Reading Time: 12 minutes

Most people think of the Enneagram as a self-discovery tool—something you explore in a book, take a test for, and maybe discuss over coffee with a friend. But in the workplace, personality insights mean nothing if they don’t help people work better together.

Leaders often invest in personality assessments, hoping they’ll lead to stronger teams, better communication, and more engaged employees. But too often, these insights get buried in a PDF report and never see the light of day.

That’s the real challenge: knowing your type is a great start, but to actually improve collaboration and leadership, teams need a way to take Enneagram insights off the page and apply them in daily interactions.

Ways To Use The Enneagram In The Workplace

Unlike other personality tools, the Enneagram doesn’t just tell you how people behave—it uncovers why they do it. This makes it especially powerful for:

  • Teamwork → Understanding what motivates colleagues and how they respond under stress.
  • Communication → Learning how to tailor feedback and collaboration styles.
  • Leadership → Helping managers lead with awareness, adapting to different work styles.

But knowing someone’s type doesn’t magically fix team dynamics. That’s where most teams get stuck—they have the knowledge but no clear way to act on it.

Unlike other personality tools, the Enneagram doesn’t just tell you how people behave—it uncovers why they do it. This makes it especially powerful for:

  • Teamwork → Understanding what motivates colleagues and how they respond under stress.
  • Communication → Learning how to tailor feedback and collaboration styles.
  • Leadership → Helping managers lead with awareness, adapting to different work styles.

But knowing someone’s type doesn’t magically fix team dynamics. That’s where most teams get stuck—they have the knowledge but no clear way to act on it.

The Enneagram Guide to Healthy Teams in the Workplace Ebook Mockup

The Enneagram Guide To Healthy Teams

See How High-Performing Teams Use the Enneagram to Strengthen Collaboration

The Enneagram reveals more than what you see on the surface level. Although you may think you know and understand someone by the personality traits and patterns they display, without knowing their internal motivations, you can’t truly support or lead them as a teammate or leader.

When you discuss Enneagram types at work, you open up the possibility for empathy, compassion, and understanding. A team that works well together performs better, communicates better, and enjoys more purpose-filled work.

However, starting this conversation may be more challenging than it seems. Many people struggle to open up and be vulnerable in professional settings.

While you can’t force anyone to participate, the long-term reward of a cohesive team far outweighs the short-term inconvenience of being vulnerable.

How To Help Teammates Use The Enneagram To Work Together More Effectively

The Enneagram is most powerful when it moves beyond a framework for understanding and becomes a tool for how teams actually operate.

The Enneagram is a fun personality discussion, but it’s also a powerful tool for anticipating what each person needs to thrive at work. When teams actively use Enneagram insights in meetings, decision-making, and feedback conversations, they don’t just understand each other better—they collaborate with more empathy, communicate with more clarity, and work together more effectively.

Imagine if:

  • A Type 3 manager knew their Type 9 team member needed more time to process decisions instead of rushing to move forward.
  • A Type 6 employee could recognize their tendency to second-guess and build trust in their instincts.
  • A Type 2 leader learned to set boundaries so they didn’t burn out trying to support everyone else.

When teams use the Enneagram actively—not just as a label, but as a tool to navigate real work situations—it strengthens relationships, improves productivity, and reduces friction.

How To Bring Your Enneagram Reports To Life

Most personality assessment platforms provide insightful reports but leave you on your own to figure out what to do with them. Technology can help you bridge the gap by bringing Enneagram insights directly into the workday.

  • Personalized coaching nudges help team members understand and adjust to each other’s styles—right when they need it.
  • Workplace integrations allow insights to show up inside workplace tools like Slack, Outlook, and Microsoft Teams, so they’re easy to apply in real conversations.
  • Practical application turns the Enneagram from an abstract concept into a tool for making better decisions, communicating more effectively, and leading with confidence.

The Enneagram isn’t just something to learn—it’s something to use. And when teams are able to apply it intentionally, it becomes a powerful tool for stronger collaboration, better leadership, and a workplace where everyone feels understood.

☘️  Discover How Cloverleaf Transforms Enneagram Reports Into Actionable Development For Each Type

4 Reasons To Use The Enneagram With Your Team

By openly discussing and comparing Enneagram types, you can better understand yourself and others and gain insight into motivations and behaviors. You’ll see an overall improvement in conflict resolution, teamwork, and morale.

1. You Spend A Significant Amount Of Time Together

You likely find that you spend more time with your work team than any other group in your life. The relationships you build with these people can benefit you both short and long-term.

2. Healthy Work Relationships Reduce Stress

A positive working relationship with your team dramatically reduces the stress and mental energy you exert during a typical workday.

As a result, you spend less time thinking about how to avoid conflict and more time focused on decision-making, which will help your team become efficient.

3. Psychological Safety Leads To Better Performance

When you know team members deeper, collective self-doubt goes out the window, and members become more confident when everyone gets to show up at work as their authentic selves.

4. Feeling Connected As A Team Strengthens Collaboration In The Workplace

Having a personal connection with your teammates is essential because you will feel supported. It’s common for people to feel the need to be self-sufficient in the workplace, but true harmony lies with a team that understands interdependency.

Enneagram Types At Work: Recognizing One Another’s Communication Style, Habits, and Strengths

Your work habits and communication strategies depend primarily on fear and internal motivations. When you identify these in yourself and others, you will have better self-awareness and a heightened appreciation for teamwork.

Below are the nine Enneagram types, their communication, and how each personality can “show up” at work.

Select The Enneagram Type You Want To Learn About:

Enneagram Ones at Work

Enneagram Type Ones are referred to as The Reformer. This personality type values hard work, self-control, and setting high standards. They find motivation by being or doing things “right” and fear being imperfect or perceived as wrong.

They’re detail-oriented and typically the person you go to when dealing with difficult situations that require accuracy, quality control, and improvement.

Communication Style

Polite, thoughtful, detailed, and well-formulated. Ones should be mindful that they can become demanding because they have high expectations. Encouraging a One to share their perspective openly can help the team mitigate potential risks.

Under Stress: Move to Four

  • Stress impacts Ones with a sense of hopelessness, and they become their own worst critics.

When Secure: Move to Seven

  • When Ones feel secure, they lighten up and are more spontaneous.

Type Ones are people of practical action who are always concerned with doing the right thing. One’s are efficient, organized, and dependable to complete the task. 

They do things in a professional, honest and ethical manner. Ones have a knack for creating structures that allow others to thrive.

Enneagram Twos at Work

Enneagram Twos at Work

Enneagram Type Twos are known as The Helper. They are positive, people-oriented individuals invested in the feelings and needs of others. Twos are motivated by being needed and fear feeling rejected by others. 

Communication Style

Relational, caring, demonstrative, and supportive. The perceived health of their relationships influences how they communicate with others. They prioritize expressing care and are grateful when others do the same; a thank you can go a long way.

Under Stress: Move to Eight

  • Stress causes Twos to become aggressive (especially when they don’t feel

appreciated), resulting in attempting to blame or control others.

When Secure: Move to Four

  • When Twos feel secure, they are more transparent and exhibit creative potential. They can feel and express their full range of emotions responsibly.

This type demonstrates caring and thoughtful behavior and makes it a point to be there whenever you need them. Twos are terrific in roles that require strong people skills, anticipating the needs of others, and social interaction.

A Type Two’s strength can also surface as a weakness. Twos may lack boundaries, losing sight of their ideas, needs, and priorities with lower self-awareness.

They are consummate team players, always opting for self-sacrifice over self-promotion and happy to take on extra work when others are overloaded or in a jam. 

Twos are attentive, appreciative, generous, warm, playful, and nurturing. They usually have a large circle of acquaintances and fiercely guard relationships.

Enneagram Threes at Work

Enneagram Type Threes are referred to as The Achiever. These individuals tend to be ambitious, highly productive, and appear as the symbol of success in the workplace.

Threes value appreciation and recognition. Hard work, goal-oriented, organization, and decisiveness are trademarks of this type. They are motivated by admiration and are fearful of lacking value to others.

Communication Style

Straightforward, efficient, focused, and confident. They prepare for meetings to ensure they are clear and goal-focused. It is important to them for others to reciprocate respect and value while communicating. 

Under Stress: Move to Nine

  • Stress can cause Threes to lose focus and be preoccupied with busy work.

When Secure: Move to Six

  • When Threes feel secure, they are more committed and loyal. They find it easier to identify their emotions and connect with others.

