What is a Working Genius Assessment?

Christine Courtney
Christine Courtney

What is a Working Genius Assessment?

The 6 Types of  Working Genius Assessment is a tool used to identify an individual's unique strengths and areas of expertise, or "working genius." The assessment typically involves a series of questions or activities designed to measure an individual's skills, abilities, and preferences in various areas, such as problem-solving, communication, leadership, and collaboration. The results of a Working Genius Assessment can be used to help individuals understand their own strengths and areas of expertise, and how they can leverage these to contribute to their organization or team. They can also be used by organizations to better understand the strengths and skills of their employees, and how they can be leveraged to achieve greater success.

There are a variety of different personality or work behavior assessments available, each with its own approach and methodology. Some assessments may be based on self-report measures, while others may involve observation or other forms of assessment. It's important to carefully consider the specific needs and goals of your organization or team when selecting a Working Genius Assessment, and to choose one that is aligned with your values and objectives. 

Benefits of a Working Genius Assessment

Builds our Emotional Intelligence​

Working genius, or an individual's unique strengths and areas of expertise, can play a role in building emotional intelligence in several ways. By understanding and leveraging one's own working genius, individuals can become more self-aware and better able to recognize and understand their own emotions. For example, someone with the Genius of Tenacity, or the ability to stay focused and persevere in the face of challenges, may be better able to recognize and manage their own stress or frustration in a high-pressure situation.

In addition to building self-awareness, working genius can also help individuals build empathy and understand the emotions of others. For example, someone with the Genius of Enablement, or the ability to facilitate and support the success of others, may be better able to recognize and respond to the emotional needs of team members. By understanding and leveraging their own working genius, individuals can develop stronger emotional intelligence and build more effective relationships with others.

Overall, working genius and emotional intelligence are closely intertwined, and developing one can often help enhance the other. By leveraging their unique strengths and skills, individuals can build their emotional intelligence and become more effective leaders and team members.

Aligned with latest research on Building Successful Teams

There is a growing body of research on the factors that contribute to the success of teams, and how to effectively build and manage teams to achieve high performance. Working genius, or an individual's unique strengths and areas of expertise, aligns with this research in several ways.

One key factor in building successful teams is ensuring that team members have the necessary skills and expertise to contribute to the team's goals and objectives. By understanding and leveraging the working genius of team members, leaders can ensure that the team has the right mix of skills and expertise to achieve success.

Another important factor is the ability to effectively communicate and collaborate within the team. By understanding the working genius of team members, leaders can help create a culture of open communication and collaboration, and ensure that team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and working together towards a shared goal.

In addition, research has shown that diversity of thought and perspective is an important factor in the success of teams. By embracing the unique strengths and skills of team members, and encouraging them to bring their diverse perspectives to the table, leaders can create a more diverse and innovative team.

Overall, working genius aligns with the latest research on building successful teams by helping leaders build teams with the necessary skills and expertise, foster open communication and collaboration, and embrace diversity of thought and perspective.

20% Personality Assessment 80% productivity tool

There is no doubt that many people love personality quizzes and assessments and they can be a great tool for helping people understand the differences that exist between us and why working together can sometimes be challenging.  Every group I have ever worked with has an “aha” moment when they realize that the person in accounting who is so frustrating that you want to tear your hair out is only behaving in a way that is innate to him and foreign to you.  His cautious pace and difficulty making a fast decision may conflict with your impulsive spirit and comfortability with risk.  But both ways of being are actually good for the company and a learning partnership for the team if they realize it.  Beyond the first “aha” realization, what you decide to DO with information is the key to success.  Most of the time it is a “one and done” experience where the initial learning happens but then the real work of communicating and flexing to work better for the project is often forgotten as we revert to our preferred ways above the needs of others.  Emotional and Social Intelligence means understanding ourselves and others better.  The 6 Types of Working Genius helps us to that. 

The 6 Types of Working Genius goes beyond personality assessment and becomes a powerful productivity tool when used throughout an organization.  When people are working more each day in their geniuses (their areas that give them feelings of joy, purpose and accomplishment) they work harder, faster and with more energy.  The days fly by with more being accomplished and with more joy.    

Working genius can be a powerful productivity tool when leveraged effectively. By understanding and utilizing their own working genius, individuals can focus on tasks and projects that align with their strengths, and be more productive and efficient in their work. Understanding and leveraging one's own working genius can be a powerful productivity tool, helping individuals focus on tasks and projects that align with their strengths and skills, and be more efficient and effective in their work.

For example, if someone has the Genius of Tenacity, or the ability to persevere and stay focused in the face of challenges, they may be well-suited to tasks that require sustained focus and attention to detail. By focusing on these types of tasks, they can leverage their natural strengths and skills to be more productive and efficient.

Similarly, if someone has the Genius of Enablement, or the ability to facilitate and support the success of others, they may be well-suited to tasks that involve collaboration and teamwork. By leveraging their natural strengths and skills in these areas, they can be more effective in their work and contribute to the success of their team.

Why We Love This Model

Discussion on incorporating the learning in work and with teams​

  • Have your whole company take the 10 minute assessment.  It is only $25/per person and each comes with an immediate full report.  They will love the insights they will see right away.
  • If you do the assessments through us we will organize the process for you and give you an overall assessment of where your team is and some areas for growth
  • We will put them into Team maps for you based on the ways you work
  • We can come out and do a half day team workshop that will be as fun as it is insightful.  Participants will learn more about how they work and learn to recognize and utilize the geniuses of their teammates.  We will help your teams create strategies for amplifying genius and minimizing work frustrations.  
  • We can then come back a couple weeks later to troubleshoot areas of concern and offer solutions.  This session is used to take the learning to the next level and connect the team in a meaningful way that pushes them towards happier and more productive workplaces.

Plan how to sustain the work

  • Two group sessions a few weeks a part 
  • Integrate into your regular staff meetings and info that can guide your managers to in their one-on-one meetings with direct reports to focus on asking about how much time people are spending working in their frustrations, competencies and geniuses - working to increasing the genius time by 10% and decreasing the frustrations by the same.
  • Coaching for staff whose work lies too much in their frustration zone
  • Booster sessions once a year to keep the vocabulary and the learnings currents so people dont afll back into old habits - plus these sessions are fun teambuilding opportunities to charge up your company culture

There is no best or worst genius

  • They are all good and necessary in the flow of work - that is a powerful “aha” for many learning the model​

How to Get Started with Working Genius Assessment

  • Schedule a consultation with one of our Certified Working Genius facilitators to see if working genius is right for your organization. 
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Christine Courtney

By Christine Courtney

Christine is the President of The Leadership Program (TLP). Additionally, she teaches workshops for companies and coach’s leaders inside her company and out. Christine has an obsessive passion for helping people step into their leadership and make positive change in their lives and in the world. She completed Stanford University's Executive Leadership Program, a CEO member of Vistage and Chief and a graduate of The University of the Arts. Her other roles have included mom, spouse, soccer coach, block party organizer and chief dishwasher. The Leadership Program has been providing leadership development training for 30 years. Their facilitators are a magical combination of educator, business leader, and performer. They are highly sought after for keynote addresses and conference workshops nationwide. They help companies small and large find dynamic ways to engage employees in continued learning. Their clients include Brooklyn Brewery, PwC, DBI, Visa, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Facebook, Mount Sinai, Tradeweb and more. They also work with thousands of NYC public school kids every week bringing leadership development and social emotional learning into classrooms and afterschool clubs through arts and sports programs.