Our Ethos

Our Enneagram Ethos and Ground Rules

• We commit to mindful conversation, as best we can, knowing Enneagram work goes deep. It touches our core identity and vulnerability as well as our strengths.
• The decision about which Type we are is ours alone. We may take advice, but no one else can determine our Type for us.
• If I talk about your Type - or others' Type - I do so tentatively, in the spirit of humble inquiry.
• We are more than our Type and we acknowledge the fuller richness of each person's identity.
• The Enneagram is ancient wisdom yet an emerging field, so we tread gently and with respect.
• We talk about ideas, not individuals, and name our sources.
• We are welcoming and open-minded, appreciating there are many pathways, perspectives and opinions.
• Active use of Conversation Cafe Agreements and these Ground Rules guides and helps us in all this.
  

  ---

  Conversation Cafe Agreements

• Open-mindedness: listen to and respect all points of view
• Acceptance: suspend judgment as best you can
• Curiosity: seek to understand rather than persuade
• Discovery: question old assumptions, look for new insights
• Sincerity: speak for yourself about what has personal heart and meaning
• Brevity: go for honesty and depth but don’t go on and on
• Confidentiality with personal stuff, what's said in the room stays in the room...
  
  

  ---

  Notes
  These ground rules are based on:
  IEA Values and Ethics accessed 21/05/14 and an Open Letter written after the May 2014 IEA conference in Portugal, by María José Munita, President, IEA Board of Directors.
  Conversation café agreements - Conversation Cafe
  ‘Humble Inquiry’, by Edgar Schein (2013)
  Enneagram Worldwide philosopohy and Teaching Materials