is the opposite of the seven when it comes to rules. But and then the five energy tends to be really focused. They tend to prefer solitude more, and I'm curious if either one of you would be willing to share how you've seen, maybe pulling in some of that, whether you knew it was your arrows or something else to kind of enhance the seven energy that you have not necessarily change yourself, but just kind of enhance what, what you have already.

Speaker 3:

You want to go? Yeah, sure, i can go first. And so it was not realizing that I was bringing in my five and one arrows. I know, personally I have learned that I have got to take a long time or time away, meaning if that's just me sitting in my bedroom by myself reading a book, but really just putting forth concerted effort to where it's me just showing up as a solo person doing something, because I need that, i don't know lack of stimulation maybe from others or I don't know just kind of a little bit more solitude. That way I do kind of have that more genuine energy where when I am in groups or I am kind of like wanting to be the enthusiastic person, it is more genuine and it is showing up more naturally instead of it constantly showing up. But there are times when I'm it's too much, but really I'm still showing up in that aspect, but it's more out of you know, feeling like that is how I am supposed to be instead of you just being that way naturally.

Speaker 3:

And then, as far as like pulling in the one type, i am very scattered. I definitely am all over the place If I don't have a to-do list, if I do not have an idea of what is going on in my day or what needs to be accomplished. It's not getting accomplished because I will find new ideas or new ways to, like I don't know, improve a project or, you know, like filter in, like new things within work, professionally and even at home. Sometimes, you know, like I don't know. The simplest thing is, i don't know meal planning or grocery shopping personally, just understanding what's already in the house. But I will wake up and be like, oh, we don't have any plans for supper and I will come up with this elaborate scheme of things And really, if I would just look at what's going on and be a bit more disciplined, there's enough food in the house to fix probably three meals. So, anyway, that's probably how it shows up personally and professionally for me.

Speaker 1:

I can relate.

Speaker 2:

I can relate to a lot of that cake.

Speaker 1:

Just letting you know, ellen, what about you?

Speaker 2:

I think when I started in business I tended to be a perfectionist and then I've had to learn like good enough, It's good enough.

Speaker 2:

I don't have to go over and over and over and check all the grammar and check that it makes sense. You know what I mean. It's good I had to learn, good enough because I'll get mired in the details because, unlike sevens, i do like details. I do love spreadsheets. And then I think what Kate was saying was when I need my time to process. I'm very outgoing. I network love. Networking is one of my favorite things, which is a seven. I love to connect people that can help each other.

Speaker 2:

But I need a goal and a vision to keep me focused. Or I will instead like I just took a new job in sales and I'll work on the marketing materials for days and not make calls. I have to have my vision, my goal, my to-do list. I bought a system that keeps me focused. I don't want to go too much into the pain because you're probably going to bring that in. I just know that I need processing time. That's what I think Kate was talking about. I need to go in. Even if it's just watching Netflix, it looks like I'm doing nothing, but of course I'm also doing games or cross-replacing. I can't do this.

Speaker 2:

Right, i just need that time to regroup, and I am processing data.

Speaker 1:

Yes, and like you're saying that you like details and we're going to talk about this at the end as we start to wrap up. But it's all about that why behind the behavior and the why behind the alone time. I can't speak for all sevens or even the two of you, but I know that's important to me too because it's a chance just to kind of, like you said, step away from all the stimulation I don't know. Sometimes I enjoy just kind of getting lost in my own thoughts and just not being interrupted and brainstorming or just whiteboarding something out. I get so much satisfaction from that, but it's kind of like why? Why is that? And all of mine tend to kind of tie back to that striving to feel excited.

Speaker 1:

I talk a lot with work groups and how to use the Enneagram and the workplace and with teams to be able to understand ourselves but also to be able to understand how somebody else might be seeing the world, might be seeing the conversation, might be seeing the start of a project, for example. And so we'll talk about kind of common pet peeves for each of the types And for our type seven. They tend not all every time but tend to really dislike any type of micromanaging. They're not big rebels like the eight might be known as, but they'll kind of do it. They call it I've heard it called like quiet rebellion, where they'll kind of make friends with their leadership or their manager so that they can kind of be on that same level and not feel like they're being controlled. They hate it when they come with a new idea and somebody shoots it down or says, oh, we just can't do that, that won't work. Without even considering it, dwelling on what's not working, sometimes, that six energy and the seven energy will, i've heard, kind of come up with some, some conflict, because the six is kind of like well, what, if? kind of devil's advocate and it comes across as a Debbie Downer to somebody like the seven.