In pursuit of success, Enneagram Threes may railroad others in the workplace, become workaholics, and struggle with accountability.

Threes are energized by being productive, achieving success, and avoiding failure. They can be playful, giving, responsible, and well-regarded by others in the community.

Threes can complete work efficiently and competently to ensure they reach personal goals. A Three has a keen ability to size up tasks and understand the dynamics of work groups. They can also inspire and motivate other people to excel. 

Enneagram Fours at Work

Enneagram Type Fours are creative, unconventional individuals within a team known as The Originalist. Fours are motivated to express their individuality and demonstrate fear when perceived as ordinary. They value authenticity and stand by their beliefs.

Communication Style

Intense, authentic, creative, and empathetic. Fours have a strong desire to be understood and want to know how those around them feel.

Enneagram Fours value relationships and connections with other people. They seek to experience authentic feelings and to be understood. This type avoids the ordinary and searches for deeper meaning in their work.

Under Stress: Move to Two

  • When experiencing stress, Fours can become overly dependent upon others and seek assurance.

When Secure: Move to One

  • When Fours feel secure, they act on their ideals, practice organization, and use self-control.

Fours can also be empathetic in relationships, supportive, gentle, playful, passionate, and witty. They are self-revealing and can form bonds quickly with others.

Type Fours have an innate talent for identifying and expressing a sense of harmony within their surroundings. They have a gift for helping others to see beauty in their work and are great teammates to help identify unexpected solutions to problems that others may overlook.

Enneagram Fives at Work

Enneagram Type Fives are known as The Sage. They are thoughtful, cerebral types who see and interpret the world through information. Fives are motivated by a desire to be competent. They strive to be capable in all aspects and fear looking uninformed.

Fives are independent thinkers and typically enjoy working alone to process and have time to problem-solve. They are good listeners, observant, and help others understand the truth more soberly and objectively.

Communication Style

Brief, professional, objective, and reserved. Fives rely on research, insight, and knowledge before communicating and, therefore, may need time to share the next steps or ideas. This type appreciates the patience and willingness to listen to new perspectives while conversing.

Under Stress: Move to Seven

  • Stress can cause Fives to be easily distracted and disorganized. It can also cause them to detach themselves from the team.

When Secure: Move to Eight

  • When Fives feel secure, they will exude more energy and action, take the initiative, and be decisive.

Fives are kind, perceptive, open-minded, self-sufficient, and trustworthy to teammates. They have strong analytical skills and are good at problem-solving. Fives can be very helpful when teams need objectivity, clarification, or exploration of new ideas.

Enneagram Fives are naturally open and receptive to new facts and impressions, discovering new ideas, research, and innovations – particularly those that are provocative, surprising, unconventional, and profound. 

Enneagram Sixes at Work

Enneagram Type Sixes are referred to as The Loyalist. They value preparedness and are dependable individuals you can trust with important decisions. This type is most motivated by stability and fears lacking direction.

Sixes possess excellent problem-solving skills and thrive on helping to create solutions. They are adept at identifying potential problems and researching viable solutions.

Communication Style

Inquisitive, witty, logical, and ironic. Sixes prefer to focus on the task at hand and typically are relational in their approach. They appreciate when others value their input and interpret their concern as a desire for the project’s success.

Under Stress: Move to Three

  • Stress can cause Sixes to discredit their feelings or drive them toward workaholic tendencies.

When Secure: Move to Nine

  • When Sixes feel secure, they can reframe unnerving thoughts, accept others, and lower their suspicions.

Sixes are warm, playful, open, loyal, supportive, honest, fair, and reliable. They are cooperative individuals willing to do what it takes to support the team.

Sixes value experience and data when considering new solutions or next steps. When deciding, a Six will often look to a book, leader, or institution for reliable answers.

Enneagram Sevens at Work

Enneagram Type Sevens are known as The Enthusiast. They are spontaneous, imaginative, charming people who bring fun to the workplace. They’re motivated to be happy and are fearful of experiencing limitations.

Sevens have a positive outlook on life, and their enthusiasm proves a valuable asset to their team. They see opportunities others may miss but can be impulsive and fail to see projects through. 

Communication Style

Fast-paced, energetic, visionary, and confident. Sevens like to keep conversations upbeat. When communicating with them, look for areas of agreement and opportunities that foster synergy.

Under Stress: Move to One

  • Stress can lead Sevens towards criticism, fault-finding, and narrow-mindedness.

When Secure: Move to Five

  • When Sevens feel secure, they accept the good and the bad. They can slow their pace and focus.

Sevens are lighthearted, generous, outgoing, and caring. They enjoy sharing new experiences with friends and teammates. This type typically radiates joy and optimism, expresses childlike astonishment, and experiences life as a gift.

Enneagram Eights at Work

Enneagram Type Eights are referred to as The Challenger. These individuals stand up for what they believe in and care about justice. Eights find motivation in remaining in control and fears appearing weak or vulnerable.

Eights often emerge as natural leaders because they are action-takers and can sometimes overstep boundaries to move work forward; however, this can cause relational strain with teammates.

Communication Style

Authoritative, direct, bold, and strategic. Eights communicate in a straightforward, passionate manner. They are comfortable with debate and rarely avoid conflict. To connect with an Eight, share honestly and openly, without hesitation.

Under Stress: Move to Five

  • Stress causes Eights to withdraw and become rigid. They will lose touch with their emotions and ignore signs that it is time to take a break.

When Secure: Move to Two

  • When Eights feel secure, they become relatable to others, exhibiting warmth and compassion.

Type Eights are self-reliant, strong, and independent. They can also be loyal, caring, cheerful, and generous. Eights will take the initiative and prefer to be in charge to exercise the freedom to choose what they believe is the right course of action.

Eights can also give others a sense of strength through their positive support. They instinctively know when something is “off” within the environment and do not hesitate when sharing their opinion. 

This type often is a source of strength for others, likes to protect the weak, and develops a tremendous sense of responsibility.

Enneagram Nines at Work

Enneagram Type Nines are known as the Peacemaker. They are mediators of the group and thrive when helping differing parties resolve conflict. Their motivation stems from a desire for peace of mind and fears of experiencing overwhelming strife.

Nines can handle difficult conversations and remain level-headed. They are commonly the person people go to when they need a resolution or a second opinion concerning a pressing issue.

Their feelings do not drive them; they have keen instincts that help them gather wisdom to share. Nines are not confrontational but can navigate conflict to ensure both sides feel understood.

Communication Style

Affirming, supportive, easygoing, and diplomatic. Nines are open to others and value their opinions. They enjoy meaningful conversation and appreciate when others reciprocate the same.

Nines can become passive and indecisive when they do not feel understood; therefore, inviting their input is a great way to ensure you receive their counsel.

Under Stress: Move to Six

  • Stress impacts Nines with a sense of anxiety and indecisiveness. They can begin to overcommit and doubt their abilities.

When Secure: Move to Three

  • When Nines feel secure, they tend to be more practical, productive, focused, and confident.

Nines want to keep the peace, connect with others, and avoid conflict. Typically, Nines are kind, gentle, reassuring, supportive, loyal, and nonjudgmental. This type can exhibit various characteristics, from gentle and mild-mannered to independent and forceful.

They have excellent listening skills, are objective, and excel at unbiased mediation with the ability to see and appreciate the positive aspects of both sides.

Which Enneagram Types Work Best Together?

Each Enneagram type has the potential to work well with others. Of the nine styles, no two are more compatible than the other. Instead, each individual must choose to be understanding and compassionate to the needs of the other.

Different situations or circumstances arise with different characteristics in each personality type. You can work well with anyone by acknowledging what the other person is motivated by and leveraging those strengths.

Using the Enneagram at work should help you become a better team and understand one another better. Identifying the nine types at work can help teams improve collaboration and teamwork rather than segregating or partnering up with people you find more suitable to your own type.

FAQs

How does Cloverleaf help teams apply the Enneagram daily?

Most platforms give you a personality report and leave you to figure out what to do next. Cloverleaf integrates Enneagram insights directly into workplace tools like Email, Slack, Outlook, and Microsoft Teams—offering just in time coaching nudges that help teams communicate, collaborate, and lead more effectively.

What makes Cloverleaf different from other Enneagram tools?

Many platforms provide personality reports, but insights don’t drive change unless they’re reinforced over time. Cloverleaf makes sure Enneagram insights stay relevant by delivering just-in-time coaching—helping employees adjust their communication, understand team dynamics, and navigate challenges in the moment.

