The Enneagram in the Global Context Guest Blog by Jayson Morris, PCC A year ago, one of my former work associates emailed me with a fascinating and daunting proposition. Having just become a certified integral coach, she left her career in international philanthropy to create a new leadership development program for nonprofit leaders in East Africa. A native Kenyan herself, her newfound passion was to prove to funders that a nine-month coaching intervention would catalyze stronger grassroots leaders and build more effective teams. And she wanted to partner with me to kick off their programming with the Enneagram to enhance their self-awareness. Having seen the power of the Enneagram with my coaching clients over the past few years, I was thrilled with the opportunity to work with leaders from some of the global south countries I had served as a nonprofit and philanthropic leader. And I was nervous that I would fail. “The Enneagram works effectively across cultures because it looks inside at our core motivations and fears” is what I had been taught. If you do not focus on behaviors but instead on each person’s inner world, the model and the nine types will hold true. But would they? A year and 90 leaders across three countries later, I can confidently say the Enneagram works across cultures. However, it requires the practitioner to stay curious and avoid the temptation to type others based on behavior. It also necessitates some cultural understanding to help translate aspects of the type to the cultural context. For example, the Type 8, often known as The Challenger for their bold assertiveness, comfort with confrontation, and with anger as an emotion, will look very different in a U.S. context versus in Uganda. The level of overt assertiveness in the Ugandan Type 8 will be more muted than their American counterpart, but they will appear the most assertive type within the Ugandan context. It all came together when a fellow consultant introduced me to Erin Meyer’s Culture Map work. The graphic shows the difference between U.S. and Ugandan culture across seven themes. Photo Credit: Erin Meyer If we zoom in on DISAGREEING, we notice that the U.S. has a significantly more confrontational culture than Uganda. As the type most comfortable with confrontation, the Type 8 American (blue) sits much further on the side of overt confrontation than their Ugandan counterpart (yellow). [Note positioning is not exact but rather is an illustrative comparison). Therefore, how they look and sound in the office will be different, but relative to the other types and to their culture they will be the most comfortable with confrontation. Similarly with all other eight Enneagram types, we must spend time understanding the inner world and the culturally appropriate expressions of motivations and strategies to help people find their type. My favorite moment was conducting a debrief with an Enneagram Type 2 (known as The Helper) who did not like the term ‘seduction’ that is often used in describing one of the strategies certain Type 2s use. ‘Seduction’ in this day and age, particularly in U.S. culture or one that is influenced by U.S. media, has a strong sexual connotation. However, in its purest form, it means “to win over; attract; entice.” When I explained this, she lit up and said: “So you mean that if I come into the office every morning one week and say hello to a colleague, knowing that at the end of the week, I am going to need to ask them for help…” BINGO! We had a good laugh. One of the things I most love about the Enneagram is what makes it challenging to facilitate and dangerous for the uneducated to use, but also what makes it a globally powerful tool: it’s not the behaviors you observe that tell you about someone’s type, it’s what’s happening on the inside. It’s the core motivation, fears, and patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting that matter most. Jayson Morris is an executive coach and leadership facilitator working with leaders and rising talent in the corporate, nonprofit and philanthropy space all around the world. He is ICF PCC certified and holds Enneagram Certifications from two world renown Enneagram training institutes – Integrative Enneagram Solutions and Chestnut Paes Enneagram Academy. He also studied with the Enneagram Prison Project and The Narrative Tradition. You can find Jayson at www.linkedin.com/in/jayson-morris/ or at WithInsight Coaching www.withinsight.coach Blog Series: The Enneagram: Connecting Ancient Wisdom to Global Transformation The Enneagram and Neuroscience: Growing New Neural Pathways The Enneagram: Nine Points of View and Core Motivation Creating a Championship Team with the Enneagram The Enneagram in The Global Context
