Book

In the spirit of the season, I would like to thank the incredible team of people who helped me publish Teamwork 9.0 this year.  When writing a book on teamwork, it made sense to apply the concepts in the book. I formed a diverse team of talented individuals that complimented and enhanced my own contributions.  I’d like to express my deep gratitude to everyone who accompanied me on this journey.

First and foremost, I would like to thank Rev. Roger Morimoto for all his tutelage on the Enneagram over the years.  He gave me the reading list that led me to my discoveries on the intersection of teamwork and the Enneagram.  I can always count on Roger for guidance and support.

I discovered Peter Savich’s book, Personality and the Brain, during a web search about the links between the Enneagram and the brain.  I read the book once.  Blown away, I reread it two more times! Personality and the Brain gave me the confidence in the validity of the Enneagram, confidence which allowed me to base my work on the Enneagram system.  Since we’ve met, Peter and I have had countless conversations about the topics in Teamwork 9.0 that helped me clarify and sharpen the concepts. http://personalityandthebrain.org/

Illustrator James Yamasaki had the ability to read my mind and turn my rough outlines into fully formed ideas. I love the animated numbers that he developed, each conveying the primary idea of each Enneagram type’s contribution to problem solving.  Those and all the illustrations in Teamwork 9.0 bring the concepts in the book to life. https://jamesyamasaki.com/

One of the concepts I discuss in the book is having a coach whose Enneagram type lies on your path of integration.  As a Type 6, I looked for and found a wonderful Type 9 coach in Lucy Freedman, principal at Syntax for Change and author of Smart Work: The Syntax Guide to Influence.  Lucy expertly guided me through my Type 6 ups and downs and provided a beacon for me to follow to successful completion. https://syntaxforchange.com/

Who better to copy edit the book than an Enneagram Type 1?  I interviewed copyeditors until I met DeAnna Burghart who excitedly told me that not only did she know the Enneagram, but that she was a Type 1!  Hilarity ensued as we passed the manuscript back and forth and whipped into shape.  Not only did she structure my writing to be more succinct, she also commented and validated my writings on Type 1. https://deanna.burghart.us/

The layout was quite challenging with all the illustrations, and Joanne Shwed of Backspace Ink ensured a uniform and consistent look throughout the book.  She also performed the final proofreading.  As of this writing with hundreds of copies of the book sold, I am still waiting for the first report of a typo that may have slipped through. http://www.backspaceink.com/

I wanted the cover design to be consistent with my website design and turned to my wonderful creative team of Jeffry Fulp and Sarah Ruediger. They ensured that the cover design and copy are, well… Perfect As Always! http://PerfectAsAlways.com/

With the book released, I turned to Henry DeVries of Indie Books International for advice on how to market the book and develop a platform for speaking and engaging with my audience.  Not only has he helped me meet and exceed my goals for book sales, Henry has developed a wonderful community of authors in which I am honored to be included. https://indiebooksintl.com/

Any book on the Enneagram requires a team of reviewers representing all Enneagram types.  I am grateful to the many contributions and insights from Kimberly Wiefling, Susan Schwartz, Scot Kleinman, Neil Beaton, Gideon Shaanan, Adrian Bray, Dr. Frumi Rachel Barr, Pat Grogan, Stewart Levine, Stevie Bobes, Marc Bookman , Stephen Dobrow and Natalie Snyder.  Natalie, a budding journalist, reviewed the book both from the Type 1 perspective and from the millennial/Gen Z perspective.

Also, I am grateful for all the help and support from my family over the course of the 3 years while I wrote and finalized the book. Special thanks to Helen, Robin, Sakura, and Jill.

Finally, a very special thanks goes to Chris Thollaug, a longtime friend and mentor who reviewed Teamwork 9.0 from the Type 1 perspective.  In the beginning, Chris was skeptical of my approach but warmed up to it as he worked through the manuscript.   During my last phone call with Chris this past summer he said of the Enneagram, “It is the expression of everything.”  He added, “I used to think of everything in terms of right and wrong.  Now I appreciate the multiplicity of approaches.”  Perfectly said. Rest in peace, my friend.

I want to thank everyone who has kindly left a review of Teamwork 9.0 on Amazon.  Here are some of the latest reviews:

Teamwork 9.0 Reviews…

Practical, Powerful and Insightful

”This book brings for the effectiveness of the Enneagram. The author clearly and simply explains how the Enneagram can be used as a practical tool in a setting involving leaders and teams making this book a powerful tool in itself. Anyone working with teams and leaders will find this book helpful in transforming the Enneagram into a most useful tool. Yet, through this process, new insights of the Enneagram are discovered along the way. The chapter on “Enneagram and Time” is one such example. If you are ready to bring the Enneagram into your daily life, this book is a “must-have”!”

