Building Psychologically Safe Teams: The Enneagram in the Workplace

Psychological safety is a huge topic in workplaces today. When psychological safety is present people take healthy risks, feedback flows, learning accelerates, trust deepens and performance improves. When it’s absent people protect, withhold, over-function or disengage and default to survival patterns.

At it's most basic level, psychological safety is the safety of your psychology - your human mind and the way it functions. Humans want to feel free to be themselves in the workplace without fear of punishment or alienation.

This is where the Enneagram becomes especially powerful. Each type has a core fear (what feels threatening) and a core need (what restores steadiness).Psychological safety grows when workplaces understand and respond to both.

Rather than treating safety as a one-size-fits-all initiative, the Enneagram shows us: Different people feel safe for different reasons.

Below are practical, human-centred ways to support each type, what fits for you and what do you wish more people would know about your type patterns?

Enneagram 1 - Safety Through Integrity & Fairness

Core fear: Being bad, wrong, corrupt

Core need: To be good, ethical, and aligned

They feel psychologically safe when:

• Expectations are clear and consistent

• Standards are applied fairly

• Feedback is specific and respectful

What helps:

• Acknowledge effort, not just outcomes

• Invite their input on improving systems

• Normalize learning instead of perfection

What quietly erodes safety:

• Arbitrary rule changes

• Hypocrisy

• Public shaming around mistakes

Enneagram 2 – Safety Through Appreciation & Belonging

Core fear: Being unwanted or unneeded

Core need: To feel valued and connected

They feel psychologically safe when:

• Their care and contributions are noticed

• They aren’t only valued for what they give

• Relational warmth exists, not just task focus

What helps:

• Say thank you, specifically

• Encourage boundaries

• Check in about their workload

What erodes safety:

• Taking their support for granted

• Only engaging them when something is needed

• Being left out of people-related communication or decisions

Enneagram 3 – Safety Through Respect & Recognition

Core fear: Being worthless

Core need: To feel valuable

They feel psychologically safe when:

• Success is acknowledged

• Goals are clear

• Feedback is direct and constructive

What helps:

• Recognize effort and growth, not just wins

• Normalize slowing down

• Separate worth from performance

What erodes safety:

• Public embarrassment

• Vague or moving goalposts

• Only valuing visible results

Enneagram 4 – Safety Through Authenticity & Understanding

Core fear: Having no identity or significance

Core need: To be seen and understood

They feel psychologically safe when:

• Emotional nuance is welcome

• Differences are respected

• They aren’t minimized or rushed past feelings

What helps:

• Ask open-ended questions

• Validate experience even when you disagree

• Make room for depth

What erodes safety:

• Dismissing emotions

• Telling them to “just be positive”

• Treating feelings as inconvenient

Enneagram 5 – Safety Through Space & Competence

Core fear: Being overwhelmed or depleted

Core need: To feel capable and resourced

They feel psychologically safe when:

• They have autonomy

• Expectations are clear

• Their expertise is respected

What helps:

• Give time to think before responding

• Avoid surprise demands

• Invite their perspective without pressure

What erodes safety:

• Constant interruptions

• Being forced to speak before ready

• Micromanagement

Enneagram 6 – Safety Through Trust & Predictability

Core fear: Being unsupported or unsafe

Core need: To feel secure and guided

They feel psychologically safe when:

• Leaders are consistent

• Communication is transparent

• Questions are welcomed

What helps:

• Explain the “why” behind decisions

• Follow through

• Normalize concerns

What erodes safety:

• Mixed messages

• Sudden changes without context

• Dismissing their caution

Enneagram 7 – Safety Through Freedom & Possibility

Core fear: Being trapped or deprived

Core need: To feel satisfied and free

They feel psychologically safe when:

• Ideas are welcomed

• Optimism is balanced with realism

• They aren’t shamed for enthusiasm

What helps:

• Offer choices

• Break big tasks into engaging steps

• Allow creative problem-solving

What erodes safety:

• Overly rigid structures

• Shaming positivity

• No space for imagination

Enneagram 8 – Safety Through Respect & Autonomy

Core fear: Being controlled or harmed

Core need: To protect themselves and others

They feel psychologically safe when:

• They aren’t micromanaged

• Power struggles are avoided

• Honesty is direct

What helps:

• Be straightforward

• Honor their independence

• Invite collaboration rather than control

What erodes safety:

• Manipulation

• Passive-aggressive communication

• Questioning their strength or competence

Enneagram 9 – Safety Through Harmony & Inclusion

Core fear: Loss of connection

Core need: To feel at peace and connected

They feel psychologically safe when:

• Their voice is invited

• Conflict is handled calmly

• They aren’t rushed into decisions

What helps:

• Ask for their perspective directly

• Create gentle structure

• Affirm that their presence matters

What erodes safety:

• Being overlooked

• Loud, chaotic environments

• Pressure-filled confrontation

Psychological safety isn’t built through a single workshop or policy. It’s built through daily relational behaviours. The Enneagram is an ideal tool to continue to develop common language and to open up conversations around what works and what doesn't when it comes to each individual's psychological safety.

Start simple and ask a colleague, when do you feel most like yourself at work?