Coaching Enneagram Type 3
Tips for Working with the Achiever
Coaching Enneagram Type 3 clients, also known as “The Achiever,” means working with driven, adaptable, and goal-oriented individuals who value success and results.
Threes often bring energy, ambition, and focus into the coaching space, but they can also struggle with over-identifying with their accomplishments, neglecting their emotions, and adjusting their pace to avoid burnout.
Whether you’re new to coaching Enneagram Type 3 clients or want to sharpen your approach, this guide will give you three key insights, three common pitfalls to avoid, and three practical tools you can use right away to help “The Achiever” succeed in ways that align with their true self, not just their image.
3 Key Coaching Insights for Enneagram Type 3 Clients
1. Image Isn’t Identity
Enneagram Type 3 clients often equate who they are with what they achieve. Helping them separate their sense of self from their professional or personal accomplishments is a key part of their growth.
2. Slowing Down Can Increase Success
While Threes thrive on momentum, taking intentional pauses for reflection helps ensure they’re pursuing goals that truly matter to them—not just what looks good from the outside.
3. Authenticity Builds Lasting Impact
Encouraging them to show up as their whole selves, rather than only the polished, high-performing version, deepens their relationships and makes their achievements more fulfilling.
3 Common Coaching Pitfalls with Enneagram Type 3
1. Reinforcing Overwork
Celebrating every win without checking in on their energy levels can validate unsustainable work habits and lead to burnout.
2. Focusing Only on Performance Goals
If you only coach them around tangible results, you miss opportunities to help them connect to deeper values and emotional fulfillment.
3. Skipping Emotional Check-Ins
Threes may avoid talking about feelings to keep the focus on progress. Without space to process emotions, their growth can remain surface-level.
3 Practical Coaching Tools for Enneagram Type 3
1. Values-Based Goal Setting
Ask, “If no one else knew about this goal, would it still matter to you?” to align actions with intrinsic motivation.
2. Energy Audit
Have them list their current commitments and rate each for both impact and personal fulfillment, then identify where they can slow down or delegate.
3. Authenticity Challenge
Encourage them to share one unpolished truth or behind-the-scenes reality with a trusted person this week, then reflect on the response.
Quick Recap of Coaching Enneagram Type 3 Clients
Best approach:
Help them separate identity from achievement, create space for reflection, and embrace authenticity.Biggest challenges:
Overworking, performance-focused self-worth, and avoiding emotional depth.Opener for emotional work:
Invite them to define success in their own terms, beyond metrics or image.
Final Thoughts
Enneagram Type 3 clients bring determination, adaptability, and focus to the coaching relationship.
When you help them slow down, connect with their values, and embrace authenticity, they can achieve success that’s not just impressive on the outside but deeply meaningful on the inside.
These tips are just a starting point; each client’s journey is unique, and deeper layers, such as subtype and instinctual patterns, can further refine your coaching approach.
Want more ready-to-use tools for your Enneagram coaching sessions?
Download my free guide: 120 Enneagram Reflection Prompts to Use with Clients.
These prompts are designed to help you ask better questions, spark deeper conversations, and unlock new breakthroughs in your sessions.
