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Enneagram type 7’s are the fun seekers. They are playful and love variety. There’s never a dull moment when it comes to type 7. With a zest for life the Enneagram 7 personality embraces the moment. Boredom is a curse word for this type.
Type 7’s are confident and optimistic. Often times their mere presence is encouraging to others. Enneagram 7 struggles with focus and directing their many talents. This can result in overextending themselves which can produce anxiety. Type 7’s are usually extroverted and are often dubbed “the life of the party.”
These characteristics make type 7’s great idea people and networkers. They are great at synthesizing information and also connecting with a wide variety of people. They are the enthusiasts of the world who can’t help but enjoy themselves and want the same for others.
How Enneagram 7 Navigates Conflict in the Workplace:
Type 7 approaches conflict with an optimistic outlook. They are also good at presenting multiple options to resolve conflict. This can be helpful in moving beyond win-lose zero-sum situations.
Direct confrontation and any associated pain tend to be avoided by 7s. One of the ways type 7’s get into conflict is through impatience and acting without knowing all the details. 7’s can also place an undue emphasis on their own needs and the needs of others can feel quite burdensome.
Another way type 7 tends to handle conflict is to deny any difficulties. This becomes a problem in the long run as either conflict never gets resolved or it gets resolved poorly. The overly positive approach creates short-term solutions or no solutions at all.
For Enneagram 7 difficulties needs to be acknowledged and sometimes direct confrontation needs to happen. One of the ways this Enneagram type can go about this is to ask questions of others and themselves regarding the nature of the conflict and the feasibility of the proposed solution. Another way to handle conflict is to gather all the necessary details before approaching the other party and before deciding on a resolution
What can we learn from the way type 7 handles conflict?
Enneagram Type 7’s workplace conflict approach offers good lessons for all types. An optimistic outlook is helpful for all of us as we seek to be a positive influence in our interactions with others. The ability to think of multiple options helps rescue us from closemindedness and conventional ways of thinking. There is also the fruitfulness that comes from gathering all the necessary information for making decisions or engaging in potential conflict with others. Type 7 shows us how to think bigger and bring optimism to potentially negative situations.