– Rev. Roger Morimoto

Why are some teams more effective than others?

”I found answers in Teamwork 9.0 where Matt Schlegel demonstrates how to discover and build on team members’ strengths via the Enneagram. As a Manager, knowing your team‘s Enneagram types allows you to focus on theIr diverse skill sets when challenges arise to solve problems faster and more efficiently”

– Andrea Breidenbach

Great roadmap for team building

”This is a great add to the scientific evidence for the Enneagram. The so what behind doing the mapping. Matt has really put his expertise to pen if anyone is trying to put or build a tram together. This is must have.”

– Dr. Sheena Aurora

Take the journey

”This was an incredibly challenging book for me to read. I didn’t understand my own Enneagram number, or how to use the information presented with my team. That is, until I hit the ‘Two Balanced Brains’ section of chapter 7. Then everything clicked into place. Matt’s table of contents could have given me a path to follow, but I skipped it and dove right in. His comprehensive introduction explaining each chapter could have also set me up for success but, that was still the light-and-fluffy part of the book, right? This isn’t a tell-all usage book for Enneagram, it’s a business strategy for problem solving that offers charts, diagrams, wheels and powerful seesaw depictions that coalesce into simple brilliance. It’s a step-by-step approach for each type of leader to use with ease. I shouldn’t have been surprised by chapter 7 but the perspective of ‘brain dominances’ gave additional insight into the missing ingredients on my team; I was finally off and running in real life using the ‘Problem Solving: Start Up Triad (1-4-7)’ effectively. What is that, you may ask? Take the journey, read the book, explore the human potential outlined. It’s worth the effort – self discovery at its finest, thanks Matt!”

– Beatrice Stonebanks

Use this book!

”I have had the pleasure to pick the author’s brain in person about using the enneagram to foster successful working relationships with various team members, Matt’s book is the next best thing to visiting over a cup of coffee.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who leads or is part of a team at work. As the enneagram continues to become more popular in and out of the office (especially with millennials!), Matt’s explanations of the different types will help you have successful working relationships with colleagues, leading to more success in your mission.”

– Brian Precor

How to work with challenging people

”As I have been reading this book and thinking about the people in my life and how they operate, I enjoyed the Disintegration chapter of the book. Every personality is needed for a team and get the project completed.
When you read about tips for the Project Manager or people within a team, it will help you deal with personalities in the Enneagram model and help you develop your own strategies to get the project done.”

– Mari-Lyn Harris

A tool for working with teams

”I have heard about Enneagrams for some time, but didn’t take the time to dig in. I had been working with teams for many years as a change agent and have mused MBTI Ⓡ and DiSC Ⓡ to help assess the people dynamics of team members. I found Matt Schlegel’s book extremely insightful.
What I learned is that one can think of Enneagrams as “Nurture” to MTBI’s “Nature”. In the Chapter 5, the “Creativity Seesaw”, I learned that the types are a bit situational. This helped me realize is that personality behavior can change from its core type. This was insightful for thinking about teams.
I found chapters 2 “Problem Solving”, and Chapter 7 “Work Team Triads” especially helpful, when I thought about some of my past teams. I will definitely use the Enneagram in my toolkit for my next engagement.”

– Russell M. Singleton

Team 9.0 so relevant in today’s work environment of collaboration

”Leadership styles and the onset of millennials dominating the workforce population are demanding more collaboration and team work. Team 9.0 arms the reader with all the understanding of the 9 key Enneagram personality types in order to effectively, and efficiently create better team results in today’s working culture. A must read if you are a leader determined to be at your best in motivating your teams to success!”

– Kimberly Layne

Indispensable when frustrated with teamwork

” Advice given in this book Is original and genius! I was frustrated with a project where I was trying to get a “3” and an “8” to agree to a plan (I am a “1”) and …we were stuck! These numbers, by the way are Enneagram personality types. So this books Problem Solving, introduced in Chapter 2, then guided me on how to best move our team forward
Very timely. Recommend for anyone feeling frustrated with teamwork.”

– Alexander Antebi

Fascinating Book!