Speaker 1:

And so again, just understanding how you tend to see the world and how somebody else might be seeing the world, you can start to have, maybe not a grant necessarily, but some empathy, understanding where they're coming from, hate meetings that drag on. Threes and eights probably all feel that same way, being in that like let's go far, let's go fast. This probably could have been an email When somebody offers too much detail, they just kind of want to get to the point. I've heard seven say I do this a lot And then just creating you know the red tape, bureaucracy, processes, just for the sake of writing something down and nobody even follows them. It's kind of restricting the creativity. So, kate, i'll start with you. But is there anything on here that you're really that really bugs you as well, or maybe something we didn't talk about? that is a huge pet peeve at work for you.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, no, i mean. So micromanaging, the top one that is, there is nothing worse for me than a micromanager. Thank God I do not have micromanagers and I've only encountered them at past careers, so I don't know. There's something about a micromanager I feel like for a seven, that just really it makes it almost too choppy for us, right, like the constant need to check in. It almost feels like for me that you know you can't sit down and just like flow into what you need to take care of or you can't come out and be excited about something. You are really having to be driven by someone else's agenda, whereas I feel like sevens are excitement kind of Sears, our agenda, right, that points us in our direction of what we need to accomplish that day and really allowing us to lean into our energy, you know, which I think also points us in our purpose. So I don't know, micromanaging is really tough for me And again, i'm so thankful that you know I don't have a micromanager in my life because it would be so rough.

Speaker 3:

But yeah, i mean, i think too, you know meetings dragging on, you know, and the whole you know, think your bullet point says, well, we can't do that at work. For me, it's a well, this is how we've always done it. Response and I'm like ah, that's you know. Yeah, i'm like what, what does that even mean? What do you mean? this is how we've always done it. That's not an answer. That's not a response. So, yeah, i would say, those are probably my top ones.

Speaker 2:

Helen, what about you? Absolutely. And our need to feel safe and get away from pain. Micromanaging is not doesn't come within those categories. It just feels like let me do what I want, let me do what I need because I know better. That's part of us sometimes.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, i can give you examples of awful work environments. So I've had 25 careers. Talk about chasing excitement. As soon as I master something, i'm totally bored and I have to do something else. And so I a couple jobs that I could, or careers that I that I never stops learning were my favorite and also where I could hire, develop, train, develop and promote, because that was so interesting to me that I got to do all those things.

Speaker 2:

And I like startups, because I like to build a better mousetrap. So I'm always looking at well, how can we take information from this and use it in this situation to do better? So I worked at a school once as a school nurse. I started out in nursing but it said they used to say to me we don't do it that way here And I'm thinking you're a school, are you kidding me? But it was, you know, just was not a good place for me. So yeah, i would say, actually the last one. One of my taglines is I write manuals even when no one asks me to, but it's not like for excessive processes, it's more for it helps me learn And I'm very into creating a safe culture, so I want to catch people. If I write it down, then I learn it. I like having a vision, a mission and a goal, and so it's kind of like a rulebook to keep the culture.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and you know, again, it kind of just goes back to that why And I could see, you know, for me having processes or even like having a clean house, i think is maybe a stereotype that sevens just kind of throw everything around. They're messy, but it's like I need that space or that list or whatever it is so that I can go off and be creative and kind of let other things get messy. I can't have everything messy. So I feel that I've also talked to a lot of sevens who have had multiple very different careers. There was a woman on the podcast who talked about going to seminary school And then she was a yoga instructor and then was into, worked at a factory and now works for a beauty spa, and so it is just really it's really interesting.

Speaker 1:

And, kate, i love how you said the micromanaging just kind of feels choppy because you're in the flow, and I think that that's something that is worth others knowing as well as about ourselves is that sevens are in that head center of intelligence And we have a lot of thoughts and we have a lot of balls up in the air, a lot of different things, and so for somebody to come in like you're juggling, you have them all, but for somebody to come in and ask a question or constantly be checking in, it's just it's hard to keep all that kind of moving. And so I felt that And I love the way that you described that, kate is there anything that other types should know outside of these pet peeves, maybe to do that you really appreciate? Or it can be anything that has happened to you in your own personal experience that other types should know about working well with you?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, So I'm trying to think I don't know if these would be pet peeves, but I think when you are someone who's working with a seven, i think it may require some extra patience, because we or at least for me, i can get pretty excited across different areas of what my role requires at work And so I dabble a lot And so I kind of come in hot right, come in hot with energy, with ideas, and then I kind of fade away for a little bit But I come back with doing what I said I was going to do, or executing. But I am aware that it may take me a little bit longer to execute on the excitement, on the energy or on the vision that I have for XYZ to fully follow through. So I do think it maybe requires a bit more patience with us, because it is I don't know because we are in our head so much.

