Working Genius Facilitation
Working Genius
The Working Genius is a productivity tool for teams. This assessment helps individuals to better understand their gifts and frustrations at work while also helping teams understand how to more effectively utilize each member's gifts. The premise of the Working Genius is two-fold: 1) People who use their natural talents are more fulfilled and successful 2) Teams and businesses that help their people tap into their natural talents are more successful and productive. The model outlines 6 types of working geniuses, and all 6 are needed to get any type of work or project accomplished. The six are:
- Wonder - the ability to ponder the possibility of greater potential
- Invention - the ability to come up with novel ideas and solutions
- Discernment - the ability to evaluate ideas and solutions
- Galvanizing - the ability to rally, inspire, and organize others into action
- Enablement - the ability to provide encouragement and specific assistance for an idea or project
- Tenacity - the ability to push projects to completion
Every person has:
- 2 areas of working genius - activities that give you joy, energy, and passion
- 2 areas of working competency - activities that you find neither completely miserable or joyful
- 2 areas of working frustration - activities that drain you of your joy and energy
Certified Working Genius Facilitator
I (Tim) am a certified Working Genius Facilitator and have worked with several teams to go through the Working Genius over the past year. What I love about the Working Genius assessment is that it's very simple to understand (unlike other assessments), and teams can very quickly get to practical applications and make improvements to their work.
The uniqueness of this assessment is that it approaches work through the lens of joy and fulfillment and not necessarily skill. But the two are often connected. If you find joy and fulfillment in an area of work, you will naturally spend more time and energy in that area and develop that skill. But just because you are skilled in an area of work doesn't mean that you find fulfillment in it.
Knowing the each person's Working Geniuses gives teams an understanding and language to work better together. It also allows teams to better design their team and improve effectiveness and overall fulfillment and morale.
If you want to learn about the Working Genius, season one of my podcast (Thriving is the Goal) is all about the Working Genius. Click on the image below to view the episodes.
How to Use the Working Genius Program for your Team
Individual Assessments and Coaching
Each person on the team completes the Working Genius Assessment. It only takes 10-15 minutes to do and you get the results right away. After taking the assessment, they have a one-on-one meeting with me to review their results, confirm their geniuses and frustrations, and discuss applications in their work and life. The goal is to help individuals understand themselves better and get familiar with the Working Genius model.Analysis and Coaching for the Team Leader
After everyone on the team has completed the assessment, I generate a team map for the team leader. We meet one-on-one and I go through a team diagnostic along with a team gap analysis. We also discuss the team's challenges in light of the Working Genius model and brainstorm ways to make improvements.Team Session
We then meet together as a team to go through the Working Genius model and discuss the individual and team results. In the team session, we cover:- Working Genius Overview
- Guilt and Judgment
- Responsive vs. Disruptive Geniuses
- Altitude of Geniuses
- Three Stages of Work
- Review Individual Reports
- Review Team Map
- Past Project Analysis
- The Genius of Meetings
- Takeaways
Next Steps