” This is a fascinating book – the BEST I have read on the Enneagram. A must read for both building the best teams and for understanding yourself. Importantly, you’ll learn the value of understanding the Enneagram types of your current team members in order to establish a high performing team.”

– Patricia Watkins

Engaging and Well Written

” I purchased this book on the recommendation of a friend who thought the subject of systems thinking would be of interest to me. I highly recommend this book for anyone involved with teams or team-building, whether for business or otherwise. Matt Schlegel presents the concepts in a very clear manner, using easy-to-understand examples to illustrate his points. Not to mention, it is very interesting to read through the nine “types” and try to determine which type(s) apply most closely to you. I enjoyed the book and found that it has added a new layer to the way I look at the interactions going on around me.”

– Garrett Dillon

Build a successful team!

” I have been using the Enneagram in my personal relationships and find it an invaluable tool in understanding how the Enneagram types interact with each other. As the manager of a private golf and country club, Matt’s Teamwork 9.0 book has been extremely helpful in understanding each of my team members motivations and their reactions to the many different situations we encounter on a daily basis. I highly recommend this book. It is helping me to build a successful team and get the most out of each team member and assign the right individuals to the right tasks.”

– Scott Schlegel

A must read for new and experienced team leaders!

”Teamwork 9.0 by Matt Schlegel is an insightful book if you are interested in leading a team more efficiently and if you want to improve the team’s problem-solving abilities. The Enneagram framework, which is based on neuroscience, is a highly effective tool team leaders can use to achieve a “well-oiled,” high-performing team. It provides you with an insight into how people work and how you can maximize their potential to achieve success.”

– Luiza Dreasher

A must have for all work teams! PS: All of us should use this as a Life Guide!

” Loving the book! Just started reading it… it’s really good! Makes so much sense. It’s like I’ve been walking around not knowing I did not have a clear vision and your book is like getting a pair of glasses for the first time after not realizing I needed glasses. Wow, so much makes sense now and I’ve not finished the book yet.
Right from the beginning, Matt digs into easy to follow and relate to content that identifies the personas and tools on how to collaborate with all types for maximum results.
Look forward to applying the principals with others … and in all aspects of my life. Everyone should have a copy of the book! It’s super!”

– Rio Valdes

Valuable Tool for Creating and Working in Teams

” I really liked the way that the author walked through the process and explained how the Enneagram was a way in to understanding and optimizing teams. I had heard of the Enneagram but had never before seen it applied to business workplaces and teams. Wish I had had this information during the 10-15 years that I spent as a project manager. Definitely worth purchasing.”

– Susan R

A Unique Approach to Team Dynamics

” I was fascinated by this title having been aware of the Enneagram as a personal discovery tool but never seen it applied to teams. The book truly delivered and provides a dynamic way of looking at team interaction. Two chapters really stand out for me. The first was on problem solving. He uses the Enneagram as a methodology for approaching problem solving really offered me some great insights into looking at the problem in a big picture way and seeing the solution to any problem as a process.
The second area that stood out was the chapter on creativity as seeing it as a duality between stress and calm. I came away with so many insights about the dynamics of creativity. Throughout the book there some great examples which highlight the different concepts.
Having read so many books on teams and team dynamics I have to say this one is totally original and offers so many new perspectives on looking at teams and how they might improve their problem-solving capabilities.”

– Irvine Nugent

A good read for business professionals

” I really liked the book. Enneagrams are a great way to know more about yourself and those around you. This book does a great job of showing how Enneagram knowledge can be used to form better teams. Matt did a great job explaining the terms and I fully recommend to make your teams stronger and more cohesive.”

– Michael Conteh

How to apply the Enneagram to build effective teams

”In Teamwork 9.0, Matt Schlegel integrates insights from the Enneagram personality assessment with the keys to effective teamwork. The 9.0 in the title reflects the nine personality types identified by the instrument.
Matt starts with a brief description of the Enneagram and each personality type. From there, he applies insights from the assessment to critical success factors in teamwork: problem-solving, creative processes, and shared leadership. He explains how each type contributes to (or detracts from) the team’s success, as well as how the types can best work together.
Teamwork 9.0 is a worthwhile resource for coaches, trainers, and leaders who want to better leverage the power of the Enneagram for team development.”

– Jon Lokhorst

A Different Perspective

”Matt illustrates a different perspective to understand ourselves and the people we work with. By using the framework of the Enneagram and applying his practical methodology and tools, we can unlock our own potential and learn how to develop the potential in teams to promote productivity, innovation, and collaboration.”