Speaker 3:

I feel like we do require more time to process what it needs to look like, all the aspects, and I definitely, when I am working on a project, i need to also understand the holistic view, right? So how, for instance, if I'm working on a project, how does that project intersect all aspects? I want to make sure that I'm not working in a silo. I want to make sure that we are fully addressing everything and we're kind of thinking about stuff And I may not come back with resolutions for how all those avenues need to be addressed, but I definitely want to come back with energy on making sure that all the avenues are addressed And there's no silo And we've thought about everything before starting to take bites into something.

Speaker 1:

So, yeah, Ellen, what about you?

Speaker 2:

I love that, kate, that people need patience. Also, i am very heart-centered, so understanding that I am sincere when I talk about feelings, and that can really push some people that are not open away or think that we're being manipulative Or I can just go overboard on that, and I was wondering. I think so. Oh, i do process ideas very quickly, so at one time I might talk to you about idea A And then, if there's a week that goes by, i'm already on D And they're like where's B and C?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, Yes, I feel that, Yeah, Yeah. I've heard this too from people who are being led by a seven And they'll say they'll come in and say, OK, this is the initiative or this is the focus, and get everybody excited, And then a week later it's like oh, new thing, new idea. Or they'll just say something, And then their team is off to work on it And they're thinking oh wait, I just meant that was kind of fun to think about. I didn't mean start on it.

Speaker 1:

I'm just spitballing here. We don't have to do it, So just kind of again, just being aware I had two specific qualities that I want to ask you about before we start to wrap up. And whatever you have, please share. And if you don't have anything, that's OK too. But one of the things that sevens tend to have a reputation around is this positivity, And sometimes almost toxic positivity, both with themselves and kind of with whatever is going on around them or whoever is around them. Kate, is that something that you have seen in yourself as a type 7?

Speaker 3:

Yes and no. So I probably am hyper focused on toxic positivity because it's something that is very triggering for me, something that I don't like. So I think I maybe work and get like I work to not be toxic positive, right, it's very important to me to be realistic and pragmatic a little bit, and so when someone does come in with toxic positivity, it's actually almost to It's to embrace it for me. So I don't, i don't know how that doesn't fit within me, but I am very aware of it And I work very hard not to be. Yeah, i'm toxic positive, so, yeah, I.

Speaker 2:

I'll end it. Yeah, i agree, i can't really see that in myself, but It's something to be aware of.

Speaker 1:

Hmm, yeah, i'm very pragmatic also, so I'm glad that you both brought that up because I think that could be a myth for the sevens that all, all sevens are rose color glasses, toxic positivity kind of thing. So I appreciate you sharing that. Another one, and this is kind of getting getting into the layers of the enneagram they have. Each type has something called like your vice or your passion, and for the seven it's this idea of gluttony and Just kind of overall Meaning like more, more experiences, not just food or material things, that it could be material things, but just more. Oh, i need this was a good, i need more and then it could be great. I'm curious if that Theme has shown up in your own life And if that's something you've noticed or, like Kate you were saying, been focused on not doing Or working through just anything about kind of that idea like oh I, this is one's great fives better kind of energy.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so if I enjoy something, if I like something, then I probably definitely tend to Lean into how can I make that it show up more in my life? so I Yes, that's definitely present with me. So I can't. if I'm like really enjoying the book, i can finish that book in 72 hours maybe, and that is because I am most definitely making choices where I'm not doing what I need to do and I'm just sitting down and I'm reading that book and or, you know, as far as like traveling and experiences, if I go somewhere And I have the best time, i'm immediately focused on okay, how can I get back there? How can I, you know, make this trip happen again? Maybe not that same exact spot? So, yes, that is definitely part of me.

Speaker 2:

so, for the good and the for the bad, Yes, i can relate to that with food, with Alcohol, when I was active. I can do, i Can do things that take me out of my body and that was some things that I learned here that I need to get more into my body. I Love massages, i love reflexology. I go to a personal trainer now. I love that, i love my Peloton And I, you know, when they say that our main thing is not feeling pain and, and that I can reframe, if I get negative feedback, i can reframe it to positive so that I'm not really taking Responsibility or accountability.

