Like any vibrant, dynamic organization, the IEA continues to evolve as the needs of our members evolve.

Our vision—a world where the Enneagram is widely understood and constructively used—remains unchanged but our mission, the way the IEA will help bring that vision to fruition, has changed. The IEA’s board of directors voted to revise the IEA’s mission statement to:

The IEA’s mission is to help our members thrive through providing opportunities for:

• Developing greater excellence in the use of the Enneagram
• Education in theory and application of the Enneagram
• Engagement with an international community of shared interest and diversified approachIn the past, the IEA’s mission has been to serve as a hub for developments in theory and application of the Enneagram. As popularity of the Enneagram spreads, we see a larger need, a need driven by the changing demographics of our membership.

  Essentially, our members fall into two broad categories:

•  Those who use the Enneagram in their own personal work.
•  Those who also use the Enneagram in their work with others in areas such as spirituality, psychology, education, the arts, or business.The IEA will continue to provide the same (and even more) services that we always have to the first category of members. We are committed to:

•  Insightful and informative publications covering all the latest developments in Enneagram theory and application;
•  An international conference and an increasing number of regional conferences that bring the finest Enneagram teachers in the world together under one roof;
•  Providing an opportunity for local and global communion with fascinating, like-minded people.The growth in the IEA’s membership has been in the second category; people who use the Enneagram in their work with others. As people take the Enneagram out into the world, it is important to all of us that we do so constructively, in a manner that is ethical and beneficial to the individual. We see our mission as supporting and encouraging those efforts—serving the community of people publicly committed to a shared set of ethical standards and commitment to integrity in our practice.

The new mission statement changes little about the spirit of the organization, but it serves as a public declaration of intent. It will help the IEA’s board of directors, other volunteers, and all of us, as members, better focus our energy and the organization’s resources on the initiatives that matter the most.

In the article titled New IEA Initiatives and the Value of Membership, I discuss some of our exciting activities—a book publishing project, a research task group, and a revamped accreditation program, to name a few.