As days full of meetings, email design, strategy development, and more go by, it is not easy to devote time to NextLevel Thinking as a strategy firm and as a team. Our clients are our first priority, but looking inwardly to examine how we can improve is vital to staying afloat.
Enter: Working Genius.
Working Genius is a book and personality test developed by Patrick Lencioni and his team to help others find what work brings them energy and what brings frustration, all in the name of avoiding burnout. In an effort to better understand one another and to assess our overall strengths and weaknesses, the NextLevel Thinking team took the assessment with the help of Kathy Gregory. Kathy Gregory runs KG-Wellness, an “organizational wellness program that provides robust, employee-centric and individualized health-encouraging programs for you and your employees.” With Kathy’s help, our team was able to identify each person’s “Geniuses” and “Frustrations” to find what work brings each person joy and what does not. From there, we assessed pain points in our daily work and how we can make adjustments so that everyone was as close as they could be to regularly working in their Genius. When asked about her time working with our team, Kathy had this to say:
“Patrick Lencioni says, “The best leaders are self-aware.” And I couldn’t agree more. Working with Eric and the NLT team in delivering Working Genius assessments and team debriefs was a powerful experience for us all. Each team member walked away with a greater understanding of what aspects of their work gives them more joy, fulfillment, and energy and vice versa. As we completed a debrief session, a team member very genuinely stated there were parts of her job that made her want to “pull her eyelashes out”. That statement is the essence of what Working Genius can uncover. I think we can all identify with the emotion associated with that statement and the Working Genius model is an antidote to it. Equally as great to that team member’s revelation was the fact there is someone else on the team who loves the work she hates and it can now be delegated, a win-win. Eric’s commitment to his team’s well-being is commendable. He wants them to love their job and have fun doing it. When you love what you do, how you show-up for your clients, yourself, and the world changes. Working Genius provides a very actionable strategy for better communication on a team as well as with clients. If your team is looking to mitigate stress and burnout while increasing productivity, Working Genius is the lighted pathway forward.”
Based on the progress we made with Working Genius, our team now understands each other on a deeper level and can more easily lay out a work plan that uses everyone’s strengths. Read below to hear how this exercise helped each person on our team:
“I appreciate the time investment we’ve made in identifying each of our Geniuses. Through this process our team has identified individual strengths, improved team dynamics and increased productivity. We can look forward to enhanced job satisfaction as a result I’m the future as we’re all able to operate more in our Genius.” – Tara Lockhart
“The ability to see each co-workers working personality is very helpful in understanding why something may be more difficult for some than others. I now can have this assessment in mind when delegating, beginning projects, or tackling any challenges that arise.” – Emily Hemenway Hiley
“The Working Genius has given us language to understand how each other likes to work. It’s already made for a better working environment, sparked good conversations, and helped us to think differently.” – Kate Buchanan
“The Working Genius assessment was a game-changer for me in understanding why I’m drawn to certain tasks and avoid others. This assessment has not only enhanced my personal understanding but has also fostered a team dynamic where we remain mindful of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. As a result, our work environment has become more cooperative and accommodating.” – Angie De La Cruz
“We are beginning to transform how we work together by recognizing and harnessing our unique strengths. The Working Genius model is allowing us to tap into our collective brilliance!” – Eric Poerschke
Click here to learn more about Working Genius.