Speaker 2:

So that's something it's really interesting for me to learn and something I will take. Take, you know, i'll pay attention to that because I do think that I like to Have a level playing field in the business world. I don't like when somebody Posed rank on me with feet, yes, and I think that I Never looked at my wanting to be friends with everyone or wanting to have a relationship as manipulative, so I'm also having to think about that. But I truly do love to, you know, meet people and I love to build relationships and have them, you know, make them deep, become deeper than just superficial. But also I've learned a lot of people don't want to go there and I have to stop. Stop, ellen, you know.

Speaker 3:

Ellen, i can identify with that. If someone's like a very surface level relationship, it's hard for me then to understand how to proceed. And I'm similar with that. Like I'm like oh no, like if we're gonna be in a friendship, it's a full-on like relationship And a lot of people are very comfortable with on more of an what I would even acquaintance right, exactly, really, acquaintances.

Speaker 2:

I totally have to develop this Graphic in my head, like I have an A team of B team and a C team my A team is who I trust I want to be.

Speaker 2:

I want to get closer. They want to get closer. If they, i can tell them Yes, the B team don't know, i hear if you hurt them Or and I want them to be able to tell me very, very important if I heard that is very Close to my heart. On. My purpose is to love and to heal, so I love that that healing part is part of seven to Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for sharing both of those. As we start to wrap it up, i kind of have two final closing questions for each of you, whatever comes up I know we've talked about this a little bit Are there any other Misconceptions or myths about your own experience or that you've just seen in general with this seven energy, that or anything that bothers you? Like you'll see one of those Instagram memes or just a snippet about the type and you're just thinking, oh, that that bothers me, or that's not me at all, ellen, anything like that coming up for you. What we get wrong?

Speaker 2:

well, the fact that They say set the door detail oriented which I'm very detail oriented and that we're a constant movement, hyperactive. I would like to sit and not move on my couch and watch project or annoying. We run for hours and I don't really like. It says we have fear of missing out. Either I don't have that or I'm not aware of it yet. So that's one thing. Do you, kate? Do you have fear of missing out?

Speaker 3:

You know I think I have fear of missing out when it comes to like fun, fun things like with my friends, right, i don't always have fear of missing out, like I'm very comfortable With saying no.

Speaker 3:

I Actually have a reputation at work as one of the people who just will say no, and whether it's for good or for bad, right, i I'm very comfortable with setting clear boundaries and just not Confident. But I agree with you, ellen, that I do think this concept that sevens aren't detail oriented is not accurate always. But I do think it shows up and us, you know I on again, off again, right, like I can sit down and go through a document Maybe a colleague has written and they're looking for edits. I can sit down and edit that and be very detailed and rework the whole thing and really enjoy the process of doing all that detailed work. Now, if I wrote that document and if I was having to go back through and rework it and edit it, i probably wouldn't be as detailed. So I do think it's interesting how, at least for me, it kind of shows up and then it doesn't show up.

Speaker 2:

Oh, I'd much rather edit than I.

Speaker 3:

Right, Yes, I'm the same. I love editing. It's harder, I don't know. For me maybe, as a seven, it's harder to sit down and have all the ideas succinctly flow into a document.

Speaker 2:

Just kind of agonizing it.

Speaker 3:

Yes, yeah, yeah. So which is where I think you know PowerPoints are great, for maybe seven is you can use images and words and yeah.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah, yeah, somebody told me not to use bullet lists once it worked. I was like what kind of feedback is that?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, Go ahead, kamri. I love a bullet list, i love a list, so I'm right there with you, ellen.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, just a quick list. Paul is watching live and he said I never liked the stereotypes of sevens as complete party animals or immature goofballs.

Speaker 3:

I would agree Although I can't be kind of immature in a goofball. but I agree it's not a good stereotype. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, and this kind of leads actually into the final question for each of you is that some of those stereotypes may be true, kind of depending on how aware you are. even somebody who's interested in the Enneagram, i think, automatically, is probably up on the self-awareness a little bit more on that scale. So I'm curious for each of you and you've said a couple of things, but there's anything else you would add to the growth that you have seen in work or just in your life by understanding more about the type seven, but I guess ultimately your personality and learning, studying, practicing different behaviors, thoughts, feelings, beliefs that you have noticed a positive change in your life.

