Core Belief Profile 9

The Peacemaker Elephant

Role Description

The Nine is the peaceful person as they have the stylised image that they are settled and relaxed. They are even-tempered, harmonious, relaxed, unflappable and unpretentious.

The Nine focuses on being sensitive to others and their agendas as well as on keeping life comfortable and familiar. This leads to an avoidance of overt conflict and a tendency to accept the wishes of others by forgetting their own needs. Change is always postponed in order to avoid anger and separation.

The underlying assumption is that the world treats people as unimportant for what they are. They feel a need to blend in as the way to experience a sense of comfort and belonging. As a consequence they will avoid conflict, which is not only avoiding becoming angry but also an avoidance of anything uncomfortable. This can manifest itself through a need to make the peace in every situation, and this will tend to be expressed as a soothing and peaceful environment.

They will go into a safe and carefree inner sanctum in their minds rather than getting out of their imaginations and into action.

Since Nines try to avoid conflict, and any strong emotion is considered to give rise to conflict, they try to suppress all personal emotions.

Focus of attention:

• Others’ agendas, requests and demands.

• All the things in the environment that are going on around them.

Focus of energy:

• Being sensitive to others and trying to please them.

• Keeping life comfortable and familiar.

• Maintaining structure and routine so that life will be predictable.

• Maintaining peace and quiet.

• Containing anger.

• Doing the less essential and comforting activities rather than the more important and more disturbing ones.

Focus of Avoidance

• Conflict, confrontation, feeling uncomfortable.

• Too many competing demands on their attention and energy.

Preferred communication style

• Likes to see the big picture and how all the parts relate to the whole, and looks for the underlying patterns of unity and cohesion.

• Can also take time to thoroughly examine each detail and complete the necessary work in sequence.

• May have trouble shifting attention back and forth from specifics to the big picture, or differentiating foreground and background.

• May have difficulty focusing attention on the priority.

• Sense of camaraderie with others is important; needs to respect who they’re dealing with, but a personal relationship is not necessary.

• Needs to feel comfortable in the environment in order to relax into the learning.

• Access point to learning is through the physical sense of activity, other people and the environment.

Suggestions for the Leader

• Do understand that the Nine never makes fixed commitments as they are always filled with contingency. Confirm the decisions and then the follow-up details that you want them to follow.

• Do appreciate that Nines hate pomposity and pretension. They are naturally humble and want you to be as well.

• Do establish very clear performance goals. They tend to get fuzzy and forgetful when it comes to agreements, so it is good to have them in writing. It is best if the Nine does the writing.

• Realise that asking a nine for their opinion is one way to get them on board.

• Do realise that once a Nine merges with you it is hard to separate. They tend to cling to a relationship long past its use-by date.

• Do realise that Nines will sidetrack themselves from feelings by becoming preoccupied with non-essentials. They will discuss options to avoid conflict and may appear uninterested or withdrawn.

• Do appreciate that Nines retreat into habitual patterns and mundane concerns rather than facing the hard work of engaging in the relationship. It will be up to you to initial change.

• Do be aware that for a deeper relationship, if the Nine merges with you they need to also keep their own identity.

Suggestions for Professional Development

• Don’t ask what you need to do next, rather ask what you need to finish next. Then go about finishing it.

• Learn to tolerate the discomfort of desire. Follow your passions and set personal goals for yourself.

• Don’t leave less desirable options in play. Play those options or eliminate them.

• Do not let decisions that can be made drag on.

• Narrow your focus.

• State what you have to say without qualifying it or undermining it.

• Learn to be specific and direct. And do not feel obliged to repeat yourself.

• Don’t ignore requests for a decision.

Danger

• Sloth

• Non-self-consciousness