The Backstory
I’ve enjoyed Lencioni’s books for a while now. Many of them start with a parable, followed by his analysis and presentation of the concepts that it teaches. It’s hard to beat a good parable for effective teaching. I learned to appreciate the value of a good story when consuming the pithy, yet profound little books penned by Spencer Johnson, Ken Blanchard, and their co-authors in the 1990s and early 2000s. Johnson and Blanchard are masters of delving deeply into a selected subject, which allows them to explain and teach without ever leaving the story. Lencioni is tackling more complicated and nuanced subjects. We need an outline to visualize and apply them. Hence, the method of Lencioni’s madness. And it’s all good stuff.
I heard a terrific keynote speech by Dennis McIntee, who uses Lencioni’s 6 Working Genius model in his work. I was familiar with Lencioni, having gotten a few “Aha!” moments from his 2012 book The Advantage, among others. I followed my usual pattern of listening to a book first. Within the first 45 minutes or so, I knew I would need to purchase a hard copy to read and study.
The Summary
Lencioni outlines his analysis of work and process as a result of his personal frustration. He was feeling persistently grumpy at work and wanted to understand why. The feeling was particularly vexing, since he enjoyed both his company’s work and his colleagues. If the semi-autobiographical parable is accurate, he stumbled into a model to help ensure that the right people were doing the right work and a strategy map tool.
He begins by defining a framework for work in general, comprising three phases: ideation, activation, and implementation. With that in place, he then analyzes the skills required by a team to navigate the phases, resulting in the identification of six “geniuses.” The following is an oversimplified summary of the six points.
Wonder – The “Genius” of Possibility
Wonder is the ability to see the big picture and challenge convention and the status quo. It’s the stuff that visionaries possess, full of curiosity.
Invention – The “Genius” of Creativity
Invention takes the “what if,” challenges, and nebulous concepts that Wonder poses and turns them into solutions. Imagination and comfort with ambiguity lead to proposals for new ideas and novel approaches.
Discernment – The “Genius” of Intuition
The ideas and approaches presented by Invention are often not fully developed. Those with Discernment intuitively evaluate ideas and decisions, challenging assumptions with clarity. This is a role Chantu holds for Association Bridge and why one of her titles is “Resident Contrarian.”
Galvanizing – The “Genius” of Rallying
Galvanizers turn ideas into action, organizing the work and inspiring others to take action. They are typically enthusiastic and leverage their charisma and passion. These action junkies are invaluable in project launches and skilled at coordinating teams.
Enablement – The “Genius” of Support
Once things get rolling, someone needs to keep it going, support progress, and fill in the inevitable blanks that come with any project or work process. This is where the Enabler shines, using their high levels of emotional intelligence to employ situational awareness and connect with others. I used to call these folks “glue guys.” They are the missing piece for many organizations.
Tenacity – The “Genius” of Completion
Those with Tenacity are the closers. They are not satisfied until the job is done and done right. No half steps, no unfinished business, and no details left dangling. The ability to focus through to completion means they are less likely to fall prey to the next shiny thing. They are the ones who you want on your quality control team.
Minor Quibbles
I have some issues with a couple of the terms Lencioni uses. It seems to me that “genius” is a bit overstated. Skills and talent areas, sure. But genius? The introduction to a self-assessment on the website refers to them as “gifts.” That, I can buy. But I can’t choke down “genius” any more than I can get a mouthful of asparagus down my throat (apologies to asparagus lovers, but I cannot stand the stuff). Hence, I put the word in quotation marks throughout this blog.
Additionally, some of the labels assigned to the six “geniuses” seem a bit odd. “Enablement,” a word that carries a lot of baggage for many people, felt particularly awkward. It was not until I purchased and eyeballed the book that I realized he had created an acronym.
The Gold
- Many organizations attempt to skip the activation phase of work and proceed directly from ideation to implementation, often yielding less than optimal results or worse. Activation is the phase that challenges the assumptions of the idea and undertakes the hard work of preparing to implement it. I hadn’t thought of that before, but I’ve seen it. He’s right.
- Lencioni reports that everyone has two “geniuses” that are their highest and best use. When their role involves working in alignment with these two, they are engaged and energized. He says that we will have a level of competence in two of the other “genius” areas. We can do work that requires these skills, but if we do too much, we burn out. Finally, he concludes that all of us loathe having to exhibit the last two geniuses. We will avoid work that requires them at all costs.
- Once you identify the strengths and dislikes of all team members, you can chart out the whole organization. We’ve begun to use this tool in our work and already see the possibilities. The mere discussion of “genius” profiles is an eye-opener. Better yet, the results enable you to align strengths with processes, thus smoothing out pain points, reducing friction, and increasing fulfillment, effectiveness, and efficiency.
- You can visit www.workinggenius.com, pay $25, and take a 10-minute assessment to discover your “geniuses.” There are plenty of resources on the site, many of which are free and downloadable as PDFs. Good stuff!
Lencioni reports that this is his most impactful work to date. I can see why. This book and the body of work are a worthy investment of time and thought.
