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Tip of the Week: It Must Be Your Personality

January 18, 2023, The Association

This week’s tip is a well-known test that can teach you more about yourself and help strengthen your relationships with team members.

The Executive Team at the San Francisco SPCA recently took the Enneagram, a personality test you can fill out online that describes people in terms of nine types, each with their own motivations, fears, and internal dynamics. While it aims to be a powerful tool for increasing self-knowledge, it can also give insight and support collaborations and communications in the workplace.

“Knowing my reputation as a ‘data nerd,’” says SF/SPCA’s Chief of Rescue & Welfare, Lisa C. Feder, CAWA, “I was not at all surprised to find that I resonate strongly with Type 5 – which stems from the motivational need to understand the world around you.” Knowing colleagues’ Enneagram types can shed light on how they respond in challenging situations. “One of the most helpful aspects was in learning what mental spaces people hide in when stressed,” she shares, “and the type of coping mechanisms they typically use.”

You may find this team exercise to be quite useful, as the SF/SPCA did. Says Feder, “While there is never a one-size-fits-all personality test for any organization, we felt it painted a pretty accurate picture of our team. We plan to use the Enneagram within our departmental teams to encourage collaboration and strengthen working relationships.”

Did you & your team take the test? Were you surprised by the results?

Learn More

Tip of the Week: One for Good Measure
Tip of the Week: High-Volume TNR Program Interest Group
Tip of the Week: Increasing Your Flexibility
Tip of the Week: Screen Test


About The Association
The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement is a cohort of leaders on a mission to champion, advance, and unify the animal welfare profession.

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