Featuring Special Guest: Andy Bales | Enneagram Type 6

What does it actually look like when people use the Enneagram at work, not just during a workshop, but in everyday decisions, conversations, and leadership challenges?

In this episode of Enneagram at Work, I'm joined by Andy Bales, a retired engineer, manager, and global supply chain leader who spent 35 years working for a Fortune 500 company. Along the way, Andy became an internal champion for the Enneagram, introducing it to coworkers, leaders, and teams across the organization.

Andy shares several real-world stories of how understanding personality and motivation helped people navigate difficult relationships, influence leadership, build stronger partnerships, and recognize their own patterns before those patterns led to burnout.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How a mechanical engineer became an internal Enneagram champion at a Fortune 500 company.
• Why understanding someone's motivation can be more useful than simply observing their behavior.
• What it means to "speak to someone's listening" and how Andy adjusted his communication with Type 8 and Type 3 leaders.
• How understanding a command-and-control leader helped Andy build trust and become more influential.
• How a Type 3 executive used his Enneagram insights to develop his leadership approach and help build a strong organizational culture.
• How a Type 1 project manager turned a frustrating working relationship into a successful partnership.
• How a newly promoted Type 2 manager recognized her overgiving tendencies, established boundaries, and began asking for help.
• Why Andy encourages leaders to practice the Platinum Rule: Treat others the way they want to be treated.
• Why an Enneagram assessment is a starting point - not necessarily the final answer- when identifying your type.

A few key takeaways...

Understanding motivation changes the conversation. Two employees may behave similarly for entirely different reasons. The Enneagram helps us explore what might be driving those behaviors.

You don't have to change someone's personality to improve a working relationship. Sometimes the better approach is to understand their perspective and adjust how you communicate and collaborate.

Self-awareness should lead to action. Whether that means delegating more, setting boundaries, building trust, or approaching a challenging colleague differently, the value comes from what you do with the insight.

About Andy Bales

Andy Bales spent 35 years working in engineering, management, and global supply chain leadership at a Fortune 500 company. An Enneagram Type 6 with a Preserving Instinctual Bias, Andy has studied and applied the Enneagram since 2000, introducing the framework to colleagues and helping individuals better understand their types.

His experience includes facilitating Enneagram training, mentoring employees, and helping leaders apply personality insights to real workplace situations.

Connect with Andy: andybales019@gmail.com

About Enneagram MBA

Enneagram MBA helps teams and leaders build stronger working relationships through practical, engaging Enneagram-based training.

Explore our workplace workshops, leadership development experiences, and team resources at enneagrammba.com.

To get a typing session with Andy, learn more here: https://www.enneagrammba.com/enneagram-coaching

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