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I am a sucker for personality tests. In fact, when I did my MBA, I chose a program that had an emphasis in taking a deep dive into how our personalities play a crucial role in leadership. Simply, I love this stuff. Afterall, today’s workplace is a complex ecosystem where each professional plays a critical role in achieving collective productivity. Identifying and utilizing each individual's inherent strengths and weaknesses is crucial for optimal performance and satisfaction.
With that said, you may have also experienced the let-down after going through the personality profile event with your team. What’s next? How do we put this knowledge about ourselves and our team into action? Having lead countless retreats, I struggled with helping teams create lasting change once they got back to their hurried work nature. To this end, I am excited to have found The Working Genius model. The platform transcends traditional personality tests to provide a deep understanding of our natural competencies and areas for development based not on what we are good at, rather, what brings us joy or exhausts us. It is knowledge you can actually implement.
The Mechanics of Working Genius
Imagine a tool that offers you a mirror, not of your traits or preferences, but of your most efficient modes of operation and potential areas of strife. This is the promise of the Working Genius model, which posits that each project is built on six foundational pillars, none of which operates in isolation:
Wonder: Speculates and questions, champions the pursuit of what could be.
Invention: Enjoys innovating from scratch, finds joy in blank canvases.
Discernment: Evaluates workability, is adept at feedback and pattern recognition.
Galvanizing: Loves to inspire and get things moving, the firestarter of the team.
Enablement: Makes projects happen, is highly attuned to support and logistics.
Tenacity: Task-driven, ensures completion and conformance to standards.
These are not mere descriptions but identifiers of the inherent preferences and passions that drive us in our work. Each professional resonates more deeply with one or a combination of these geniuses, which can often be juxtaposed against the responsibilities and expectations of their roles.
What I found most interesting and eye-opening about Working Genius when I first was exposed to this tool was that my lowest areas of working genius – the areas that drain me and I dread – are actually genius areas for which I excel, further validating that this tool isn’t about strengths and weaknesses. By leveraging our natural tendencies, we can experience a level of synergy with our tasks and teams that is deeply instructive to the future of the workplace.
Benefits of Harmonizing with Your Genius
The advantages of working in alignment with your innate genius are manifold, cutting through the typical workplace narratives of burnout, stress, and dissatisfaction. By identifying and harnessing your genius, you unlock the secret to:
Sustained engagement and motivation, as you are naturally drawn to the work that ignites your passion.
Improved team dynamics, as you recognize and appreciate the unique contributions each team member brings.
Personalized performance evaluation, providing a clear lens for both self and organizational assessments.
Enhanced job satisfaction, as you spend more time on what you love and less on what drains you.
Strategic skill development, allowing focused and deliberate growth in areas that complement your genius.
This isn't about cherry-picking roles but rather offering a nuanced understanding of how to structure teams and tackle tasks with the highest chance of success and personal fulfillment. Further, it is essential to recognize that all six geniuses are integral to the life cycle of any project. This isn't a license to shy away from discomfort but rather an invitation to build robust and well-rounded teams.
I believe so strongly in this platform that I recently become certified as a Working Genius facilitator. A Working Genius workshop is a great team-building event, a fantastic kick-off to a strategic planning session, or a great option for coaching team members. Are you truly working in your genius? The answer might just change the course of your work life.
Let me know if you’d like to schedule a call to chat about your Working Genius!