10 Coaching Questions for Enneagram 5's
What else do we need to know?
According to the Enneagram Institute, Fives are alert, insightful, and curious. They are able to concentrate and focus on developing complex ideas and skills. Independent, innovative, and inventive, they can also become preoccupied with their thoughts and imaginary constructs. They become detached, yet high-strung and intense. They typically have problems with eccentricity, nihilism, and isolation. At their Best: visionary pioneers, often ahead of their time, and able to see the world in an entirely new way.
We have named personality type Five The Investigator because, more than any other type, Fives want to find out why things are the way they are. They want to understand how the world works, whether it is the cosmos, the microscopic world, the animal, vegetable, or mineral kingdoms—or the inner world of their imaginations. They are always searching, asking questions, and delving into things in depth. They do not accept received opinions and doctrines, feeling a strong need to test the truth of most assumptions for themselves.
(*Definitions are from The Enneagram Institute. You can take a free enneagram test here if you are interested.)
There's always more to know right? 5's are infinitely curious. They want to understand the universe and all its intricacies, as well as the human psyche. They feel if they can figure out how things work they can add value to whatever they set their mind too. They are infinitely curious and also just like knowing stuff to know it.
Knowing your own type and tendencies, as well as those of the person you are coaching, can help you ask empowering questions that lead to those wonderful coaching "Aha" moments!
5's as coaches can harness their curiosity to help others delve into what God is prompting them toward.
5's being coached likely need assistance to move out of the research stage of whatever they are considering.
Here are 10 questions for 5's:
1) What area of expertise has God prompted you to comprehend? 5's often have a number of competency areas they find intriguing, they can become experts in certain fields and become a valuable resource. (Even though personally they may often feel they have just scratched the surface of what could be known in that arena.)
2) What are the practical applications of what you have learned? Knowing information is not enough. If what is known does not affect real life, the knowledge is stuck inside someone's head.
3) When will you know enough? There is always more to know. Helping a 5 discern when they know enough can be a freeing venture. Keep in mind, for a 5 there will always be more to know, but the real question is when will you know enough.
4) Where can you best invest? Following their curiosity can lead 5's into varied fields. They often have multiple fields of interest and could add value in a variety of arenas. They are not likely to forward themselves into positions of influence but in many cases would have valuable information that could be pertinent. Helping 5's choose where they can assist can make a world of difference for them and for the circles they can invest in.
5) Where else can you get information? Reading is usually the go-to for 5's but exploring other means of gathering data can be intriguing as well. Hearing from experts or someone who has experience and bring facets of understanding that cannot be read in a book.
6) How can you get out of your head for a bit? Helping a 5 find physical outlets can be a needed, but unfamiliar, release. Perhaps they could use a hobby like gardening or photography, and find a way to exercise like walking or bike riding.
7) Who can you connect with? It's good for 5's to have others who are thinkers in their lives, they "get" each other, but it is also good for 5's to have people in their lives who get them out of the ethereal into the real. Helping 5's find people who get them and also who are quite different from them have so much value.
8) How can you learn to perceive what you are feeling? 5's can get so into whatever the flavor of the season is that they are intrigued by that they can forget to check in with themselves as humans. Helping a 5 understand emotions and maybe even start a journaling habit can help them connect with their core.
9) What may be holding you back? 5's can feel hesitant to move forward on whatever they are considering. Helping them name their fears or concerns, and discern what God is saying about them, can help them bring the best of who they are out into the world.
10) Who could benefit? Helping a 5 see how they could bring value by sharing what they know could open new doors of connection and impact.
5's who are coaches can help others see the intricacies of what they are considering. Their natural curiosity can make them insightful active listeners as well as proficient question askers.
5's being coached need to be prompted to find ways to connect their inquisitive minds with practical ways their research can be used in real life. They also need to learn the value of understanding their emotions and find avenues for personal relationships.
To learn more about your personal divine design check out our course Destiny by Design. For more on Coach Training and other Bridges Coaching offerings check out our Bridges Coaching home page.