Speaker 2:

I've read a lot of these things to my husband if I'm not sure, and he'd be like, oh yeah, that's you And he's a one, so you know. So that's really helped me in my relationship with him. In fact, i tried to get our book club to read a book and then talk about what we learned in it and they were like that is not an appropriate book club. So they're like PT, you know, lovely woman, but not an A-team type of relationship. But what I've learned is okay, you know Their neighborhood, they, they're wonderful ladies, i love them, they're great neighbors. We just have different interests And something you said, kate, is also we're talking about what energizes us. Like we're energized because we like to edit, because we're good at English, like creative writing, whatever. Another seven might not like doing that because they don't have that energizer right.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, kate, what about you? Oh, go ahead.

Speaker 2:

Ellen, i didn't know this at the time, but I had a period where I was unemployed from corporate or schools or hospitals And I tried I call them the painful entrepreneurial years because I tried so many businesses on my own and I get to the point of pain and I would stop and change course And just my friends, my A-team, would be like you know, everything that says things that we need to work on showed up in that time And that was real learning period for me, so that when I started teaching Epic to Physicians it's a electronical medical record And I actually stayed with it for nine years because I knew I had to stay with something despite the pain, and so that was reading. You know that's something I developed and became more aware of.

Speaker 3:

I think for me patients is like the biggest way that I get growth as a seven. So you know, professionally, if I start getting bored, i start getting very restless And then I can start, you know, looking for jobs and just or not even looking for jobs, but kind of then getting like frustrated And because I'm not being mentally stimulated enough or I'm not solving enough problems And really it's just meant to be more of a slower period in my career right.

Speaker 3:

Which is okay, Like not every day professionally are you supposed to be doing and giving 110%? There's just no way that you can I don't know have a full-long, lifelong career in doing that. But I think also when I give my time or give myself time and patience, doing more grounding, because we are so on our head and we are thinking so much and we do need so much time to process, I think sitting more and like getting out of our head and getting more into our like feelings, which helps us with our intuition, which I think also then like then full circles, that energy, like where are you supposed to be putting your energy towards, kind of helps also. So I try to do a lot more grounding, since learning more about the different aspects of an intergram and then also you know just other areas in life where these concepts have been introduced. So yeah.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

I yeah, it's, whether it's the Enneagram or you know all kinds of things. I just I think it's so incredibly valuable to take the time to study yourself, to ask the questions, to reflect and not like oh, why am I like this? Why do I always do this? But more out of you know curiosity, and so, yeah, i have found that the Enneagram has given me lots of good, curious questions to start asking myself about As we wrap up. I would love to hear where we can find you online for anybody else that's saying oh my God, kate, you're in my head, or, ellen, i feel you or you know, congratulations. Where can we find you, kate? I'll start with you.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so I'm on LinkedIn. It's actually Catherine's and you can find me on there. And if you're a bit more social beyond LinkedIn, i am on Instagram as well.

Speaker 1:

So those two areas And the same name on Instagram.

Speaker 3:

You know, it may be underneath the maiden name. Okay, so Kate Kimsey, k-i-m-s-e-y, so yeah.

Speaker 1:

Okay, we'll put it in the link in the show notes. I'll confirm.

Speaker 3:

I'm terrible about like updating all the aspects of, where my name has changed. I always swore I would never change my name, and then I did, and then, slowly, things still have my maiden name on it. And it's been almost nine years And I still have not.

Speaker 2:

Well, it's been 34 years for me And I still put my maiden name in LinkedIn Ellen O'Connell in group. So I think LinkedIn is probably the best I'm most active on that.

Speaker 1:

Okay, all right. Well, thank you both for being here and for sharing. I always say, you know, talking about your personality is literally one of the most personal things that you can, you know, jump on a live video and talk about or just be open about. So I appreciate you both And, as always, what you're taking away or anything that inspired you, or maybe questions about being a type seven, please reach out. I know guests always like to hear from you and what resonated and just to kind of you know, kind of nerd out on the Enneagram together is always fun. So I appreciate you both.

Speaker 1:

It sounds like we'll be seeing you around LinkedIn and have a great rest of your almost end of the week now. I guess, if you're listening to this on a Friday, when I'm not planning for the next episode or getting to interview the next podcast guest, i'm probably out doing an Enneagram team training or a group workshop experience, because while Enneagram MBA is a podcast, it is also a team training company, which means, whether you have a team of four or 40 or are planning an event for 400 people, there is an experience that is waiting to be created just for you and your team or organization or event, and I'm going to invite you to start that process over at Enneagram MBAcom, where you'll be able to check out some of the initial ideas and options and then reach out to get in touch to start planning your own.