3’s Core Motivation – I am striving to:

• Feel outstanding, valued, desirable and successful

I focus my attention on:

• Achieving goals, accomplishing tasks, being efficient and getting results
• Gaining the respect and esteem of others often by showing my worth and capability

I avoid:

• Circumstances where I feel like a failure
• Drama and situations that are emotionally demanding

Typical characteristics and strengths:

• Accomplished, highly-regarded
• Success-oriented
• Goal-oriented, motivated
• Driven, ambitious
• Hard-working, productive
• Efficient, competent, often well-organized
• Energetic, task-oriented
• Well-developed interpersonal skills
• Pragmatic
• Confident

Typical challenges or blindspots:

• Competitive
• Opportunistic, calculating
• Image and appearance-conscious, sometimes vain
• Workaholic, task-obsessed, over-extended
• Standoffish, inattentive to feelings and relationships
• Impatient, rushed, abrupt
• Intense
• Self-promoting, arrogant

Typical patterns and behaviors:

• I enjoy being productive. I focus a lot of my time and attention on my work.
• Whether at work or at play, I endeavor to excel at what I do. I enjoy competition and being the best.
• Some may say I am a bit of a chameleon. I am able to “read the room” and quickly adapt to fit in.
• My communication skills are an asset. I am confident talking to people. Conversation comes easily.
• My life is busy. My schedule is often packed. It is common for me to feel pressured that I have more to do than time to do it in.
• Feelings – mine and others – often interfere with productivity and efficiency so I try to keep things pragmatic and business-oriented.
• I can come off as rude or abrupt when I am stressed or feel pressed for time.
• I have a temper especially when obstacles impact or slow the achievement of goals and/or the completion of tasks.

Considering your wings and arrows may help clarify nuances of your type.

• 3’s Wings: 2 and 4. Most of us “lean” more toward one of our two wings, sharing some behaviors with that type.
• Growth Arrow: 6. 3’s “move” toward 6 adopting 6ish behaviors and patterns for growth and development.
• Stress Arrow: 9.  Where 3’s may go when they are experiencing acute stress or difficulty. Here we see the 3 demonstrate “low-side” or unhealthy type 9 behaviors.

Not sure what Enneagram type you are? Please contact me to learn more about Enneagram typing.