How to Improve Communication With Riso-Hudson Enneagram

Twice, I have read the book, Discovering Your Personality Type, based on the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator. It is a fascinating book that discusses nine personality types. Based on my understanding of it, I believe it can be used in conceiving, creating, designing and delivering information to an audience.

The more I think about the book, the more I believe that each personality type underlies the way we make sense of life around us (assimilate) and the way we relate our understanding and information to others (communicate)  with others. In this post, I examine three personality types: The Reformer, The Mentor and The Achiever:

But first, what is the enneagram? It is a geometric figure that explains nine basic personalities of human nature and how these interrelate to other others of similar or dissimilar characteristics.

The Reformer:

Reformers are very a principled type. They are perfectionist and are concerned about maintaining order, focus, details and improving procedures. As communicators, they pay close attention to every segment of the system. Ideally, they are role models, however their extra drive can dissuade others or exclude those with moderate personalities.

For reformers to be more effective at communication, they need to recognize that not all members of their audience are as equally driven or committed to the entire system, as they are. Thus, they must cut some slack, else lose part of their flock.

The Mentor:

Mentors are generally a very helpful and supportive interpersonal type. They tend to be generous, people-centered and are sensitive to the needs of others. Their strength is that they see the goodness in others, can be warm, personable  and good at networking. One of their greatest setbacks is their inability to say no to requests and they dislike impersonal rules and work situations.

For mentors to be better communicators, they need to pay attention to using their strength of empathy to connect with more members of the audience. However, they must also learn to reject demands they can not fulfill.

The Achiever:

Achievers are a very ambitious, focused and image-driven type. They know how to work effectively to get the job done. Being image-conscious beings, they project themselves positively to get the best of themselves. The down side is that they can be workaholics and are driven by the need for personal advancement. Given their drive, they are inspiring role models.

For them to be better communicators, they can use their accomplishments as fine examples, however they must remember that they need to project more of their humility, otherwise they will appear arrogant.

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5 Things to Watch in Cross-Cultural Communication

Social Distance

In the course of communicating with people of different cultures, observe their social distance (body space or comfort zone). It is important to realize that in some cultures, it is acceptable to get very up and close, however in other cultures, this kind of encroachment is not welcome. To communicate comfortably, always watch for the social distance so you do not disrupt the process of communicating effectively.

Use of Stories

It is OK to use stories, however, you have to ensure the story you use do not have any negative connotations or undertones that demean one culture against the other. If you choose stories that humanize and humorize common experiences, you will be in the good books of the audience. Select stories that are relatable beyond one culture. Such stories are more desirable because they will ease the conversation rather than nerves.

High/low Context

When you communicate with an audience that comes from a predominantly low-context background, be sure to very specific, give concrete examples, and know that scripting is a big part of where they are coming from. On the other hand, when communicating with an audience of a high context background, generally the expectations are different. Their preference is less task oriented and more relationship-based.

Beware of Eye Contact

In some cultures, direct eye contact with everyone is very important. However in other cultures, looking an elder directly in the eye, is not considered disrespectful. A rule of the thumb is to keep a friendly eye contact that does not appear to be prosecutorial. Also understand that the way you look at a lady in one culture is different from another. Though it may be OK to give a brief adoring look in one culture, in another culture, that can get you into trouble. A fine line.

Pace and Tone

By speaking faster of slower, you can either connect or disconnect with an audience. If you want to connect more, think about the pace of your communication with your audience. For this reason, it is important that you use a pace of speaking (rate ie the number of words per minute) and tone that is socially acceptable to the audience in a particular culture. If you fail to observe this, the audience may consider you arrogant or disrespectful.

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