Managers, Here’s How the Enneagram Can Improve Your Performance Reviews

Performance reviews give managers the opportunity to connect with team members one-to-one. It’s in your best interest to get the most out of these meetings, because you want your employee to leave their review feeling respected and valued, and also motivated to implement any advice that you recommended.

So how can you make performance reviews a constructive experience for all? 

One way is to have everyone take the Enneagram for the Workplace personality test, and then customize your approach based on what you learn about your team members’ motivations and work styles. This will make it easier to connect with them on a human level, colleague-to-colleague rather than boss-to-employee.

What follows is a helpful cribsheet for conducting performance reviews in a personality-friendly way.

Enneagram Type 1: The Perfectionist

Enneagram Ones hold themselves to the highest standards. They are motivated by a desire to be right, and to have integrity, and they have a strong internal sense of right and wrong. Ones will typically appreciate performance reviews, seeing them as essential feedback for helping them improve their working efficiency in the future. But they also strive to be beyond criticism, so they may approach performance reviews with a mix of eagerness to improve and anxiety about even minor mistakes.

For a performance review with a Type One:

• Complement their efficiency and professionalism, not just their results. As perfectionists, Ones will often be less pleased with the outcome of their work than you are, and they may lose respect for your judgment if you’re praising results they see as substandard.
• Let them know you admire their sense of responsibility and are impressed by their work ethic and character. This will make them feel recognized and appreciated.
• Be extremely detailed in your feedback, especially when it involves criticism or recommendations for improvement. Enneagram Ones are detail-oriented by nature, and they will respond positively to advice that is specific and actionable.

Enneagram Type 2: The Giver

Enneagram Twos want to be liked by everyone, including you. They are team-oriented by nature and place a lot of value on building good relationships with, and being supportive of, all of their colleagues. They want to help you do your job properly, and that will generally make them receptive to your advice and requests.

For a performance review with a Type Two:

• Acknowledge how they’ve helped their teammates perform better, and express your gratitude for this. Thank them for making your job easier as well, which will mean a lot to them.
• Explain how any changes you want them to make will help the team as a whole perform better, or allow underappreciated colleagues to shine. This speaks directly to their desire to support others. 
• Ask how they’re feeling, not just how they’re performing. Let them know their feelings matter, and make it clear that if anything is making them feel anxious or uncomfortable, you will address the situation.

Enneagram Type 3: The Achiever

Enneagram Threes are on a mission to be as productive and successful as possible. They’re ambitious and like to have their accomplishments validated, so use this knowledge to set the tone for the review. Many Threes will see their current job as a temporary stop and not a final destination, but they still take great pride in their performance.

For a performance review with a Type Three:

• Express admiration for their achievements and tell them you know they are capable of even more. This will reinforce the image they have of themselves and encourage them to keep working hard (which is as good for you as it is for them).
• Respect their ambition by providing them with ideas on how they can advance in their careers. Frame it in a big-picture way, explaining how their pursuit of promotions will benefit the company as well.
• Make your critiques straightforward and direct, but emphasize how making the changes you suggest will boost their productivity and move them closer to their long-term career goals.

Enneagram Type 4: The Individualist

Enneagram Fours are obsessed with being unique and authentic, and being noticed because of it. They’re highly creative and inventive, and would like you to be as aware of this as they are.  Fours can become discouraged if they feel misunderstood, or if asked to tame their originality in favor of a more traditional approach, so go in with the goal of recognizing their distinctive voice.

For a performance review with a Type Four:

• Provide positive feedback on what you respect about them personally, before moving on to their noteworthy accomplishments.
• Praise them for their most distinctive achievements, rather than for their contributions to the team. They are most proud of their innovations and fresh ideas.
• Offer critiques with a gentle touch, explaining that your suggestions are intended to help them convert their remarkable creative instincts into equally impressive real-world results.

Enneagram Type Five: The Investigator

Enneagram Fives are analytical and independent; they work best when they have maximum autonomy and the freedom to be self-sufficient on the job. Despite being the most introverted Enneagram type– you might have to work hard to get them to share their thoughts– Fives are highly reflective and extraordinary problem-solvers, and will have many interesting things to say once they trust the process.

For a performance review with a Type Five:

• Schedule the review a few days ahead of time, and provide them with an itinerary of what you’d like to discuss.  They will have greater confidence in the process if they can read through everything and plan their response.
• Conduct the review at a deliberate pace, so they have time to reflect on what you’re saying before offering feedback (which will likely be thoughtful and intelligent).
• Limit your feedback suggestions to just a few suggestions, while expressing your confidence in their ability to solve most work-related problems independently and on their own initiative.

Enneagram Type 6: The Skeptic

Enneagram Sixes are highly vigilant and exceptionally good at spotting risks and planning ahead. The Sixes on your team prepare for challenges that others may overlook, and may take pre-emptive action to protect everyone’s interests. They often worry about their long-term job security, and will seek validation that eases these concerns.

For a performance review with a Type Six:

• Let them know they’re considered a valuable asset by you and by others in management, right at the start of the review.
• If offering criticisms of their performance, emphasize that the changes you’d like to see them make will help the company prosper in the years to come. This is a clever way to let them know that you plan to keep them around for a long time.
• Since Enneagram Sixes are vulnerable to stress, encourage them to come and talk to you whenever they’re feeling overwhelmed or insecure. Sixes will appreciate a sincere open-door policy.

Enneagram Type 7: The Enthusiast

Enneagram Sevens are optimistic, imaginative and filled with positive energy, which they like to spread around the workplaces they inhabit. They are adept at big-picture thinking, but may be too eager to start new projects when others have yet to be finished. They don’t like negativity, and will be extremely uncomfortable with pointed criticism.

For a performance review with a Type Seven:

• Kindly suggest they focus on just one or two work projects at a time, to protect them from their tendency to have multiple projects going simultaneously.
• Handle unpleasant topics, like discussions of business downturns or interpersonal conflicts in the office, with extreme care and sensitivity. Don’t avoid them completely if they’re having an impact, but make allowances for the discomfort that a Seven will feel during such conversations.
• Temper all critiques and negative feedback with positive reinforcement, explaining how their performance could be even more impressive if they just make a few adjustments.

Enneagram Type 8: The Challenger

Enneagram Eights aren’t shy about sharing their opinions. These confident, assertive types are  often brutally honest, which can lead to intense encounters with colleagues. You should go into your review prepared for direct questions and expecting pushback.

For a performance review with a Type Eight:

• Treat the review as a conversation between two peers who are openly exchanging opinions and ideas, united by a common desire to see the company soar and the employee blossom.
• Show a great deal of respect for the Eight’s talents, contributions and insights.
• Give specific criticism that includes detailed information about what is going wrong and what you are certain needs to change. It’s important to have solid facts to back up your critiques, otherwise the Eight may ignore your advice.

Enneagram Type 9: The Peacemaker

Enneagram Nines work most comfortably in harmonious and cooperative environments, and may neglect their own needs to avoid conflict. Their commitment to keeping the peace is virtually unbreakable, which can make the prospect of a performance review feel tense, exposing and something they would rather avoid altogether.

For a performance review with a Type Nine:

• Structure the review as a calm and relaxed discussion, focused on the Nine’s personal growth and development. They will be pleased to know you care about that topic.
• Seek their input about what can be done to promote more harmony and cohesion in the workplace. This is their specialty, and they will be eager to help you solve any issues that might have come up.
• Ask them to give their opinions on any critiques you offer, and react positively and engage them in conversation when they do. Nines are unlikely to provide meaningful feedback unless they know it will truly be appreciated.