Can Cloverleaf help managers use the Enneagram for leadership development?

Yes! Managers don’t always have time to translate Enneagram results into action. Cloverleaf does that work for them by delivering coaching insights that help them understand their team’s strengths, motivators, and blind spots—without adding extra work to their plate.

How does Cloverleaf make sure the Enneagram isn’t just a one-time conversation?

Instead of static reports that get forgotten, Cloverleaf reinforces Enneagram insights over time through automated coaching nudges. These reminders help employees apply what they’ve learned when it matters—before meetings, in feedback conversations, and during collaboration.
 

Who benefits most from using Cloverleaf for Enneagram coaching?

Cloverleaf is ideal for organizations that want to use the Enneagram beyond a reports and/or workshops and make it a daily tool for improving teamwork and leadership. It’s especially valuable for:

✔ HR & L&D teams looking for a scalable, integrated solution.
✔ Managers & team leaders who want to develop stronger, more self-aware teams.
✔ Organizations prioritizing ongoing learning instead of one-and-done training.

What kind of results do teams see with Cloverleaf?

Organizations using Cloverleaf see higher engagement, stronger collaboration, and better leadership because Enneagram insights become part of how teams work—not just something they learn once. By making personality insights accessible and actionable, Cloverleaf helps teams communicate more effectively, reduce conflict, and play to each other’s strengths every day.

Bring the Enneagram to Life in Your Workplace

☘️ Cloverleaf’s Enneagram assessment doesn’t stop at a report—it helps you use it every day. With personalized coaching nudges, real-time insights, and team-wide visibility, you can apply Enneagram knowledge exactly when it matters.

✅ Take the Free Enneagram Assessment to discover your type and see how Cloverleaf delivers real-time coaching to help you grow.

✅ Get Enneagram insights directly in Slack, Outlook, and Teams so your whole team can work together more effectively.

✅ See how the Enneagram helps teams thrive—from leadership development to better communication and conflict resolution.

🎯 Ready to put the Enneagram to work? 

Take the Free Enneagram Assessment & Get Personalized Insights Today →

Talent Assessment Strategy Report LINK
Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Enneagram is a tool for building stronger, more connected teams. By understanding each person’s core motivations, communication styles, and stress responses, teams can improve collaboration, resolve conflicts more effectively, and create a culture where everyone thrives.

But simply knowing your type isn’t enough. The key is applying these insights in ways that strengthen daily interactions and team dynamics.

In this article, you’ll find four Enneagram team building activities designed to help your team:

✅ Understand each other’s work styles for better collaboration.
✅ Navigate conflict with more awareness and empathy.
✅ Run more productive meetings by leveraging different strengths.
✅ Empower each person to contribute in a way that aligns with their strengths and motivations.

Creating space for these conversations might feel uncomfortable at first—but the long-term benefits of a more cohesive, engaged team make it well worth the effort.

1. Use A Messaging Channel To Share What The Team Is Learning

Start a slack channel or other messaging thread for teammates to share and appreciate what they are learning about themself and others. Affirming and recognizing new insights is a powerful way to celebrate and reinforce a healthy team culture.

Find ways for your team to communicate how they are growing and what they value in one another. Using the Enneagram as a springboard is an easy way to begin nurturing this type of conversation.

2. Create A Type Map That Indicates Each Team Member's Number Within The Enneagram Symbol

enneagram activities

Recognizing the makeup of your team can illuminate areas of strengths and weaknesses. Doing so will help you identify where other personality types may be able to contribute and provide additional insight or a fresh perspective.

This activity can also help you understand why you or a team member may react in certain ways. Having this information as a reference point will allow everyone to anticipate responses, support each other, and leverage strengths better.

Discover Cloverleaf’s Automated Coaching™ platform that utilizes powerful assessments like the Enneagram, DISC, 16 Types, and others to make assessment results actionable in the context of working relationships and teams.

☘️  See How Cloverleaf Transforms Enneagram Reports Into Actionable Development For Each Type

3. Facilitate Small Group Discussions Using Questions That Highlight Strengths

Designate a meeting for team members to share what they are learning about themselves and each other using conversation starters. Below is a list to help get you started:

  1. When you make decisions, describe how you incorporate your organization’s mission into your process.

  2. Share specific examples of how you’ve noticed others infuse empathy into your team communications.

  3. What is a positive example of how the Enneagram helped you collaborate with a teammate?

  4. Describe what you believe helps you do your best work.

  5. What are the unique contributions you notice others make to the team?

  6. Think about what motivates you and share how that affects your work habits.

  7. In what ways are you learning that self-awareness improves teamwork?

4. Use Technology To Turn Your Enneagram Reports Into Daily Coaching

Most assessment platforms stop at the results—but real growth happens when you use those insights every day. Cloverleaf helps teams turn Enneagram knowledge into action by delivering just in time coaching, personalized insights, and seamless team collaboration.

☘️ Here’s how Cloverleaf brings your Enneagram insights to life:

✅ A shared team dashboard—so everyone can see how different personalities interact, communicate, and make decisions.
✅ Daily coaching tips inside Slack, Outlook, and Teams—giving you guidance right when you need it.
✅ Instant insights on how teammates handle stress and growth—helping teams navigate challenges and build stronger relationships.
✅ Integrations with the tools you already use—making it easy to apply Enneagram insights in real meetings, emails, and projects.

🎯 Join thousands of teams using Cloverleaf to improve collaboration, leadership, and team performance—by turning Enneagram insights into action.

👉 Get Started By Taking Our Free Enneagram Assessment

You don’t have to plan an activity like those described above. Sometimes just a short review of the Enneagram Types can help. Doing so can open up the possibility for your team’s compassion, empathy, and understanding toward each other.

After all, a team that works well together performs better and is more efficient in all tasks. To learn more about each type’s communication and work styles, check out the post: Understanding Each Enneagram Type At Work. Or, download the free Enneagram Guide To Healthy Teams In The Workplace below.

The Enneagram Guide to Healthy Teams in the Workplace Ebook Mockup

The Enneagram Guide To Healthy Teams

See How High-Performing Teams Use the Enneagram to Strengthen Collaboration
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Hard times are unique opportunities to deepen relationships. But we may not know how to get a deep and vulnerable conversation started, especially in a work environment.

Using Enneagram group discussion questions can help individuals and team members learn more about one another. If you or a coworker do not know your Enneagram type, take our free assessment to help guide your conversation.

In all meaningful discussions, there are two roles – the listener and the processor. One person should be the processor for all three questions, while all others practice as listeners.

The listener’s main role is to…listen! Listening can be difficult. When someone shares their experience, it’s normal to want to respond quickly with something like, “Me too. I was thinking….”

However, this attempt to relate quickly can unintentionally prohibit the other person’s ability to continue processing. The listener must resist the urge and focus on listening. The listener can ask clarifying questions to help keep all focus on the processor, giving them safe space and time to think out loud.

The processor’s main role is to…process! The processor should try to elaborate and avoid giving one-sentence answers. Be curious about yourself, honest about difficult insights, and hopeful about how discussing the Enneagram can help you discover your unique work style and motivations.

Below are three Enneagram group discussion questions that can help you use the Enneagram at work or with friends to increase personal growth and development.

Note: Before starting, the listener will need to know the processor’s enneagram type.

Question #1: Listener asks Processor: “As an Enneagram Type ____, your core fear is likely ____. In what ways do you think that can affect you?”

For reference, below are the core fears of each Enneagram Type.

Enneagram 1: Being corrupt, losing a sense of integrity; being wrong or lazy

Enneagram 2: Being unloved or unwanted

Enneagram 3: Being worthless or undesirable apart from achievements; being disrespected

Enneagram 4: Not being unique and being seen as worthless for this

Enneagram 5: Being helpless or incompetent; not being knowledgeable

Enneagram 6: Not have direction or support; not be able to keep going on their own; uncertainty

Enneagram 7: Needs and wants are not fulfilled by others; pain; deprivation

Enneagram 8: Being limited or controlled

Enneagram 9: Being disconnected from others, being confronted

Do you need help navigating your work relationships or developing a work culture where people can thrive? Download the free Enneagram Guide To Healthy Teams In The Workplace.

The Enneagram Guide to Healthy Teams in the Workplace Ebook Mockup

The Enneagram Guide To Healthy Teams

See How High-Performing Teams Use the Enneagram to Strengthen Collaboration

Question #2: The Listener asks the Processor: “As an Enneagram Type ____, you’re likely motivated by ____. What are two things you can do this week that motivate you?”

