Self-awareness is the essential first step, which is why I kick off every program with individual profiling. A good profiling tool makes it easy to understand each team member's preferred working styles and how they mesh (or clash) with others. It's like shedding light on the team's inner workings, revealing the unique puzzle pieces that, when explored openly, fit snugly together to drive collaboration and performance, built on trust.

You might think with all this insight, my own team would be firing on all cylinders, all the time, right? Well, not quite. We're a work in progress, just like every other team.

Late last year, tensions that had been bubbling away, surfaced as strong emotions (particularly mine). As a fully distributed team of incredible women, each with our own quirks and working styles, we'd veered off track and needed to course correct. Here's how we tackled it.

Self-awareness through the Enneagram 

First up, we went deeper with individual and team profiling using the Enneagram. This typing tool capture 9 core styles, 3 sub-types – and so much more. Profound insights to better understand our worldview and core motivations are revealed, explaining our personality, thinking patterns and actions. Self-development, conflict resolution and stronger relationships are possible when we can better understand ourselves and each other.

My type is a 7; "The Enthusiast". It's all about positivity, spontaneity, and the relentless pursuit of freedom, happiness and experiences. Yep that’s me!

On the flip side, 7s can be impulsive, impatient, and have unrealistic expectations of others, all driven by a fear of confinement or pain. Plus I have a strong Active Controller (8) tendency, which makes me, well, controlling. Yes I can definitely see that too. And so could my team, who can experience me as relentlessly bulldozing exciting (but half-formed) ideas through and dismissing dissenting views, particularly when under pressure.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg that we discovered. Confronting stuff but so important to own, and do something about.

Navigating the conversation with an expert coach

Next, we brought in an external coach to explore how our individual types play out in our work dynamics. Despite having facilitated dozens of game-changing team conversations in recent years, I knew leading this session with my own team had its limitations. And I wanted to fully engage as a participant. After all, I'm as much a part of the team as I am its leader, and the candid and constructive dialogue we shared that day has significantly improved how we work together.

Bringing it together with better tools and practices

To solidify our progress, we turned to practical solutions. The strong 7 energy across the group meant we all needed to get better at planning. We once again called in the experts, working with a productivity specialist who helped us embrace productivity tech tools and streamline our workflows, making it easier to take responsibility. The team is humming along now and we’re more cohesive and productive than ever.

Interestingly, I usually find this kind of productivity work a little boring, leading me to disengage (hello type 7!). However, this time I leaned into my Enneagram report and found ways to stay focused by eliminating distractions and recognising that efficiency will free up more time to do the work I love. Now I was motivated to learn! It was also fascinating to see how engaging and energising this work was for other types within the team, highlighting the beauty of understanding each other's perspectives and strengths.

Through these intentional interventions, we've emerged stronger, more united, and free from those simmering tensions. How about your team? Ready to unleash all that untapped energy? It might be time to bring in the experts.