Working Genius & Coaching [Enablement]
"Can I do that for you?" or "I can make that happen!" These are phrases someone with an E as a Working Genius type frequently say and words I LOVE to hear!
The fifth type of Working Genius is Enablement. The Table Group folks like to mention that this is the good kind of enabling, not the bad kind. The word "enable" may have a bad reputation, but the concept is beautiful!
Enabling takes that project we have dreamed about, thought through, discerned to be ready to go, and rallied around on to the invaluable step of actually doing something! Enabling is the ultimate action step. It launches the concept into reality!
If your Working Genius letters don't include an E, you may struggle with "boots on the ground" forward movement or repeated tasks. This may mean you make lists but don't get to them, or you have competing priorities, and the actual doing part gets pushed down.
Enablement is a frustration for me. (I have a strong T genius, but that is different, more...
Working Genius & Coaching [Discernment]
Discernment is noteworthy for several reasons.
- It's the third letter/step in the Working Genius process. (Wonder and Invention are the first two.)
- Discernment may be the most neglected part of the process while at the same time the most important.
- Discernment is likely the most difficult genius to describe and also to trust.
Let me explain.
The official Working Genius definition of Discernment is "The natural gift of intuitively and instinctively evaluating ideas and situations."
It's a gut thing. And personally, that is hard for me. I'm a facts person. I value logic and reason, so when someone with the genius of discernment just isn't "feeling it", I have a hard time accepting that.
And yet - I have paid many a steep price for skipping this step.
I'd like to think I have this genius, but the truth is I just want to move things along. I tend to go straight from invention to implementation and skip D and G altogether. (More on G next time.)
Once I start...
Working Genius and Coaching [Invention]
Next in the Working Genius series lineup is Invention.
First, we had Wonder - in a nutshell - that is where the ideas start. Then we move to stage 2 of our 6-letter series.
Patrick Lencioni defines the Genius of Invention as "The natural gift of creating original and novel ideas and solutions." Remember a genius is something you just love to do - you were born for it. You enjoy it so much that you lose track of time when you get to do it.
Invention is like that for me!
I LOVE to ideate, especially when it has something to do with organizing and projecting. Structure development is way fun for me. I'm happy to build multiple scenario possibilities so the best ideas can be chosen.
I know it's a little geeky, maybe even more than a little, but understanding this genius has changed my work life in a few significant ways.
1) I volunteer to organize stuff now. I used to think everyone loved structure and I was "stealing" the fun jobs if I worked on...
Working Genius & Coaching [Wonder]
Wonder is the first in the lineup for Working Genius.
Wonder is the start of .... well....everything. Nothing new starts without this essential first step.
People with the Working Genius of Wonder have a natural tendency to think of new versions of what is or completely new ideas of what could be. In short, they have a propensity to see what might be out there.
I like to think of wonder thoughts as seeds. Planters often have a lot more seeds than actually take root, but without seeds, there can be no plants.
If you have a client who has this genius they will easily dream about possibilities and depending on their second genius they may, or may not, need direction in choosing which dreams to pursue.
Clients who have Wonder as a frustration (one of their two lowest-scoring geniuses) will likely have difficulty, or be frustrated coming up with dreams or potential long-term goals. I see this all the time with faithful people who are truly put out by thoughts for their...
Working Genius & Coaching [Intro]
I've been following Patrick Lencioni for years so when he came out with the Working Genius assessment in 2020 and said it was his "magnum opus", I paid attention. (If you don't know of him he literally wrote the book - actually a series of books - on business leadership and teamwork. His books have changed my life and the lives of many!
His newest work, Working Genius, is an assessment tool that helps people identify their God-given design. As people learn what makes them tick they can find their best placement on any team. A wise leader has people placed where they fit best and do what they love.
Working Genius actually breaks down the process of any project into 6 categories. Lencioni says, "Every job is a 6 letter job." And then the premise of Working Genius is that each person has two letters that are their "genius", defined as something they love to do and do easily and without effort. Then there are two letters that are competences, you can do them,...