A Mangled Angle on Personality

Q: What happens when pop psychology, ancient "wisdom," and geometry
meet?

A: You get the Enneagram, a figure that purports to explain human
personality. It places each of us in one of nine personality types, from
the sensitive Individualist (type 4) to the challenging Leader (type
8).

Q: A bit like astrology, eh?

A: There's no stargazing here. Proponents say that understanding
your type is a valuable way for managers to maximize their potential.
Maybe that's why a Stanford Business School course on leadership
concentrates on Enneagrams.

Q: Sounds like this Enneagram could be a handy corporate
tool.

A: Not so fast: Since the Enneagram was resurrected from the
ancients 25 years ago, there have been only two published studies on
it.

Q: So the whole thing is bogus?

A: It's too soon to tell. One study classified subjects into types
and found that those classifications held years later. But that's no
surprise: The broader aspects of personality are largely stable during
adulthood, says Northwestern University's Dan McAdams, Ph.D., author of a
leading personality text. The big question is whether Enneagrams reflect
psychological reality -- and the evidence is not compelling. "There's a
reason personality psychologists haven't embraced this:' says McAdams.
"It just doesn't have any scientific basis."

Q: But surely personality types exist -- we all describe others as
loners, prima donnas, and so on.

A: Psychologists have long tried to categorize personality. The
most scientific model, the Big Five, focuses on traits like extroversion
and conscientiousness. But it makes no attempt to stuff us into neatly
labeled jars; instead, it recognizes that each aspect of personality
exists in a spectrum encompassing a thousand shades of gray. The
Enneagram model remains pure speculation.

Q: So why have so many businesses latched on to it?

A: Companies have always embraced psychological fads in their
perpetual battle to motivate workers.

Q: You sound pretty doubtful about the whole thing.

A: Hey, I'm a type 5 (the Thinker). Skepticism is our middle
name.