For reference, below are the core motivations of each Enneagram Type.

Enneagram 1: Solving problems and bringing order and organization to chaos

Enneagram 2: Helping others

Enneagram 3: Optimism and achieving goals

Enneagram 4: Creativity, finding deeper meaning, and experiencing authentic feelings

Enneagram 5: Learning and having a deep knowledge of topics

Enneagram 6: Creating and finding security, having a duty or responsibility to complete something

Enneagram 7: Being happy and contributing to the world to relieve suffering

Enneagram 8: Being self-reliant and fighting for just causes

Enneagram 9: Keeping the peace and connecting others

Question #3: The listener asks the Processor: “As a friend (or coworker), what is the best way I can help you with this?”

Whether you are a new manager hoping to build trust or a coworker who wants to understand a teammate better, asking these three questions can lead to powerful learning about one another.

To further explore how to improve workplace communication, check out the post, 4 Effective Enneagram Activities To Help Develop Your Team.

👀 See how Cloverleaf turns leading personality and strength-based assessments into actionable coaching inside your enterprise organization.

Reading Time: 6 minutes

How we work has fundamentally changed in the last few years, with remote work becoming an increasingly common aspect of the modern workplace. As teams grow more geographically dispersed, companies face new challenges in managing remote employees and maintaining effective collaboration.

One of the most significant challenges remote employees face is the development of professional familiarity, which entails gaining insight into their colleagues’ work habits, strengths, values, and preferences related to their jobs. – fastcompany.com

At the heart of successful remote collaboration lies the ability to foster self-awareness and emotional intelligence within team members, which is essential for building strong connections and overcoming the social distance that can arise in displaced team environments.

This blog post will explore the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence in remote collaboration and strategies for engaging and motivating globally-dispersed teams.

As remote work continues to evolve and expand, organizations must understand the challenges and opportunities this new way of working presents. One key challenge in a hybrid work model is managing the social distance between team members working from home or in remote locations, which can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnectedness.

Organizations can reduce social distance, improve communication, and promote a more cohesive and collaborative work environment by developing self-awareness and emotional intelligence in remote team members.

In the following sections, we will delve deeper into the social distance, explore the benefits of fostering self-awareness and emotional intelligence in remote teams, and provide practical strategies and tools to enhance remote collaboration and communication. Additionally, we will discuss methods for engaging and motivating globally-dispersed teams to create a more inclusive and effective remote work culture.

a blue mug is sitting next to a laptop that has a video call showing on the screen

Understanding Social Distance In A Geographically Dispersed Team

Social distance refers to the emotional connection, or lack thereof, among team members, particularly in remote work environments. As teams become more geographically dispersed, the potential for increased social distance can hurt team dynamics, leading to feelings of isolation and a lack of cohesion within the group.

Negotiation and leadership experts have long advocated for perspective-taking—attempting to understand your counterpart’s thoughts, feelings, and motives. The result is reduced social distance. – hbr.org

If employees feel disconnected, it becomes more challenging to establish trust, maintain open communication, and foster a sense of belonging, which are all crucial for effective team collaboration.

The Challenge Of Connecting And Coordinating In Dispersed Teams

In dispersed teams, connecting and coordinating with one another can be daunting. Differences in time zones, work schedules, languages, and cultural backgrounds can all contribute to the challenges of remote collaboration. As a result, team members may find it difficult to develop strong working relationships, share knowledge effectively, and stay aligned with their colleagues’ goals and priorities. This can lead to miscommunication, confusion, and a decline in overall team productivity.

In response to the diverse needs of its global community, Cloverleaf is refining its platform by integrating core features and functions in multiple languages. Currently, users can select Spanish or German within their dashboard and enjoy the Cloverleaf experience in their chosen language. This enhancement aims to provide a more inclusive and accessible experience for users worldwide.

Talent Development in the Age of AI

HUMAN SKILL PROGRAMS ARE HITTING LIMITATIONS...​

5 THINGS THIS FREE RESOURCE WILL TEACH YOU
  • Close the widening gap between learning and on-the-job application
  • Overcome the tension of pausing productivity for development opportunities
  • Integrate learning so it is actually in the flow of work
  • The evolution of human skill development
  • What Automated Coaching™ is and how it works.

Reducing social distance in remote work environments is essential for promoting effective collaboration and fostering a positive team culture.

EI is all about empathy, inclusion, and respect — traits that are more important than ever at a time when managers and employees have no idea what challenges their colleagues are facing… – forbes.com

Addressing social distance is a crucial management task for leaders of asynchronous teams, as it can directly impact overall performance and success. By minimizing social distance, leaders can help their virtual teams feel more connected, engaged, and supported. This, in turn, can lead to improved communication, a better understanding of colleagues’ perspectives, and increased teamwork toward shared goals.

Fostering Self-Awareness And Emotional Intelligence In Dispersed Teams

Self-awareness refers to an individual’s understanding of their emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and thought patterns. At the same time, emotional intelligence encompasses the ability to recognize, interpret, and manage one’s own and others’ emotions effectively.

Both self-awareness and emotional intelligence in the workplace are critical components of successful remote collaboration. They enable teammates to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics, adapt to diverse communication styles, and empathize with their colleagues’ perspectives.

The Benefits Of Self-Awareness And Emotional Intelligence In Remote Work

Developing self-awareness and emotional intelligence can significantly improve remote team collaboration in at least four impactful ways:

  1. Better Communication: Teammates with emotional intelligence are more likely to express their thoughts and feelings clearly and constructively, facilitating open and honest dialogue within the team.

  2. More Collaboration: Self-aware individuals are better equipped to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to contribute more effectively and collaborate more closely with their teammates.

    • Cloverleaf’s assessment-driven coaching helps team leaders and members to adapt their leadership, communication, and behavior in real-time. The insights help teams uncover and leverage employee strengths and potential. Plus, individuals can see how diverse or similar their team is and how they complement one another.

  3. Less Conflict: An essential aspect of cultivating high emotional intelligence within a team is consciously attempting to understand situations from each member’s unique viewpoint. Emotional intelligence helps teammates identify and address potential conflicts before they escalate, fostering a more harmonious workplace.

  4. Stronger Adaptability: Emotional intelligence serves as a foundation for adaptability. Emotionally intelligent individuals can more easily adapt to changes and challenges, making them invaluable assets in the dynamic landscape of geographically dispersed teams.

3 Practices For Engaging And Motivating Globally-Dispersed Teams

To cultivate a robust sense of unity and teamwork within remote workers, consider adopting the following approaches: promoting transparency, nurturing a sense of community, and encouraging knowledge-sharing.

Embrace Transparency To Strengthen Trust

  1. Establish Clear Goals And Expectations: Clearly define team objectives and individual responsibilities, ensuring everyone is aligned and working towards common goals.

  2. Encourage Regular Communication: Promote remote communication among teammates through various channels, such as video calls, instant messaging, and check-ins.

  3. Use A Coaching Approach: Adopt a leadership mentality responsive to employees’ needs, providing guidance, encouragement, and recognition when appropriate.

  4. Cultivate Inclusivity: Encourage your team to be open to diverse perspectives, experiences, and ideas.

Facilitate Community-Building

To facilitate community-building among geographically dispersed teams, focus on implementing activities that effectively bridge the social distance between teammates. These activities can help foster trust, empathy, and a sense of camaraderie.

Examples include engaging icebreaker questions, scheduling virtual social events, organizing cross-functional projects, and offering training sessions to strengthen team-building, communication skills, and emotional intelligence skills.

  1. Team Building Questions: Kick-off virtual meetings with icebreakers to help people get to know each other better.

  2. Virtual Lunches Or Coffee Breaks: Schedule regular virtual social events where teammates can connect and chat informally.

  3. Collaborative Problem-Solving: Consider projects that benefit from cross-functionality to streamline processes, brainstorm, and improve workflow.

  4. Workshops And Training: Provide virtual training sessions to enhance team-building, effective communication, and emotional intelligence skills.

Encouraging Knowledge-Sharing

Encouraging a culture of knowledge-sharing and ongoing learning is essential for maintaining connectedness, engagement, and motivation within dispersed teams. To foster this culture, consider the following:

  1. Creating A Centralized Knowledge Repository: Utilize a cloud-based platform like Google Drive or Dropbox where teammates can access relevant information, share files, and whiteboard.