– Mary Schmid

Your work is also about you, the people you work with, and how you team up to work

”Matt Schlegel offers in this book the distillation of years of research, observation and experience. Do you ever commit “similar-to-me” bias in important decisions or work? Are people’s behavior sometimes mysterious or odd to you? Despite our best intentions and effort, we often hit impasses and frustrations in our work. The necessary first step to productive and satisfying collaboration is to understand ourselves and others (bosses, colleagues, business counterparts, etc.). In Teamwork 9.0, Matt helps us build our understanding and plan our approach to collaboration on the 9 Enneagram types. If you don’t know anything about the Enneagram, you will at least quickly gain rich insights about yourself. And if you do already, you will delight in finding fresh new insights about collaboration and teamwork.”

– Eight Board

Great Practical Personality Advice

”The enneagram is a new concept I have been reading about. I appreciated the practical advice in this book about how to put it to work to solve problems. Working in teams is always a challenge. The more we know about what makes people tick, and the more we know about what makes us tick, the better the chances of working together successfully.”

– Henry DeVries

Can’t recommend it enough. Excellent book

” I’m new to the Enneagram but familiar with other systems like DISC and Myers-Briggs. While I find these systems valuable for understanding people’s different perspectives, the use for me has often ended there. Teamwork 9.0 takes it further by framing the personality dynamics in the context of teams and team problem solving. This framework extends the usefulness and helps me understand better why at times my team excels and at other times gets stuck. The book delivers many valuable insights.”

– Tolulope Akinola

A practical guide for combining personalities and problem solving!

”I have previously thought of personality assessments such as Myers-Briggs and Enneagram as interesting and useful in my one-on-one interactions, but this is the first time I’ve encountered a guide to help managers like me leverage all the various personalities as we lead our teams. Matt cleverly noticed that the nine Enneagram personality types perfectly align with the nine steps in problem solving — in order! — and explains how each personality type can shine in the step to which they are most attuned. Teamwork 9.0 has helped me to value the unique contributions of different personalities to our common team objective. Super helpful!”

– Mark Robins

Get to Your Own Success

” Matt’s analysis of the individual identified not only how I function within a team, but also how to be my best in whatever I am working on. Understanding where I get stuck and how I move forward as a 7 was enlightening. Rather than resisting the quiet/analytical or perfectionist sides of my personality, he explained how I can use them to propel myself beyond the need for adventure to focus and productivity. Very helpful!
A manager who could help team members in this way would appear to be a savant!”

– Jill Geary

Insightful look at the Enneagram within teams

” I am fascinated by the connection between team dynamics and the Enneagram. I found the book insightful and useful.”

– Sharon Robinson

Insightful Read!

” Matt Schlegel is my cousin, and I am so pleased and proud that he has published Teamwork 9.0. For 20 years I have watched Matt pursue his dual passions of teamwork and the Enneagram. He weaves these passions together in his work to improve team effectiveness for his clients. He is equally passionate about sharing his novel approach which compelled him to write this book. He shows how the Enneagram is much more than a personality system—it serves as framework for teamwork, creativity and problem solving. I think you will enjoy this easy-to-read guide to team effectiveness as much as I did.”

– John Schlegel

Helped me understand the nine decision-making styles

”As a realtor, understanding my client’s decision-making styles is critical to the success of my business. Teamwork 9.0 helped me understand the nine styles of the Enneagram and gave me hints how to identify those styles in my clients. I was particularly intrigued by the difference in how each Enneagram type treats time. This information is invaluable in assisting my clients to successfully navigate the purchase of a home. I recommend Teamwork 9.0 to anyone working with decision makers, especially when working on a timeline.”

– Marissa B.

Teamwork 9.0 – in this case, 9.0 equals a 10!

”Eye-opening. While I previously understood the Enneagram to be more of a personal diagnostic and development tool, I admittedly never thought of it as an equally effective diagnostic and development tool that can be applied in the context of “teamwork” – i.e. to foster better team dynamics and a provide a framework for more collaborative and effective team-based problem solving, from ideation through implementation. The framework offered by Matt provides a “win-win” for both individuals and teams alike, in that it enables and encourages an individual’s unique gifts to flourish. In turn, those strengths, when knitted together, make the whole greater than the sum of its parts, leading to more effective problem solving and better outcomes. Thank you, Matt!”

