As a certified facilitator of Patrick Lencioni’s 6 Types of Working Genius, I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the companion book to the certification. The recently released book, The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team is, like all of Lencioni’s books, a business fable that shares a theory in a fictional setting so we can easily understand and implement the ideas.
This book is a bit different in that it is an autobiography! The characters are (mostly) real, with a few name changes and character composites. But knowing the backstory of how Lencioni arrived at this model IS the story that is captured in the book!
The premise of the book is quite simple: every task has six elements and while we can DO each of these tasks, TWO are our “genius.” Our genius gives us energy and joy and is pretty much our default happy place. We also have two that are our “frustrations.” These are the things we don’t like to do, and two that we are competent at.
While some people might view this as a personality profile, it’s more of a productivity tool in making sure we have our people in the “right seats on the bus” and maximizing their gifts! It also explains why some very competent people are suffering from burnout. Our team members are suffering from burnout because we heap so much on them because they can do a good job, but it is not their genius or happy spot!
It’s a quick and easy read and worthwhile to have a team discussion about how the six working geniuses apply to your team!
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