The Enneagram in the Global Context Guest Blog by Jayson Morris, PCC A year ago, one of my former work associates emailed me with a fascinating and daunting proposition. Having just become a certified integral coach, she left her career in international philanthropy to create a new leadership development program for nonprofit leaders in East Africa. A native Kenyan herself, her newfound passion was to prove to funders that a nine-month coaching intervention would catalyze stronger grassroots leaders and build more effective teams. And she wanted to partner with me to kick off their programming with the Enneagram to enhance their self-awareness. Having seen the power of the Enneagram with my coaching clients over the past few years, I was thrilled with the opportunity to work with leaders from some of the global south countries I had served as a nonprofit and philanthropic leader. And I was nervous that I would fail. “The Enneagram works effectively across cultures because it looks inside at our core motivations and fears” is what I had been taught. If you do not focus on behaviors but instead on each person’s inner world, the model and the nine types will hold true. But would they? A year and 90 leaders across three countries later, I can confidently say the Enneagram works across cultures. However, it requires the practitioner to stay curious and avoid the temptation to type others based on behavior. It also necessitates some cultural understanding to help translate aspects of the type to the cultural context. For example, the Type 8, often known as The Challenger for their bold assertiveness, comfort with confrontation, and with anger as an emotion, will look very different in a U.S. context versus in Uganda. The level of overt assertiveness in the Ugandan Type 8 will be more muted than their American counterpart, but they will appear the most assertive type within the Ugandan context. It all came together when a fellow consultant introduced me to Erin Meyer’s Culture Map work. The graphic shows the difference between U.S. and Ugandan culture across seven themes. Photo Credit: Erin Meyer If we zoom in on DISAGREEING, we notice that the U.S. has a significantly more confrontational culture than Uganda. As the type most comfortable with confrontation, the Type 8 American (blue) sits much further on the side of overt confrontation than their Ugandan counterpart (yellow). [Note positioning is not exact but rather is an illustrative comparison). Therefore, how they look and sound in the office will be different, but relative to the other types and to their culture they will be the most comfortable with confrontation. Similarly with all other eight Enneagram types, we must spend time understanding the inner world and the culturally appropriate expressions of motivations and strategies to help people find their type. My favorite moment was conducting a debrief with an Enneagram Type 2 (known as The Helper) who did not like the term ‘seduction’ that is often used in describing one of the strategies certain Type 2s use. ‘Seduction’ in this day and age, particularly in U.S. culture or one that is influenced by U.S. media, has a strong sexual connotation. However, in its purest form, it means “to win over; attract; entice.” When I explained this, she lit up and said: “So you mean that if I come into the office every morning one week and say hello to a colleague, knowing that at the end of the week, I am going to need to ask them for help…” BINGO! We had a good laugh. One of the things I most love about the Enneagram is what makes it challenging to facilitate and dangerous for the uneducated to use, but also what makes it a globally powerful tool: it’s not the behaviors you observe that tell you about someone’s type, it’s what’s happening on the inside. It’s the core motivation, fears, and patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting that matter most. Jayson Morris is an executive coach and leadership facilitator working with leaders and rising talent in the corporate, nonprofit and philanthropy space all around the world. He is ICF PCC certified and holds Enneagram Certifications from two world renown Enneagram training institutes – Integrative Enneagram Solutions and Chestnut Paes Enneagram Academy. He also studied with the Enneagram Prison Project and The Narrative Tradition. You can find Jayson at www.linkedin.com/in/jayson-morris/ or at WithInsight Coaching www.withinsight.coach Blog Series: The Enneagram: Connecting Ancient Wisdom to Global Transformation The Enneagram and Neuroscience: Growing New Neural Pathways The Enneagram: Nine Points of View and Core Motivation Creating a Championship Team with the Enneagram The Enneagram in The Global Context
Discover the Power of the Enneagram: Join Our May Celebration Do you ever feel like you’re operating on autopilot, trapped in patterns and habits that hold you back from being your best self? What if you had a powerful tool to gain deep self-awareness and break free from those limitations? In celebration of World Enneagram Day on May 25, Mary Stelletello, founder of Vista Global and certified Enneagram Coach is excited to partner with Jayson Morris, a certified Enneagram Coach and Founder of WITHINSIGHT Coaching. Together, we will explore the power of the Enneagram to help you learn more about who you are and how you can break free of patterns, to move toward a life that is more purposeful, effective, and fulfilling. The Enneagram is a rich framework for individuals, teams, and organizations, so just one day of celebration is not enough. Therefore, over the month of May 2024, we are offering a variety of opportunities to explore the Enneagram in depth, including blogs, podcasts, and a special Enneagram Personal Discovery Package that includes an individual assessment, live debrief session, and introductory workshop. For those who want to explore further, there will be more workshops offered later this summer. What is the Enneagram? The Enneagram personality-type map offers an expansive journey into the nine core types of individuals and what internally motivates them. Discovering our type can provide realizations