Book: 6 Types of Working Genius

"6 Types of Working Genius"

I. Core Theme: Understanding and Utilizing Individual Geniuses for Greater Fulfillment and Team Productivity

The central premise of this work is that individuals experience greater job satisfaction and teams achieve higher levels of productivity when people are working within their areas of "Working Genius." The book introduces a model consisting of six distinct types of work, arguing that recognizing these types and aligning them with individual strengths leads to a more positive work experience and improved team dynamics.

II. The Six Types of Working Genius

The model defines six areas of "genius," each representing a different kind of work. These are not simply skills, but activities that give individuals joy and energy. The six geniuses are:

1. Wonder (W): Thinking, pondering, and contemplating; asking "Is there a better way?" or "Are we fulfilling our full potential?" It's characterized by observation and questioning. "People with the Wonder genius respond to their environment, observing the organization, industry, or world around them in order to generate questions."
2. Invention (I): Coming up with new ideas and solutions; origination, creativity, and ingenuity. "The Genius of Invention is all about coming up with new ideas and solutions. People with this genius are drawn toward origination, creativity, and ingenuity in the truest sense of those words, even with little direction and context."
3. Discernment (D): Having great instincts, intuition, and judgment; using gut feel to assess ideas and plans. "The Genius of Discernment is related to instinct, intuition, and uncanny judgment. People with this genius have a natural ability to assess an idea or situation, even without a lot of data or expertise."
4. Galvanizing (G): Rallying, motivating, and provoking people to take action; inspiring and enlisting others. "The Genius of Galvanizing is about rallying, motivating, and provoking people to take action around an idea or an initiative. People with this genius are naturally inclined to inspire and enlist others to get involved in an endeavor."
5. Enablement (E): Providing people with support and assistance in the way that it is needed; responding to others' needs without restrictions. "The Genius of Enablement involves providing people with support and assistance in the way that it is needed. People with this genius are adept at responding to the needs of others without conditions or restrictions."
6. Tenacity (T): Finishing things; pushing through obstacles to ensure the work is done to specification and getting closure. "The Genius of Tenacity... It’s pushing—the work, not the people—until the goal is met."

III. Genius vs. Competency vs. Frustration

• Working Genius: Activities that give joy and energy. Each person has two.
• Working Competency: Activities one doesn't mind doing and is somewhat competent in.
• Working Frustration: Activities that drain energy and are disliked.

The text emphasizes that everyone possesses two "geniuses," but also has areas of competency and frustration. "Even though each type is called a genius, no one person can claim all six as their individual geniuses. We all have areas where we thrive, areas where we struggle, and areas that fall somewhere in between." The goal is to maximize time spent in areas of genius and minimize time spent in areas of frustration.

IV. Disruptive vs. Responsive Geniuses

The document categorizes the geniuses further, dividing them into Disruptive and Responsive types:

• Disruptive: Invention, Galvanizing, and Tenacity. These types are about initiating change and action.
• Responsive: Wonder, Discernment, and Enablement. These types are about responding to the environment, ideas, or needs of others.

V. Team Dynamics and the "Ideal Team Map"

The book suggests creating a "Team Map" to visualize the distribution of geniuses within a team. This map helps identify potential gaps (where certain geniuses are lacking) and redundancies (where too many people share the same genius). The author's experience shows that mapping these can resolve misunderstandings and friction.

Team Productivity

Wonder => Invention => Discernment => Galvanizing => Enablement => Tenacity

Team Frustrations

A team might be 90 percent of the way through thinking up ideas... And suddenly a well-meaning individual on the team begins talking about tactics and how we are going to execute the plan. This is disorienting.

VI. Addressing Inappropriate Guilt and Judgment

Understanding the Working Genius model can reduce inappropriate guilt and judgment within teams and families. When individuals understand their own strengths and weaknesses, and those of others, they are less likely to misinterpret behaviors or make negative assumptions about others' motives or abilities. "The key to avoiding inappropriate guilt and judgment is gaining a better understanding of ourselves and others. When we know our own, and one another’s, strengths and weaknesses, most of that guilt and judgment will go away..."

VII. Narrative and Practical Application

The excerpts present the Working Genius model within a narrative framework, following the story of Bull Brooks as he discovers and applies the model within his own company. This narrative includes practical examples of how the model can be used to improve communication, delegation, and team performance.

VIII. Examples

• "I'm low maintenance," he announced proudly
• The first kind of work is called Wonder, which is all about thinking and pondering and contemplating things.
• Well, when you put a group of people together on a project, you want to have all the geniuses covered.

IX. Conclusion

"Working Genius" offers a framework for understanding individual strengths and weaknesses, leading to greater job satisfaction, improved team dynamics, and increased productivity. By identifying and leveraging the six types of "genius," individuals and teams can create a more fulfilling and effective work environment.

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