  2. Utilize Easy-To-Use Communication Tools: Implement user-friendly collaboration tools like Slack, Zoom, Asana, or Trello so that it is easy to contribute, find, and access information.

  3. Hosting Virtual ‘Show and Tell’ Sessions: Designate regular team meetings to showcase projects and share learnings.

  4. Celebrating Team Achievements: Acknowledge individual and team accomplishments regularly to help reinforce a sense of purpose and pride in the team’s work.

The Importance of Continuous Learning and Adaptation

As remote collaboration continues to evolve, so too must the strategies and practices used to manage and support dispersed teams. To stay ahead of the curve, organizations and team leaders must commit to reassessing virtual collaboration and procedures to ensure they remain effective.

Equally important is fostering a culture of ongoing learning and professional growth among employees, empowering them with the support, tools, and skills to excel in a virtual environment.

The momentum behind the global shift to remote work continues to grow, driven by organizations embracing flexible working arrangements to adapt to their employees’ diverse needs and preferences.

This reality underscores the importance of developing innovative tools, techniques, and best practices to facilitate effective collaboration among coworkers, regardless of their physical location.

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Placing emphasis on self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and community-building within dispersed teams enables organizations to maintain agility, productivity, and success in the constantly changing landscape of work. As geographically dispersed teams unite individuals with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, it is essential for organizations to foster environments that appreciate this diversity and encourage understanding, empathy, and mutual respect among team members.

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Effective team-building icebreaker questions can do more than entertain – they can also increase team engagement and foster a more collaborative work environment.

WHAT ARE GOOD TEAM BUILDING QUESTIONS?

Good team-building questions encourage open communication, mutual understanding, and a sense of camaraderie among team members. 

7 Qualities Of Good Team Building Questions

1. Promote Openness and Sharing: Framing questions to help encourage team members to share personal insights, experiences, and preferences can build trust and understanding among team members.

2. Be Inclusive and Respectful: The questions should be inclusive, considering team members’ diverse backgrounds and experiences. They should avoid sensitive topics that might make someone uncomfortable.

3. Foster Connection and Relatability: Effective team-building questions often relate to everyday experiences or interests, making it easier for team members to find common ground and connect on a personal level.

4. Encourage Positive Interaction: They should be light-hearted and fun, avoid contentious topics, and focus on eliciting positive responses that can lead to laughter and bonding.

5. Be Varied and Flexible: A mix of questions about personal preferences, hypothetical scenarios, and light-hearted choices keeps the activity engaging and caters to different personalities.

6. Align with Team Goals: The questions can also be tailored to align with specific team goals or themes, such as collaboration, creativity, or problem-solving.

7. Safe and Comfortable: They should create a safe space for sharing, where team members feel comfortable and not judged or put on the spot.

In essence, good team-building questions are those that not only break the ice but also lay the foundation for meaningful, more cohesive team relationships. They should be enjoyable and engaging and contribute to a better understanding and appreciation of each team member’s unique qualities.

How To Use Icebreaker Questions In Team Environments Effectively

Effective icebreakers help put people at ease and encourage open communication, making them a pivotal part of any team-building activity. Many people cringe or worry that team-building may feel awkward.

However, picking the right questions for team-building can help ensure you avoid negative reactions to the discussion. Ideally, effective icebreakers cut through social tensions as teams gather in person or in remote environments.

While leaders may feel a bit anxious the first time they incorporate icebreaker questions, these ideas for workplace improvement can help inspire more connection. And, the more a team seeks to know and understand one another, the process becomes easier and more acceptable.

Effective icebreakers can help create a positive and engaging environment for group activities, leading to better communication, collaboration, and relationships among participants.

Do you need help understanding your team’s personalities, communication styles, and work preferences? With Cloverleaf, you can access a variety of free personality tests for employees, including Enneagram, DISC, and 16-Types, to gain personalized insights into each member of your team.

6 Ways Workplace Ice Breaker Questions Can Build Stronger Teams

Carefully crafted icebreaker questions move teams beyond the basic information like personality type to inspire learning about:

  • Strengths

  • Weaknesses

  • Work Preferences

  • Communication Styles

  • Motivations

  • Conflict Triggers

Building personal connections with your team is critical for fostering collaboration and increasing emotional intelligence in the workplace. When members know each other on a deeper level, they are more likely to trust one another, communicate effectively, and work towards a common goal.

By leveraging assessment data, Cloverleaf provides personalized insights and Automated Coaching™ about every individual within a team. These insights can help inspire meaningful questions to unlock a team’s potential to communicate and collaborate effectively.

HOW TO INTRODUCE ICEBREAKER QUESTIONS

When it comes to introducing icebreaker questions to your team, it’s important to choose the right time and place. Springing these types of questions without warning can catch people off guard, resulting in awkward or flustered responses.

Alternatively, you can make these questions a regular part of your team’s routine by integrating them into daily or weekly stand-up meetings, newsletters, or even on a whiteboard in a common area.

The Best Strategies for Building Connections and Boosting Collaboration in Virtual Workplaces

Building connections within a hybrid work model has become more important as remote collaboration becomes increasingly prevalent. Adjusting to this new style of work can be challenging, and many remote workers struggle with feelings of isolation and imposter syndrome.

Incorporating questions that inspire learning about one another into your team meetings is an effective strategy for combating these feelings. Keep the exercise fresh and engaging by varying the types of questions at each meeting. This will help prevent the exercise from feeling repetitive or stale and will keep your members enthusiastic about connecting.

Ready To Empower Team Building At Work?

13 TYPES OF TEAM BUILDING QUESTIONS

Effective team building requires thoughtful consideration. Depending on factors such as your team’s timing, location, and unique dynamics, you may need to pivot to different lines of questions. To help guide this process, below are various examples of questions to draw on.

Keep in mind questions can be a powerful tool for building camaraderie and fostering collaboration in the workplace. However, it’s important to use them appropriately to avoid potential backfires. Before introducing team-building questions, ask yourself whether the question is appropriate for the situation and will contribute to building a stronger team dynamic.

17 General Questions To Learn More About Team Members

Workplace icebreaker questions can be a great way to learn more about your fellow team members in a low-pressure and light-hearted way.

  1. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be, and why?

  2. What is a piece of advice from a mentor or family member that stuck with you?

  3. What are some items on your bucket list?

  4. Are you a night person or a morning person?

  5. Do you have any hidden talents?

  6. What would you tell your younger self?

  7. What’s your favorite musical instrument?

  8. What would you take with you if you were going to be stuck on a deserted island?

  9. What was the best gift you got? Did you get it for your birthday, Christmas, or another celebration?

  10. Do you consider yourself a dog person or a cat person?

  11. What did you think about first when you woke up this morning?

  12. Do you have siblings, or are you an only child?

  13. Did you grow up in the country or the city?

  14. Do you speak multiple languages? If so, which ones?

  15. What’s your favorite family tradition?

  16. Are you ever mistaken for someone else?

  17. What’s your favorite book? Have you read it more than once?

6 Travel-Related Questions

  1. Do you prefer to go to the mountains or the ocean?

  2. Do you like hot weather or cold weather when you travel?

  3. What country would you move to if you had the chance to move abroad?

  4. What was your first vacation spot?

  5. Have you been outside of the country?

  6. Do you look for keepsakes when you travel to remember your trip?

10 Either-Or Questions

  1. Marvel or DC? 

  2. Fall or spring? 

  3. iPhone or Android?

