Enneagram Triads: The Energies
I was talking with someone about my book recently who asked, “What are the Enneagram Triads, actually?” Which inspired this 4-part series about them. Each article will describe what that group of Enneagram Triads are and how I use them as a map for clarity, compassion, and collaboration.
So, without further ado, here is part 2: The Energy Triads.
What are the Enneagram Energy Triads*?
Said simply, they are groups of Enneagram Types that have in common ways we move and get needs met in the world.
(* These Energy Triads are described differently by various Enneagram teachers. Teachers like Riso and Hudson connect to the work of psychoanalyst Karen Horney and use the term “Hornovenian Groups.” Other teachers, such as Suzanne Stabile, use "Social Stances." With the language of energies, I am rooting in the work of Dr David Daniels and William M. Schafer, PhD.)
Types 8, 3, and 7 are in the Active Energy Triad.
The Types in this Triad ask, “How can I make things happen here?” They take charge when they walk into a room, calling for results and forward progress. Independent and confident, these Types reach out to make change and push past barriers. A time-orientation towards the future means they are planning, moving, and paving the way forward.
Types 9, 4, and 5 are in the Receptive Energy Triad.
The Types in this Triad ask, “What is there to process and feel here?” They are reserved when they walk into a room, carrying an open presence and flexible action. Receiving and integrating, these Types provide understanding for themselves and others. A time-orientation towards the past means they are analyzing, ruminating on, or idealizing what has already happened.
Types 1, 2, and 6 are in the Balancing Energy Triad.
The Types in this Triad ask, “What is needed or missing here?” They make adjustments when they walk into a room, meeting the expectations they perceive. Responsible and good, these Types advocate for needs and help those around them. A time-orientation towards the present means they are correcting, fulfilling, and troubleshooting what they see.
How can we use the Enneagram Energy Triads as a map for clarity, compassion, and collaboration?
In my work as an executive coach, I take the role of a guide. Enneagram is a fabulous map of human motivation and behavior. But in order for a map to be helpful, we have to know how to read it and use it. So how do we use Energy Triads as a map to break out of the box that has been holding us back?
Clarity
Any of us can go through cycles and circumstances where one of these energies comes out more than the others, but our primary triad tells us something about our home-base. When we know our dominant Energy Triad, we can have clarity about when we are being stretched and how we might need to recharge. I am in the Receptive Energy Triad, which means that though I love leading groups, and do so a lot for my work, I need to spend time by myself after I do it. Otherwise, I get overwhelmed by all the information and feelings I’ve taken in from being in a group. But for someone in the Active Triad, if they go too long without achieving a goal or doing something with forward energy because of the ways they’ve been helping others, they might need to recharge through exertion or accomplishment. (It may also be the opposite- fear may lead to us avoiding an energy other than our dominant triad, when it might be the very balancing force we need.) The map of the Energy Triads can help us pause and ask, “Where am I being drained, and how can I recharge?”
Compassion
In both personal and professional relationships, these triads can help us pause before reacting to someone. When we know our dominant Energy Triad, we can have compassion with those who are moving and getting their needs met through a different Triad. Because the Balancing Triad is trying to meet expectations, they can express a kind of rigidity to rules or processes. Because the Receptive Triad is trying to take in so much, they can come off as aloof or distant as they get overwhelmed. Because the Active Triad is trying to move forward and past obstacles, they can feel too domineering or fast paced to those who want to move at a different speed. The map of the Energy Triads can help us pause and ask, “How am I reacting to someone’s energy without recognizing the differences in how we get our needs met?”
Collaboration
We tend to work with others using our dominant Energy Triad, and react with frustration when they don’t meet those needs or expectations. When we know our dominant Energy Triad, we can consciously make space for different ways of working, and get out of unproductive loops. I was once working with a team that was split between Active and receptive Energy Triad Types. When I moved them to opposite sides of the room, there was a collective “ohhhh” as they felt the energy differences. They had gotten in a loop- the Active Types were pressing the Receptive Types to respond more and faster. But the more the Active Types pressed, the more overwhelmed the Receptive Types became, and the less likely they were to respond. Which means the action of the Assertive Types was causing the exact opposite reaction to what they wanted. The key to collaborating more effectively was to understand and make room for their differences, and to find a system that could hold them accountable to response times and processes. (In essence, bringing the missing energy of the Balancing Triad through setting clearer expectations.) The map of the Energy Triads can help us pause and ask, “How can we make room for the differences in how we move in the world?”
Where do we go from here?
Maybe you are reading this article and thinking, “This sounds great, but I don’t know my Enneagram Type or my Intelligence Center.” Or maybe you took a test for your Type once but haven’t known where to go from there. Or maybe you just need something more to get your Enneagram journey kickstarted. If this is you, sign up for my Break Out of the Box Enneagram Course. At just $59, this self-guided course with unlimited access to 19 videos, a robust course workbook, curated podcast playlists, and more, is a tremendous value.
If you are reading this article and thinking, “What are those images behind this symbols?” Or “Where can I get more information about Triads"?” then you should get my book, Out of the Box & Into the Wild: An Enneagram Journey through the Triads of Nature.
And of course, I will always have a bias towards coaching as a next step. Sign up for a consultation call and let’s talk about your right next step.
