Day 30 — My Working Genius

My Working Geniuses are Invention and Discernment.

I’m preparing to get my certification as a Working Genius facilitator. The “6 Types of Working Genius” assessment and model created by Patrick Lencioni and the Table Group have been invaluable to my work in ministry. Because I appreciate nearly everything Lencioni creates, I was an early adopter of this assessment. I love that it is clear, simple, transferable, and actionable.

My two areas of Working Genius are Invention and Discernment, and interestingly, my profile matches exactly with Patrick Lencioni’s.

Here’s how the model describes the Genius of Invention:

“The Genius of Invention is about coming up with novel ideas and solutions to solve problems and address issues. Invention involves creativity and original thinking, often with little direction. People with this genius are confident and inspired by a problem that has no apparent solution, and they derive energy and joy from getting the opportunity to take a first crack at coming up with a new idea. The benefits of this genius are generally well-understood in society, and include anything related to innovation, novel thinking, and original problem-solving.”

Here are some things an Inventor might say:

• “Hey, I’ve got an idea.”
• “What about this?”
• “Here’s something that might work for you.”
• “Please let me try to come up with a solution for that.”

And here’s what people might say about Inventors:

• “Where does she come up with these ideas?”
• “He always has a new idea or solution, even if we don’t ask for one.”
• “She’s so creative. She’ll think of something new.”
• “He’s a genius.”

Ultimately, the Genius of Invention can be summed up as: “Creating original and novel ideas and solutions.”

My secondary Working Genius is called the Genius of Discernment. This genius is described as:

“The Genius of Discernment involves making good judgments relying on instinct and intuition across a wide variety of situations. It entails pattern recognition and integrative thinking, rather than expertise, knowledge, or data. As such, people with Discernment have a knack for and derive energy and joy from evaluating whether or not an idea is sound, or if it requires further tweaking and adjustments. The benefits of Discernment are many, even if they are somewhat difficult to pinpoint as a result of the intuitive nature of the gift. They include curating, evaluating, and identifying the best ideas, and avoiding the ones that aren’t good or refining those that aren’t yet ready.”

People with the Genius of Discernment often say:

• “Now, that’s a great idea.”
• “This isn’t going to work.”
• “Tell me more about your proposal; I think you’re on to something.”
• “I think I know what we need to change.”

Here’s what others might say about people with the Genius of Discernment:

• “Ask her. She always seems to have the best advice.”
• “He has uncanny intuition. I trust his gut.”
• “She’ll know what’s good or bad about your idea.”
• “He has great judgment and taste when it comes to almost anything.”

The Genius of Discernment can be summed up as: “Using your intuition and instincts to evaluate and assess ideas or plans.”

When paired together, my two areas of Working Genius form what is known as the “Discriminating Ideator.” Here’s a description of this pairing:

“People with this pairing get real energy and joy from using their intuition and instinctive ability to come up with new ideas from scratch, and they are good at using integrative thinking and pattern recognition rather than data and expertise. As a result, they are particularly effective in solving problems and coming up with workable, practical solutions with a particularly high level of success. They can sometimes appear impatient and over-confident when they receive pushback around their ideas, and they often lose interest after the initial phase of Invention is over.”

My profile indicates that I crave two things:

1. Freedom — I want the freedom to create and invent without constraints or restrictions.
2. Trust — I want people to trust my judgment, instincts, and assessments.

On the other hand, I am hindered by two things:

1. Constraint — I dislike restrictive parameters or being forced to stay ‘inside the box.’
2. “Prove it.” — I dislike having to argue for people to believe what my gut is telling me.

Understanding the Working Genius model has clarified my role within an organization and the type of work I wish to focus on. I no longer feel guilty for not excelling in every area; instead, it has helped me appreciate others around me who possess strengths in my areas of weakness.

If you’re looking to become a more effective leader or build a more cohesive work team, I highly recommend exploring the Working Genius assessment. It’s the most helpful resource for work and teamwork I’ve encountered in years.

Always onwards,

Thien