Type 9
The Harmonizing Peacemaker
NINEs are the great harmonizers of any team. They naturally sense other people’s agendas and are motivated by a desire to avoid conflict. Nines are gifted at seeing the value in different perspectives. They tend to be known for their easygoing energy, and grounded presence. When 9s overdo their striving to feel peaceful they can avoid necessary conflict and struggle to make decisions. This difficulty stems from seeing the value and the cost of each of the ways the problem might be approached as well as the preferences and disruptions of all others the impact on relational harmony.
Key Strengths: Adaptable, warm, kind, calming, understanding, positive, humble
Nines Communication Style: calm, slow, non-intrusive, optimistic, agreeable, harmonizing
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Nines Like Others To Communicate: consistency, allowing time and space to consider the topic, patient, with neutral energy (not too excited or too negative), when others circle back to the 9 asking for additional thought a few days after the conversation.
How They Engage The World: Using their ability to sense others’ agendas, 9s merge and adapt to create harmony and avoid conflict. They avoid taking up too much space by going inward and avoiding anything that would make them appear vain or conceited. Nines tamp down the anger that comes with always going along with others and tend to fall asleep to their own priorities. They withdraw to get a reprieve from the constant input they are always sensing about what everyone else wants.
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Blind Spot: Stubbornness. Nines tend to hunker down rather than engage in conflict. When they are told what to do, nines tap into the anger they have stored up from all of the concessions they have already made and use that energy to ground down into stubborn immovability. Nines are angry at us for letting their presence not matter more and can become unreachable even when they are sitting right next to you.
Other Common Snares: Passive aggressive (smiling and nodding while knowing they are not in agreement), not sharing their own opinion or wisdom, self-depreciation, in-action
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Assumption: 9s assume that everyone has the ability to sense others’ agendas and adjust the way 9s do. 9s end up feeling like their presence must not matter enough for others to adjust to them.
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How Others Experience Them: easy-going, friendly, enjoyable, hard to know, stubborn, occasionally can get really angry.
They Respect CoWorkers Who: are fair, thoughtful, humble, able to slow down, and who remember things the 9 has shared.
What They Like At Work: they like predictability/routine expectations, to have space to work independently, they want to be seen and appreciated but not fussed over.
What Irritates Them: injustice, conceit, being told what to do, being put on the spot to make a decision or share ideas they haven’t had time to consider, people taking advantage of the 9s easygoing nature.
Self-Assigned Role On The Team: “I understand all of the perspectives around the table and could offer valuable insights if enough space was made for me to share.”
Want to learn more? Check out these resources on the type:
Enneagram Institute: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-9/
CP Enneagram: https://cpenneagram.com/enneagram-type-nine
Still not sure?
If you have read through the types you were given in your typing session and are still not settled, please send me an email and I can offer some follow up questions and resources. jeannie@yourtruestyou.com