  4. Beach or mountains?

  5. Driving or flying?

  6. Cold or hot weather?

  7. Left or right-handed?

  8. McDonald’s or Burger King?

  9. Pepsi or Coke?

  10. Ice cream or cake?

8 “If You Could” Questions

  1. If you could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead, who would you choose and why?

  2. If you could cure any disease or ailment, what would you choose?

  3. If you could earn $500,000 to give up your smartphone for 2 years, would you do it?

  4. If you suddenly became a billionaire, would you still work? 

  5. If you could experience something again for the first time, what would it be? 

  6. If you could go back in time 10 years and retain all your current memories, would you? 

  7. If you could have the choice to be famous, would you do it? 

  8. If you could earn $20 million dollars by giving up one important thing in your life forever, what would it be?

9 Job-Related Questions

  1. What is your morning routine?

  2. What is your dream job?

  3. How did you leave your worst job?

  4. What would your perfect office space be like?

  5. Do you like working remotely or prefer to work in an office?

  6. What work-from-home (WFH) accessory can you not live without?

  7. What beverage do you prefer to drink while you work?

  8. Do you feel more productive if you work at a specific time of day? Or in a particular area of your house?

  9. Have you ever worked in your pajamas or sweatpants?

10 Childhood Icebreaker Questions

  1. What cartoon character did you love growing up?

  2. What’s your earliest childhood memory?

  3. When did you get your first job?

  4. What subject did you enjoy the most in school?

  5. What subject did you like the least while you were in school?

  6. Did you play on sports teams while in school? Or were you involved in a band or theater?

  7. Have you kept any of your childhood hobbies into adulthood?

  8. What toy did you take with you everywhere you went?

  9. Did you ever have an imaginary friend? What were they like? What did you call them?

  10. What job did you want to have when you grew up? Would you still take that job if you could get it?

  11. What was your favorite costume to wear at Halloween?

9 “Would You Rather” Team Building Questions

  1. Would you rather land your dream job or win the lottery?

  2. Would you rather go to a loud party or a quiet get-together? 

  3. Would you rather retire early or work an easy career?

  4. Would you rather be indoors or outdoors?

  5. Would you rather drive or fly somewhere?

  6. Would you rather scuba dive or hike up a mountain?

  7. Would you rather work alone or with a team?

  8. Would you rather lead a team or work for a great leader?

  9. Would you rather have one long, 3-week vacation or three 1-week vacations?

11 Favorite Food Questions

  1. What is your favorite food?

  2. What is your favorite breakfast food?

  3. What food do you never want to eat again?

  4. What’s the weirdest food you ever ate?

  5. What culture or country makes your favorite style of food?

  6. What toppings would you put on your ideal pizza? How do you feel about pineapple and ham?

  7. If you could only eat one kind of ice cream for the rest of your life, what would it be?

  8. Do you prefer sweet, spicy, or savory snacks?

  9. What fast food restaurant do you prefer? What do you order when you go there?

  10. Do you like the drive-thru, or would you rather walk in to place your order?

  11. What’s your favorite cocktail or alcoholic beverage?

10 Pop-Culture and Famous Person Questions

  1. What’s your favorite movie?

  2. What famous individual would you like to meet?

  3. Do you know the lyrics to your favorite song?

  4. What cartoon character best reflects your personality?

  5. Who is your favorite late-night talk show host?

  6. Who is your favorite superhero?

  7. If you could only watch one movie, what would it be?

  8. What is your favorite video game?

  9. What genre of music do you like to listen to when you work? Is that your favorite genre?

  10. What movie or show do you think is completely overrated?

8 Weird and Outrageous Team Building Questions

  1. What is your biggest fear?

  2. If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be and why?

  3. Would you choose to fly or teleport?

  4. If you could be one age forever, what age would you choose?

  5. If you could bring back any trend, what would you choose?

  6. Have you ever pretended not to see someone in public so you didn’t have to talk to them?

  7. What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done? 

  8. If you were given $2M dollars to live in a dark room with no light for 30 days, would you do it?

  9. If someone gave you one million dollars, what would you do with it?

9 Questions About Values And Purpose

  1. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?

  2. What’s your biggest addiction?

  3. If you were a teacher, what would you teach?

  4. Who is your personal hero?

  5. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?

  6. What’s the most important quality of a friend?

  7. What product do you refuse to use or promote?

  8. Do you do any volunteer work?

  9. What personal traits do you dislike the most about yourself?

9 Music, Movie, And Book Questions

  1. What is your favorite music genre?

  2. What’s your favorite movie?

  3. What’s your favorite book?

  4. What’s your favorite TV show?

  5. Have you ever acted? What was your role?

  6. What’s your favorite song to listen to when you’re feeling down?

  7. What was your favorite band in high school?

  8. What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen?

  9. What’s your favorite childhood movie?

19 Funny Icebreaker Questions

  1. Do you brush your teeth before or after breakfast?

  2. What fashion trend from the 90s do you miss?

  3. What embarrassing thing happened at your last job?

  4. If you went on a talk show, what would you say?

  5. Do you have a funny skill?

  6. What do you have as the background on your phone or computer?

  7. What was your worst haircut? Do you ever have bad hair days?

  8. Have you named your car or vehicle? If so, what do you call it, and why did you pick the name?

  9. What’s your favorite slang phrase or word?

  10. Would you like to add a word to the dictionary? If so, what and why?

  11. What color crayon do you think would taste the best?

  12. Who gave you the worst advice you ever received, and what was the advice? Did you listen to it?

  13. If a genie gave you three wishes, what would you wish for and why?

  14. If the day suddenly had 25 hours instead of 24, what would you do with the extra hour?

  15. What is your favorite emoji, and why?

  16. What name would you pick if you were a professional wrestler?

  17. Do you consider a hotdog to be a sandwich? What about a taco?

  18. What is the weirdest dream you ever had? Do you ever have recurring dreams?

  19. What would you do if aliens landed in your backyard?

tool for getting to know your teammates

5 Affordable Activities to Cultivate Camaraderie and Improve Performance

After you ask team-building questions, you can move on to team-building activities to further strengthen the bond between your fellow team members. We recommend activities like:

#1: Trivia

Team trivia nights give you a chance to put the information you’ve learned about your teammates into action. Ask co-workers to send in ideas for questions about themselves, like “What is my favorite candy?” or “How many pets do I have?”

You may make these questions multiple-choice if your team is still getting to know one another. For example, you could have a question like:

What is the name of Linda’s cat?

A: Beatrice

B: Sweetpea

C: Marigold

D: Linda doesn’t have a cat

Make sure that you keep track of all the answers provided by your team members. The team member who gets the most correct answers should receive a small prize at the end of the game!

#2: Bingo

Set up a bingo game for a great way to indulge your team’s competitive impulses. You can find online bingo cards that allow you to send out sheets to everyone. Use a bingo set to roll for numbers or an online random alphanumeric generator.

Consider alternating the ” caller ” role to allow everyone to fill out a bingo card. Bring rewards for the winner to keep everyone engaged and excited!

#3: Charades

Charades represent a great way to get everyone moving and laughing. Assign teams to work together. Charades can even work for remote meetings, though you may need to give your teammates time to make space in their office.

Re-arrange teams throughout the game to allow different people to work together or let pairs of your employees bond as they strive to gather the most points during the game.

#4: Community Service

Consider giving back to the community as part of your team-building activities. Select a charity or organization that means a lot to you, and set up a time for your team to participate in a day of service.

Community service activities give you a way to get out of the office, but be sure to consider team member who works remotely.

#5: Team Coffee

Why not get out of the office for a while as part of a team-building activity? Take your team to a favorite coffee shop and find out what everyone prefers to drink. If you have a virtual team, everyone can get their own coffee and meet up for a Zoom meeting.

For an after-hours meet-up, consider a virtual happy-hour gathering. Everyone can mix their own drinks – or open a bottle of wine – and relax while focusing on something besides work.

Asking the Right Questions: Learning to Build Trust and Collaboration With Teammates

Ultimately, the decision on what questions to ask should be based on your unique team and situation. Consider factors such as team dynamics, individual personalities, and goals when selecting the most appropriate questions.

Think about teammates’ personalities, communication styles, and interests. Are they known for their sense of humor, or are they more reserved? Do they prefer to keep to themselves, or do they enjoy discussing their personal lives outside of work?

By considering these factors, you can select team-building questions that are more likely to resonate with your team members and encourage open communication and connection.

By tailoring your questions to individual preferences and characteristics, you can create a more personalized and engaging experience that encourages open communication and builds trust.

At Cloverleaf, we understand the importance of personalization and development in building high-performing teams. We turn assessment data into Automated Coaching™ to helps teams improve performance, increase collaboration, and build stronger relationships. To learn more about the unique insights and coaching, click the button above.

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Personality tests for employees can reveal insights into unique traits and work styles that can be invaluable for building culture and collaboration. Some critics argue that these tests may oversimplify complex human behavior, lack reliability, and validity, and suffer from self-report bias.They also raise concerns about potential stereotyping, pigeonholing, and limited growth opportunities that might arise from assigning individuals to personality types.

At Cloverleaf, we believe personality tests can be tremendous sources of data and learning that can be used to significantly improve workplace performance. The way organizations use these assessments is evolving; dynamic data usage and continuous refinement make personality tests more actionable and insightful than ever before.

