This month, my mind has been on doing work with one of my very favorite clients, responding and preparing for requests for new projects, learning more about everything related to iPhone Apps (comments about this in a separate section), and writing blogs (also with a separate section).

I had the opportunity to do leadership and Enneagram work with a high-level, super-smart, and extremely receptive senior team. If that isn't enough, the event was held in Cavallo, just north of the Golden Gate bridge, in an old army complex that has been renovated into an eco-friendly, beautiful, rustic, zen-like resort. Their food is organic and they have the best potato soup and meyer-lemon frozen yogurt. If that isn't enough, my room had a private patio with a direct view, close-up and personal, of the bridge.

Just one of the new things: I'm going to South Africa next September for South Africa's first "Coaching with the Enneagram" certificate program (Johannesburg) and a smaller 3-day program in Cape Town on the Enneagram, Leadership, and Teams. Neil Harper, Senior Member of the Enneagram in Business Network, is sponsoring these programs. Never having been to South Africa, I am eager to go, plus Neil is helping me find a wonderful 3-day safari to go on between programs, something I have always wanted to do!

And another: I've been asked to be the middle-noter at the Husdon Institute's annual coaching conference in April. The Hudson Institute is a premier coaching organization, based in Santa Barbara, California, so this is a big honor. I'm the cheese in the sandwich between keynoter Lisa Lahey and endnoter Dan Siegel. Lisa is the co-author with Robert Kegan of the new book, Immunity to Change, which is research based and addresses how our individual habits and mindsets - along with the collective norms and beliefs in our organizations - combine to create an overwhelming immunity to change. Dan Siegel, whom many of you know and who knows the Enneagram, is speaking about his newest book, Mindsight,  the healing power of "mindsight", the potent skill that is the basis for both emotional and social intelligence.  My session is on how to use the Enneagram for the coach's and client's self-development.

Our new Enneagram iPhone App is doing very well. Here are some recent statistics:

*  2500+ downloads (that's 1500 more than last month's 1000+)

*  Stellar reviews and ratings

*  Downloads in 35+ countries

*  Great feedback   

Here is one of my favorite comments, sent via email:

"Amazing! And all for the price of a strawberry milkshake!"

Independent App Reviews 

"Know Your Type" also received two fantastic reviews from independent App review sites (these are hard to get for any App):

AppSafari.com

"Know Your Type is a highly informative app that does what it sets out to do, and then blows it out of the water. A great buy at just $2.99, so if you're into self-discovery and betterment, then it should be on your device right now."

iPhoneAppsFinder.com 

"Enneagram is a powerful personality system that enables you to figure out what makes you tick and how you can change things around to work with others in a more positive fashion. 'Know Your Type' is a helpful tool for those who make a living out of interacting with others and working in teams. It figures out your personality traits and matches them up against those of your colleagues'. This could be an eye opener if you have never tackled personality systems in the past."

Thanks to everyone who has told others about "Know Your Type." Your word of mouth makes all the difference. And special thanks to Enneagram Worldwide for letting everyone on their mailing list know about it in their Spring newsletter. Peter O'Hanrahan even wrote a review of it:

"To my eyes, it's much more than an 'app' - it's a smart and handy electronic handbook combining compelling content with colorful graphics and video."

 

This conference is in Hong Kong, April 22-23, 2011, and it will be a wonderful conference. David Daniels is the first keynoter, I am the second, and Russ Hudson is doing the endnote. In between will be some excellent presenters from China, as well as other parts of the world. This will be my 3rd IEA China Conference, and they are always well-organized, great quality, hospitable, and intimate, because they are big enough to be interesting and small enough to really get to know people. To learn more about it and to register, click here.   

"Coaching with the Enneagram" Certificate Program   

Following the IEA China Conference, there will be a "Coaching with the Enneagram" certificate program, the 2nd I've done in Hong Kong with Gloria Hung. So, you can come to the IEA China Conference, attend the Coaching program, and have a wonderful vacation!

Here's a wonderful quote from Hilary Langford's recent article in TALK Magazine about her experience in the last Hong Kong program:

"One of the clever features of the design of this coaching program was the way in which the coaching models were immediately put into practice in our coaching triads. There is nothing that assists learning as much as having to try something immediately, rather than just talk about it! However, this was not merely a coaching skills workshop. Ginger and Gloria drew from an enormous range of experiential activities to demonstrate everything they taught us, keeping us involved and challenged throughout. Our knowledge of the Enneagram was deepened, resulting in significant personal discoveries for each of us."

"Coaching with the Enneagram" Certificate Program (35.5 ICF credits)

Hong Kong, China, April 26 - 30, 2011 (in English) contact Gloria Hung or click here.

 

Tip of the Month: Development for Fours

These are rather simple development ideas for each Enneagram style, or so they seem if you are not of the Enneagram type for whom it is recommended. What is really hard for one person is often so easy for another, but the hard areas show us where our development lies. I've selected real stories to illustrate the development ideas that are both amusing and challenging. The activity for Fours is something I often mention, but not because it is the only activity! I refer to this because so many Fours find this so incredibly useful.

Fours: Fours use the words I, my, me, and myself and share personal stories more than any other Enneagram type, and they do this when speaking, writing, and creating e-mails. As a result of the Four's frequent use of personalized words and stories, they are often perceived as being "Self-referencing" - that is, continually bringing the conversation and attention back to themselves.

Situation: Jane wrote many e-mails each day, and she realized that every e-mail she created contained emotional words like I, me, and mine with great (and alarming) frequency. Although her intention was to be warm and personable, she realized the effect might be entirely different.

Opportunity: Jane recognized the opportunity. She could increase her self-awareness by simply rereading each e-mail before she clicked "Send," paying special attention to anything in the email that was self referencing. Then, she could discipline herself to change her words - which were actually a reflection of how she thought - in the following ways:

• Reduce the number of self-referencing words (I, my, me, mine, and myself)
• Use language that is less personalized and more objective
• Tell fewer personal stories (cut these by 50%)
• Focus the e-mail more on others than on herself

Jane discovered that after one month, her speech also became less self-referencing and her state of being in the world became less self-focused and more focused on both others and herself. In retrospect, she now wonders how this very simple and obvious behavior was something she'd never noticed, but was so easy to change.

 

Upcoming Program Schedule Here  

 

Enneagram iPhone App  
Created by Ginger Lapid-Bogda, this animated, interactive App for home and work includes typing and how to prevent conflict; reduce stress; interact with others; and engage in development activities specific to your type. There are type videos, a way to test your Enneagram knowledge in real-world situations, theory, and more.     

Only $2.99 on the iTunes App Store. Go to EnneagramApp.com