of the strengths we take for granted and the challenges that arise from over-utilizing particular strengths and strategies. It can provide insights into why people communicate differently and why they overemphasize thinking, feeling, or action at the expense of the other two types of intelligence. It offers understanding of different views of work/life success, how each type is activated, and the differing ways people react to tension and conflict. This discovery offers opportunities for new ways of engaging with ourselves, our colleagues, and the world at large. We can break free from unconscious ways of doing things and can learn new, more effective alternatives. It creates the possibility that other people’s ways of working are not wrong, just different and perhaps more effective than our own. Exposure to other viewpoints can lead to a newfound curiosity and an openness to tapping into the innate strengths of others for the success of the team. The net result can be new ways of relating to self and others in the workplace, resulting in enhanced effectiveness. Celebrating the Enneagram throughout May To celebrate World Enneagram Day, we have created a line-up of activities to introduce this powerful framework: May 8: Minutes with Mary & Jayson Episode 1: Our Enneagram Journey and an Introduction to the Framework May 15: Minutes with Mary & Jayson Episode 2: The Enneagram and Communication May 21: Minutes with Mary & Jayson Episode 3: The Enneagram and Navigating Conflict May 22 10am PT/1pm ET: 45-minute FREE Discover the Power of the Enneagram webinar This free 45-minute session will provide a deep dive into the Enneagram framework. During the webinar, you will take a free micro test to identify your type and gain insight into all nine types. Learn how the Enneagram can help you move toward a life that is more purposeful, effective, and fulfilling. We are also offering a World Enneagram Day Personal Discovery Package for those who want to take a deep dive in exploring your personal Enneagram type and what it can offer, including: iEQ9 Integrative Enneagram Assessment 45-minute live debrief and coaching session with Mary or Jayson 75-minute Introduction to the Enneagram virtual workshop This package provides the opportunity to discover your Enneagram type along with its associated strengths, challenges, blind spots, and areas for development. Beyond just the assessment and a 20-page report, you will have the opportunity to work with a certified Enneagram coach to confirm your Enneagram type, address questions or aspects of the report that do not resonate, and begin charting your growth path. From there, you will join other Enneagram Explorers for an interactive workshop to deepen your understanding of the framework and learn about all 9 Enneagram Types. During the month of May, we will offer the package for $250, a 50% discount off the regular price! We look forward to seeing you this month! For more information about the Enneagram, check out the Vista Global Blog Series Blog Series The Enneagram: Connecting Ancient Wisdom to Global Transformation The Enneagram: Nine Points of View and Core Motivation The Enneagram and Neuroscience: Growing New Neural Pathways Creating a Championship Team with the Enneagram
Magic Money: Financial Innovation and Impact Investing with WeTheChange Since launching in 2018, Vista Global has been a dedicated member of WeTheChange, a community actively working towards an equitable and just economy for all. The WeTheChange declaration, crafted by women CEOs of Certified B Corporations and other purpose-driven enterprises, fosters collaboration and commitment to our shared values and principles. Signatories of this declaration personally, and on behalf of their companies, pledge to uphold these ideals, reflecting our core values and the B Corporation community’s commitment to the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. WeTheChange hosts monthly member meetings, focusing on topics that align with our mission. Our Spring 2024 offering introduces the Impact Finance Center “Magic Money: Financial Innovation and Impact Investing” learning series. The Impact Finance Center is on a mission to channel $1 trillion into social ventures by leveraging the successful model pioneered in Colorado. It aims to transform interested individuals and organizations into impact investors, while also building community platforms like Impact Days and the Impact Investing Institute, to foster a vibrant ecosystem for financial innovation. In the April 24th meeting, Dr. Stephanie Gripne will interview Colleen LaFontaine, who has extensive experience with The Women’s Foundation of Colorado, to discuss the practical use of impact investing tools for profit maximization. To finish the series on May 29th, Dr. Gripne will conduct a 90-minute session on reenvisioning your business’s financial strategies. Become part of the innovative WeTheChange community as a Collaborator, Changemaker, or Catalyst by visiting WeTheChange Membership, where you’ll gain full access to our insightful monthly meetings. If you’re not ready to commit to membership, you can still attend each meeting by registering for a one-time fee of $25. To register for the April 24 meeting click here. To register for the May 29 meeting click here. Together, let’s forge a path towards a just and equitable economy, empowering women-led businesses and communities that drive meaningful impact.