Ever since their inception, assessments have been a static, one-time experience. Meaning users complete a list of predefined questions that translate into a final score that lives on in perpetuity… Thanks to automation, asking additional assessment questions over time is becoming feasible. Assessments can be refined as users engage in additional contexts, such as interactions with specific colleagues or while dealing with certain challenges. – Scott Dust, Forbes Council Member

A balanced approach to tests, while considering their limitations, considers the valuable insights into employees’ strengths, motivations, and preferences. Understanding an employee’s personality inventory can help ensure they are in roles that are an ideal job fit. For example, a more introverted person who doesn’t like speaking in public will most likely not get a job that requires them to do so. Having the right personality for the job or organization will result in a better job fit and bring many benefits—including reduced turnover. – peopledynamics.co

By tapping into the power of behavioral and strength assessments, managers and coworkers can develop more understanding about each other, strengthen collaboration, and reduce conflicts. Embracing assessment tools in the workplace can ultimately lead to a more successful organization and unlock your team’s full potential.

Key Takeaways:

  • Assessment tools can provide profound insight to build understanding, strengthen collaboration, reduce conflicts, and unlock team potential for a more successful organization.

  • When selecting assessment tools for employees, leaders must consider relevance, validity, ease of use, and ways to make the insights actionable.

  • Leaders can use personality assessment to identify employees’ strengths, motivations, and preferences to strengthen organizational performance.

  • The basic practice of “treat others how they want to be treated” can help team members to feel heard, seen, and valued.

old ways of emotional intelligence training

5 Personality Tests For Employees That Improve Teamwork

Teamwork can make work fun, but to get there, team members truly need to understand each other. Personality tests can bridge the gap that often exists between different personality types. People are complicated, each with their own unique ways of thinking and doing. Think of these assessments as the roadmap to navigating the diverse landscape of your team, highlighting the best paths for collaboration and identifying potential roadblocks.

We’re often asked which personality tests are best for the workplace, and we like to start with these five because of the unique insights each one provides. When combined, these layered insights create a comprehensive understanding of each individual and the dynamics that exist within a team.

The five we recommend starting with are:

  • 16 Types

  • DISC

  • Enneagram

  • CliftonStrengths®

  • VIA

16 Types (MBTI)

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) categorizes individuals into 16 distinct personality types based on preferences in four areas: Introversion/Extraversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. Developed by Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine Cook Briggs, this assessment draws from Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types. It’s invaluable for understanding how individuals consume information, learn, and reach conclusions.

Learn About The 16-Types Assessment

 

Key Benefits

The MBTI reveals how team members prefer to process information and make decisions. It highlights their mental habits and decision-making engines, offering a deeper understanding of their intrinsic motivations. By recognizing these habits, leaders can create buy-in, minimize miscommunication, and build trust within their teams.

Use Cases

Individual Growth: Helps individuals uncover their unique cognitive preferences, empowering them to understand how they best process information and make decisions. This self-awareness allows them to leverage their strengths, develop more effective strategies for personal growth, and increase their job satisfaction.

Team Dynamics: Enhances team dynamics by revealing the diverse thinking and communication styles within the group. By understanding these differences, teams can reduce friction, foster mutual respect, and collaborate more effectively, leading to a more cohesive and harmonious working environment.

Leadership Development: Enables leaders to tailor their management style to align with each team member’s natural preferences. By adapting their approach, leaders can boost engagement and productivity, creating an environment where everyone feels valued and understood. This empathetic leadership fosters a motivated and high-performing team.

disc assessment

Disc

DISC is a quick and easy-to-remember assessment that measures four traits: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. By observing your team’s communication styles and level of activity in conversations, you can better understand their needs and motivations. Adjusting your approach based on their DISC profile can improve collaboration and productivity.

Learn About The DISC Assessment

Key Benefits

DISC helps teams quickly recognize how each member communicates, responds to challenges, and influences others. By observing these traits, leaders can better grasp the underlying motivations and needs of their team members.

Use Cases

Individual Growth: Provides individuals with insights into their behavioral tendencies, helping them understand how they interact with others and respond to various situations. This awareness allows them to improve their interpersonal skills and adapt their behavior to different contexts, enhancing their overall effectiveness.

Team Dynamics: Improves team communication by identifying the different behavioral styles within the group. By understanding these styles, teams can tailor their interactions to be more effective, reducing misunderstandings and strengthen collaboration.

Leadership Development: Helps leaders manage their teams more effectively by understanding each member’s behavioral style. Leaders can use this insight to tailor their communication and management strategies, ensuring they meet each individual’s needs. This leads to a more engaged and productive team, with members who feel understood and supported.

enneagram

The Enneagram is a versatile assessment that identifies nine distinct personality types, each with unique emotional drives and perspectives. It serves as a lens for understanding socio-emotional motivators, providing deep insights into why individuals behave differently when pursuing the same goals or facing the same challenges.

Learn About The Enneagram Assessment

Enneagram assessment logo

Key Benefits

The Enneagram helps teams understand the core motivations driving each member’s behavior, promoting empathy and reducing conflicts. It reveals why individuals behave differently under similar circumstances and offers valuable insights into group dynamics, decision-making environments, and conflict resolution.

Use Cases

Individual Growth: Provides deep insights into an individual’s core motivations and emotional drivers. This understanding allows individuals to recognize their strengths and areas for growth, fostering greater self-awareness and personal development. It helps them navigate their behaviors and relationships more effectively.

Team Dynamics: Enhances team dynamics by promoting empathy and understanding among team members. By recognizing the different motivations and perspectives within the team, members can better appreciate each other’s contributions and work together more harmoniously.

Leadership Development: Equips leaders with a profound understanding of their team members’ core motivations. This insight allows leaders to address conflicts and challenges with empathy and precision, creating a more harmonious and productive workplace. Leaders can tailor their approach to meet the emotional needs of their team, fostering a more engaged and committed workforce.

Cliftonstrengths®

Strengths-based assessments, such as CliftonStrengths®, Strengthscope, or VIA, help individuals tap into their innate talents and abilities. Unlike traditional personality assessments, strength-based assessments focus on what people naturally do best, helping them to understand and develop their innate abilities. By leveraging these strengths, individuals can enhance their performance, engagement, and overall satisfaction at work.

Learn About Strengths-Based Assessment

Key Benefits

CliftonStrengths® reveals individuals’ natural talents, providing a roadmap for personal and professional growth. It helps employees recognize what energizes them and how to apply their strengths to achieve their goals. Understanding these talents allows for more effective teamwork and leadership.

Use Cases

Individual Growth: Helps individuals identify and develop their innate talents, turning them into strengths. This focus on what they naturally do best can boost their confidence and engagement, leading to higher job satisfaction and personal growth.

Team Dynamics: Enhances team dynamics by helping members understand and appreciate each other’s unique strengths. By leveraging these strengths, teams can collaborate more effectively, fill gaps, and achieve better results.

Leadership Development: Empower leaders to build a strengths-based culture within their teams. By focusing on each team member’s strengths, leaders can enhance engagement and performance, creating a motivated and high-performing team. This approach helps leaders bring out the best in their team, driving success and satisfaction.

via

The VIA (Values in Action) Strengths assessment is a tool that measures an individual’s character strengths, focusing on 24 unique qualities organized under six core virtues: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. By identifying these strengths, the VIA assessment helps individuals recognize and utilize their innate qualities to contribute effectively to their personal and professional lives.

Learn About The VIA Assessment

Key Benefits

The VIA assessment enhances personal fulfillment and well-being by helping individuals understand and leverage their core character strengths. This deeper self-awareness not only boosts individual confidence but also promotes a collaborative and supportive team environment where everyone’s unique qualities are valued and utilized.

Use Cases

Individual Growth: Empower individuals by providing deep insights into their core character strengths, such as wisdom, courage, and humanity. This self-awareness can increase confidence and well-being to enable employees to align their actions with their values and achieve greater personal fulfillment. By focusing on their unique strengths, individuals can navigate their career paths more effectively and find greater satisfaction in their roles.

Team Dynamics: When team members recognize and value each other’s unique character strengths, they build stronger, more supportive relationships. This positive environment encourages collaboration and mutual respect, which can improve team performance and support a cohesive working atmosphere.

Leadership Development: Providing leaders with understanding can help them create a healthy culture. By aligning team roles with individual strengths, leaders can boost morale and productivity to build a more engaged and committed team. Leaders can leverage these strengths to address challenges effectively and inspire their teams to achieve common goals.

Overview: Different Personality Assessments Reveal Different Things About Employees

Selecting personality tests for employees is a powerful way to unlock your team’s full potential and create a thriving culture. By understanding each team member’s unique strengths, motivations, and work preferences, you can inspire collaboration, minimize conflicts, and ensure that tasks are assigned in a way that maximizes performance and job satisfaction.