– David Ogburn

A great introduction to Enneagrams

” Thanks to Matt and his engaging writing for the introduction to the concept of Enneagrams. It’s fascinating to find another way to understand one’s own approach to the world of relationships, creativity, and teamwork. Highly recommend this book for anyone interested in understanding how to connect effectively with the others – friends, family and colleagues.”

– Ilaine F. Denslow

Comprehensive and Systematic Problem-Solving Model – Applicable and Useful!

” Matt Schlegel is an expert in this domain and this book, Teamwork 9.0, could make you an expert too… In this excellent and concise work you will find a well-formed problem-solving process that explains how to match people to tasks, to situations and, most importantly, to other people. In a clear, direct, and engaging way, the book will help you understand team construction and dynamics for collaborative problem solving. I especially like the way that the book simplifies complex subjects without dumbing them down. It was worth every minute of my time.”

– Gideon Shaanan

A really great book!

” I really enjoyed this book. Īt works on so many different levels. First and foremost, it provides a nice model for how to fully solve problems – from identification to verifying the solution worked – that becomes a framework for ensuring your team can do and does every step. Second, it explains where teams and individuals can get stuck in the problem-solving process along with a model you can use to get unstuck. It brings in a discussion on creativity and people’s sense of urgency , or time, and relates it to team dynamics and problem solving as well. Third, it provides a unique way of looking at and using the enneagram to better understand yourself and those around you. Interestingly enough, the first and second could stand alone from the enneagram, simply requiring a generic model that accepts people have different natural tendencies and ways of thinking. With the enneagram, these new insights strengthen the power of studying and using this tool. Although written to help people manage and lead teams that need to solve problems and produce results, the insights contained in this book helped me understand myself and those closest to me, in and out of how we solve problems.
A pretty neat model to help make every team one that zings.”

– Scot J Kleinman

An Analytical Approach to Human Emotions and Teamwork

”Teamwork 9.0 is like a ‘secret decoder ring’ that will help you understand team dynamics. If only I’d read this when I first started working! Then I would have understood why some teams work well together while others failed. Being analytical, I appreciate the quantitative approach to team analysis. The Enneagram has been a powerful tool for decades, and now this book makes it far more accessible to people who are not experts in this methodology. The first chapter, in particular, helps us understand this model from 3 emotional perspectives centered in the head, heart and gut. Everyone can remember 3 things even if they can’t remember all 9 types!”

– Scrappy Kimberly Wiefling

Take a group of humans, mix well, and …voila!

” As someone who has been loosely acquainted with the enneagram and its value in personal life, I am delighted to see this book come out providing both global and specific applications to working with people in business. Although we cannot always design ideal teams based on enneagram type, we can improve assignments and address differences by coming to a deeper understanding of each person. Matt Schlegel gives insightful descriptions of enneagram types that are useful both for people experienced with the enneagram and people who are hearing of it for the first time.
Reading this book will help managers, leaders, team members, and honestly, family members, to be more intelligent in interacting with each other and more able to bring out everyone’s talents. Highly recommended for students of personality, students of teamwork, and people in all kinds of organizations.”

– Lucy Freedman

Managing People for the Win

”Disclosure: I’ve counted Matt as a good friend for the past 15 years, and I wrote a forward for this book.
But rather than dismiss my positive review for the above disclosure, perhaps the following comments help explain why I did choose to write this forward in the first place. In sum, when Matt asked me to review this book, I found the multiple insights in it to be both brilliant and blindingly useful.
But useful for what? Useful for any systems involving people, and their management. Clearly, this statement casts a very broad net. But focusing just on businesses and companies, the statement becomes obvious.
Businesses in dynamic markets often come to “bumpy” spots, requiring a certain dexterity. This is particularly true in the “startup world” of Silicon Valley, California — where I’ve been working as an employee or as a consultant to a great many startups since 1996.
How best to manage these bumpy spots in the road? How best to manage the employees in order to maximize their performance? These are the weighty subjects into which this amazing book dives.
Human failures are well understood to be a leading cause of startup failures in Silicon Valley. This is the case even when the market or technology is the #1 culprit. In these latter cases, some human decisions and approaches make “lemonade” from the “lemons” that their market or technology dealt them. But other human organizations mess it up, and are usually left with some bitterness.
Put simply, Matt’s epic book is a “recipe” for making “lemonade” in your business, and avoiding bitterness.”

– Peter Savich

Improving Team Effectiveness – a must read !

”I purchased the print version of this book which I loved and reviewed earlier. Handy and efficient to now have it on the phone for easy reference !”

– S.Bobès