Collective Restoration and Rejuvenation: The Journey of the Monarch Since 2018, I have been a bit fascinated with the Monarch butterfly. There was a post on our local NextDoor group in Madison, requesting support to transport a monarch butterfly to Texas that had not hatched in time for release into the wild to make the unbelievable journey to the mountains of Michoacan in central Mexico. “Misty the Monarch”, named by the primary school student who had participated in a community science project to raise butterflies to learn about their life cycle and their journey, was in peril. Butterflies should be on their way by October and yet it was the end of November and Misty was finally ready to fly. As readers know, every year we make the drive from Madison to Oaxaca, Mexico for winter, passing through Texas. After a bit of persuasion, my husband agreed we could fit Misty in our car to release him in Texas. The student was delighted that Misty would at least have a chance to reunite with his colony to winter in Mexico as hundreds of generations have done previously. Over the next three days, we took great care to feed and provide water with Q-tips on the outside of Misty’s screened container to keep him nourished, bringing him inside in the evenings. When we arrived in southern Texas, the conditions were perfect for his release. It was sunny, about 55 degrees and there was a good breeze. We were hopeful that he would find his way. As I opened his habitat, he slowly flapped his wings and then shot up into the sky like a rocket. From that day, I wanted to visit the Monarch Biosphere in Michoacan, Mexico. This was the year. On our first day, we arrived in Sierra Chincua in the late afternoon to see the butterflies coming back to their pods as the sun started to set and the air started to cool down. The area had experienced severe weather two weeks earlier with hail and snow that killed an entire colony nearby but this colony managed to survive. My photos don’t convey the awesome natural phenomenon we witnessed. Millions of butterflies clustering together on the branches of the Oyamel fir trees to stay warm during the night. Over the period of 4-5 months, every day as the sun shines upon them, they awaken collectively to swarm to find water and flower nectar. It is a breathtaking experience. Monarchs and Dia de los Muertos The monarch’s arrival in Mexico has a strong cultural significance as it coincided with Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) or All Saints Day, November 2. For the people of Michoacan, it is believed that the Monarchs represent the souls of their ancestors returning to visit them. The indigenous group, Purépecha have tracked the monarchs for centuries. With climate change, the arrival of the monarchs is getting later every year. Our guide said that this year they arrived around November 10. Yet the belief of their connection between the living and the dead remains. The Interdependence of Monarchs and Communities As with all ecotourism, the communities that support and care for the habitats are interdependent with the ecosystem. The tension exists between protection of the habitat and the local economy turning to cultivation of avocados, cutting down the forest to plant avocado trees. As climate change and habitat destruction along the fly way continue (elimination of milkweed plants and nectar-producing flowers), less butterflies are arriving in the overwintering habitat. This year, 2023-24 there is significant alarm regarding the drop in the overwintering population, the lowest in 10 years and the second lowest since the count began in 1993. There are many different ways to contribute to the recovery and rejuvenation of the Monarch population. Whether it is supporting a school project of growing and releasing a “Misty”, planting native habitat along the flyway, contributing financially or advocating for conservation policies. Let’s do our part to make sure future generations have their ancestors returning to visit them.