16 Types (MBTI) offer insight into how employees process information, learn, and make decisions. By understanding how an individual’s brain works, managers can effectively assign tasks and optimize workplace dynamics.

DISC Assessment: Focused on observable behavior, DISC identifies distinct work styles, making it invaluable for managers to understand and support their employees. It’s beneficial when time is limited and a quick evaluation is needed.

Enneagram: This assessment delves into the underlying motivations that drive an individual’s behavior. By comprehending these driving forces, managers can tap into their employees’ strengths and provide tailored support, leading to improved performance and job satisfaction.

Strengths Assessments: These identify employees’ unique talents that, when developed, result in exceptional performance. Recognizing and leveraging these strengths can help employees excel with less effort, ultimately benefiting the entire team.

Cloverleaf offers a range of assessments, including free options. We recommend starting with 16 types, DISC, Enneagram, and strengths assessments. These can provide valuable insights into team strengths and opportunities for growth. Click here to start a free trial or take a test.

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How To Use Behavior Assessments To Coach People At Work

Using personality assessments with employees can provide invaluable insights into individual strengths, communication styles, and areas for growth. Learn how Cloverleaf integrates the insight and learning from behavioral and strengths assessments into your daily workflow to deliver personalized and actionable coaching tips in real-time.

How To Increase The Value Of Your Assessment Strategy With Automated Coaching

When deciding which personality tests to use with your team, consider the following factors to ensure you maximize their value:

  1. Relevance to the workplace: Choose assessments focusing on traits directly impacting work performance and collaboration. With Cloverleaf, these insights are integrated into daily workflows, making the relevance even more apparent.

  2. Validity and reliability:  Opt for tests with strong scientific backing to ensure accurate and consistent results. Cloverleaf uses behavioral and strength-based assessments with reliable data that drive meaningful development.

  3. Ease of use and interpretation: A good test should be easy to administer and understand. This helps individuals quickly apply the insights they gain to their everyday work interactions. Cloverleaf’s Automated Coaching™ simplifies this process, offering intuitive dashboards and personalized feedback that helps individuals quickly apply insights to their everyday work interactions.

  4. Actionable insights: The best test results provide practical recommendations for improving communication, collaboration, and team performance. With Cloverleaf, these insights don’t just sit in a report—they come to life through ongoing, contextual coaching tips delivered directly within your team’s workflow tools.

Traditional personality test and assessment resources often become static documents stored away after one-time use. Cloverleaf’s Automated Coaching™ transforms this by turning assessment data into a continuous resource for personal and professional development. Imagine receiving timely, personalized coaching tips that help you and your team grow every day, right in the flow of work. This dynamic approach ensures that the value of your assessment strategy keeps increasing over time, driving sustained improvement and engagement.
Assessments

Validated behavioral and strength-based assessments you’re probably already using.

Ask questions about yourself and teammates to get strategies specific to your context.

Effortlessly receive timely, actionable coaching nudged into your tools every day.

Personalized prompts to spark introspection for application and growth.

Reveal similarities and differences among team members to improve collaboration.

A comprehensive view of your team’s behaviors, strengths, and areas to develop.

Why Use Personality Tests Within The Workplace?

The Purpose of Personality Tests For Employees

Ideally, personality tests help organizations provide a common language, improve communication, reduce tension, reveal strengths and weaknesses, and identify growth opportunities. With Cloverleaf’s Automated Coaching™, these benefits are not just theoretical—they become a dynamic part of your team’s everyday interactions.

When employees understand their personality traits and those of their teammates, they can approach each other more effectively. This can transform potentially tense situations into constructive conversations. Cloverleaf brings these insights to life by delivering personalized coaching tips that guide employees on how to interact based on real-time contexts and the people they will interact with that day.

Assessments are tools for personal and professional development. They help individuals understand themselves, manage their behavior, and learn how to adjust their communication style according to their teammates’ preferences. Cloverleaf ensures these insights are continuously reinforced through ongoing coaching, making personal and professional growth a daily practice.

8 Benefits of Personality Assessments in the Workplace

  1. Increase Communication: Personality assessments can build self and other awareness. This understanding helps people express their needs more clearly and work more effectively towards shared goals. Improved communication leads to fewer misunderstandings and smoother interactions, creating a more cohesive team environment.

  2. Encourage Collaboration: Teams can more easily collaborate by understanding each team member’s unique strengths, motivations, and communication styles. When team members appreciate each other’s contributions, they can work together more effectively, leveraging diverse perspectives to achieve common goals.

  3. Personal and professional development: Self-awareness gained from personality assessments can be a catalyst for personal and professional growth. Individuals can identify their strengths and areas for improvement and set goals that align with their natural talents and preferences.

  4. Psychological safety: When team members feel understood and can communicate in their most natural state, they experience a higher level of psychological safety. This safe environment encourages open dialogue, innovation, and risk-taking, which are essential for a thriving workplace.

  5. Strengthen Trust: Understanding each other’s personalities and motivations helps build stronger relationships and trust within the team. When team members know what drives their colleagues, they can empathize with different perspectives and build a more supportive and cohesive environment.

  6. Boost Productivity:  Teams can enhance productivity and performance by leveraging each person’s strengths and adapting communication styles to their needs. When individuals work in ways that align with their natural abilities, they are more efficient and effective, driving better results for the organization.

  7. Employee Satisfaction: Encouraging individuals to utilize their strengths and align their work with their passions leads to higher job satisfaction and engagement. When employees feel valued for their unique contributions, they are more likely to be motivated and committed to their work, resulting in increased retention and a more positive workplace atmosphere.

  8. Team Building: Understanding each person’s motivations and strengths helps create more balanced and effective teams. Managers can assign tasks that align with each member’s skills, recognizing and leveraging individual talents to optimize team performance. This ongoing process ensures that teams remain dynamic and adaptable to changing needs.

Automated Coaching™ ensures your team experiences these benefits to the fullest by turning static assessment data into dynamic, ongoing development tools. Automated Coaching™ integrates personality insights into daily workflows, providing real-time, personalized coaching tips that help individuals and teams continuously grow and adapt. By layering insights from multiple assessments, Cloverleaf offers a comprehensive view of each team member, enhancing communication, collaboration, and productivity. This continuous support ensures that the benefits of personality assessments are not just realized once but are reinforced and expanded over time, creating a more engaged, effective, and satisfied workforce.

It turns out the golden rule of “treat others how you want to be treated” can be taken a step further in the workplace. Instead, strive to “treat others how they want to be treated” to improve communication, strengthen relationships, and increase team effectiveness.

Personality Tests Help You Take The Golden Rule A Step Further

It turns out the golden rule of “treat others how you want to be treated” can be taken a step further in the workplace. Instead, strive to “treat others how they want to be treated” to improve communication, strengthen relationships, and increase team effectiveness.

Understanding your team members and the dynamics of your work environment is crucial for moving from self-awareness to successful collaboration. By recognizing that different situations may require you to adapt your natural tendencies—whether it’s being more urgent in communication, asking more questions, or carefully choosing your words when giving feedback—you can significantly enhance team collaboration.

Making these minor adjustments, where you invest extra energy to adapt to your teammates’ needs or the context of the situation, is part of personal development and self-management. The ultimate goal of providing personality tests for employees is to help them better understand themselves, their team, and their environment and manage their behaviors, expectations, and actions accordingly. This approach ensures the most positive and productive outcomes for both their team and themselves.

Recognizing your unique strengths and choosing to act differently out of kindness, generosity, collaboration, and the desire to achieve more can make you more effective and help you thrive both at work and in your personal life. Personality assessments are powerful tools that provide insight into these strengths and areas for growth, enabling you to make informed decisions and achieve desired outcomes.

Assessments are tools for understanding all your options, enabling you to make the best choices and achieve the desired outcomes. By increasing emotional intelligence, you can unlock your full potential and become a more effective leader, teammate, and individual. Cloverleaf’s Automated Coaching™ enhances these insights, transforming them from static data into dynamic, ongoing development tools. Integrated into your daily workflow, Cloverleaf’s coaching tips and personalized advice help you and your team continuously grow and adapt to become more engaged, collaborative, and high-performing.

Talent Development in the Age of AI

Want To Use Personality Tests To Scale Development?

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  • Close the gap between learning and on-the-job application
  • Personalize growth to individual strengths and needs
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