Are you in a career stalemate, or at a professional high point? Are you looking for inspiration or a new challenge, or do you just want to improve or refresh your interpersonal skills for a more rewarding work and home life?
After years of working as a change management consultant and leadership coach, I’ve noticed that career (and life) crisis points often come from a lack of understanding of “self”.
I find when I ask people these questions, I often get a blank stare or an inquisitive look. We’re all so busy these days – meeting deadlines, managing staff, leading our teams, or making our sales targets – that taking time to reflect on what we want, or how we feel is so far down the to-do list, it doesn’t even register. Until it’s too late.
After years of working as a change management consultant and leadership coach, I’ve noticed that career (and life) crisis points often come from a lack of understanding of “self”.
That’s why the best thing you can do for yourself and your career is to stop, take a step back and give yourself permission to focus on you.
While that might sound simple, or even a little cliché, the truth is, you (and only you) have the power to make positive changes in your life and your career – but in order to do so you need to be curious about, and committed to, your own personal development.
What I’m talking about, is emotional intelligence – getting to know yourself and how you interact with the world so that you can thrive.
There are times in all of our lives when all of those balls in the air fall down, when the choices we made at one stage (or in one phase) of our lives seem to be out of sync with who we are and what we want to do (and be) right now.
That’s when many of us start thinking about change.
It challenges the notion that if you’re not getting what you want out of life you should change “you”, and rather encourages you to get to know yourself so you can use your unique personality traits to unlock potential.
But with the right tools and techniques you can get to know the emotional triggers and blockages that are getting in the way of your happiness, and hindering your success, before you reach such a crisis point.
One of the best neurological techniques I use in my professional coaching and training sessions is The Enneagram, which in its most basic form is a model of the human psyche taught as a typology of nine interconnected personality traits.
You may have heard of these traits already: The Peacemaker, The Challenger, The Achiever and so on.
The Enneagram technique is about better understanding who you are, and the key characteristics of your personality so that you can make more emotionally intelligent decisions about how you approach your life, your work and your relationships.
It challenges the notion that if you’re not getting what you want out of life you should change “you”, and rather encourages you to get to know yourself so you can use your unique personality traits to unlock potential.
If you’re a manager or an employer, it also gives you the tools to unlock this potential in others too.
It’s certainly nothing new, in fact it’s a philosophy that originated in the 14th century, but the premise is timeless. It has been a major component of successful educational and training programs for years – challenging the notion of “self” in everyone from Stanford MBAs to high performance athletes.
I studied The Enneagram with Philippa Bond, a mentor of mine and a world leader in training, coaching and corporate consulting, who has recently been using the model with the US Olympic team – so I know how transformative it can be.
If you’re at a standstill in your career or you just feel like you’re not moving as quickly or as effectively as you could be, The Enneagram will shine a light on the key personality traits that are either helping or hindering your progress.
But let’s get back to you. You’re not an MBA at Stanford or an Olympic athlete (and if you are well done) so how can this technique help you?
If you’re at a standstill in your career or you just feel like you’re not moving as quickly or as effectively as you could be, The Enneagram will shine a light on the key personality traits that are either helping or hindering your progress.
If you’re in a new leadership position or are looking for techniques to manage staff or clients, The Enneagram will also highlight ways that you can connect to others more effectively.
So here’s the good news – if The Enneagram sounds like something you or your colleagues would like to explore, I am holding my first full day workshop The Enneagram, Unlock Your Potential in Adelaide and the Barossa Valley next month and would love for you to join me, for full details see below.
Whether you’re an employee, employer, manager, leader, entrepreneur, CEO, or just want to learn more about “you”, this profoundly insightful technique will be a truly valuable investment in your personal and professional journey.
