These are the Initiators. When working on a project, it’s kind of like street basketball. Jump in and move fast.
- Like to get the ball rolling and learn as they go along.
- They prefer action, diving in, getting engaged, getting involved, but want to cut through unnecessary details…not terribly absorbed by details.
- Like to keep the momentum going in their own way.
- They are seen as less well-organized at times, sometimes duplicating efforts, and maybe stepping on other’s toes.
- They tend to talk fast and possibly talk over.
- Engaging with something external and have a kind of pushing energy.
I gave a workshop last week to a team of about 35 people. I asked the Initiators to share what they’d like us to know about working with them. Here’s what they told us:
- Get to the point
- What’s the objective/end game
- Get out of my way
- I’m really not mean
- Tell me what’s important
- Don’t like to waste time
- Just want the facts. Your opinion slows things down.
- Allow me to do it
- You hired me for a reason
- I want to do it myself
When I was at a board meeting of the International Enneagram Association, this is what a group of IEA Initiators responded when Belinda Gore taught us about Initiators:
- We are trustworthy and responsible (except when we’re not). We may not always seem responsible in our fast forward drive, but we do have a commitment to the larger vision.
- We are visionaries and we generate ideas.
- Things happen
- It’s not that we don’t appreciate details. But, we often see them as stalling the creation of something and heavy focus on details can stall the creative process
- We stop and lose interest when there’s too much focus on details.
- To be honest…we like to work on our own! (Even if we see the value in teams)