Emotional Intelligence is the Leadership Game Changer I have been curious about leadership development for decades. In the early 2000’s, I came across the seminal book Emotional Intelligence (EI) by Daniel Goleman which was groundbreaking in defining what makes a leader. Emotional and Social intelligence is the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves and for managing emotions effectively in ourselves and in others. It describes the behaviors that sustain people in challenging roles or as their careers become more demanding, and it captures the qualities that help people deal effectively with change. In Goleman’s earliest work, he conducted research with 188 companies and found that the qualities traditionally associated with leadership- such as intelligence and technical skills – are required for success, yet they are insufficient. The truly effective leaders have high degrees of emotional intelligence, which includes self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. When calculating the ratio of technical skills, IQ and emotional intelligence as ingredients for excellent performance, EI proved to be twice as important as the others for outstanding performance at all levels of organizations. Since 1995, Goleman has advanced his research, refining the framework of EI qualities. These initial five qualities evolved into four domains: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. Self-awareness: Recognizing and understanding your own emotions. All of the other emotional and social intelligence competencies are built upon emotional self-awareness. Self-management: Effectively managing your own emotions. Keeps you open-minded and focused. Helps you channel your energies and contain your frustrations. Social Awareness: Recognizing and understanding the emotions of others. Helps you tune in and stay alert to others’ feelings and perspectives, and enables you to observe – accurately – influencers, decision makers, relationships and networks. Relationship Management: Applying emotional understanding in your dealings with others. Enables you to bring out the best in others. Helps you deliver much more than you possibly can on your own. Within each domain are 12 EI competencies which are learnable capabilities that foster outstanding performance as a leader. Our self-perception or intention may not align with how others perceive our actions. The ability to close the gap between self-perception and reputation lies in the EI competencies. To excel, leaders need to develop the entire suite of EI competencies. Some competencies may be more naturally present than others. All competencies can be learned and measured. An initial step to develop EI competencies is to complete a comprehensive 360-degree assessment which collects your self-rating and the views of others that know you well. The different rater groups should be your manager, the people you lead, peers, customers/clients and others you work closely with. The more raters included, the better perspective you will gain. Receiving results of a 360-degree assessment is the first step to map your journey in developing EI competencies. Coaching is the most effective method for supporting your development as you practice new behaviors and develop new perspectives. I recently became certified in the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI 360) developed by Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis in partnership with Korn Ferry. The assessment measures the 12 different competencies through reviewing 68 specific behaviors. I am excited to have a tool to support the learning I have gained about EI over the last 20 years. I can now support leaders in their journey from knowledge to measurement to development of behaviors. If you are feeling like it is time to “up your game” as a leader, consider the ESCI 360 and coaching support to move to the next level as a leader. Not sure where to start? Let’s connect to explore your options.
Tips for At-Home Mini-Sabbaticals If you have been reading my blog over the past year, you may remember the post “The Fruits of Mini-Sabbaticals” that I wrote in November 2022 to share my approach to the 4 Rs (rest, rejuvenation, reflection, resetting). I was all set to head to Hawaii last month and I had to cancel the trip. Instead of giving up on the idea of a mini-sabbatical, I redesigned the week to capture the same intention at home. There are certain activities that I incorporate in my annual mini-sabbatical and I wanted to maintain as many of those as possible. I thought I would share my approach to demonstrate that it is possible to achieve much of the same outcome without the expense and effort of traveling. REMOVE yourself from your daily work routine. That means set the “out of office” reply, stating that you are on a personal retreat/mini-sabbatical. Keep the computer off unless you are using it for something creative, but definitely no email, and leave your office setting. REST. That means no alarm clock, get up when your body tells you, stay in bed if that feels right, take a nap. REJUVENATE. What brings you energy? Incorporate that into your mini-sabbatical routine. For me that is going to the gym during non-busy hours, hiking, doing yoga, scheduling a spa day/massage, and visiting the local botanical garden conservatory. REFLECTION. Each year, I decide what I want to focus on during this break, whether it is reading a book, designing a new program or deepening my learning of a subject. I also use this time for extended journal writing. RESETTING. I have used the “End of Year Reset Worksheet” process from ThirdSpaceStudio.com to look back on the year and look forward to the next year with intention. I also do the initial year-end financial review and preliminary budgeting and business planning for the next year. Although I wasn’t able to dip my toes in the Pacific Ocean, I came away from my At-Home Mini-Sabbatical feeling refreshed, focused and energized to finish up 2023 with clarity and optimism to move into 2024!
