A complete, practical, human guide to designing and delivering a Working Genius experience that actually transforms team performance.

Introduction

Running a Working Genius workshop can feel overwhelming at first, especially if you are a team leader or coach trying to juggle personalities, expectations and the everyday chaos of team life.

This guide gives you a clear plan for creating a workshop that brings out each team member’s unique strengths and helps the whole team get better results with less frustration. If you ever want expert help or want a certified Working Genius facilitator to run the session for your team, you can reach out to [email protected].

Step 1. Decide the Purpose and Desired Outcomes

Start by getting clear about what this workshop should change. Teams often rush into activities without knowing the why, which limits the impact. A clear purpose gives the Working Genius framework direction and meaning. Write down two or three outcomes you want, such as better meetings or improved team dynamics, so you can design a workshop that achieves those specific goals.

Step 2. Understand the Context of the Team

Every team is different and the same workshop activity can land beautifully or painfully depending on timing and context. Learn about the team’s history, pressure points and personalities before the working genius assessment conversation. Talk with the team leader, ask about unspoken tensions and gather examples of where the process of work feels clunky. This will help you tailor the experience to create real movement.

Step 3. Complete All Pre-Workshop Setup

You will make everything smoother by preparing well. Ensure everyone completes the 10-minute assessment, gather the custom report for each person and prepare your team map. Send short pre-work so people feel calm, not confused. Have a goals call with the leader and agree on simple ground rules that support trust. This setup makes the workshop feel safe, clear and energising right from the start.

Assessments Completed

Everyone should complete the working genius assessment before walking into the room. This saves time, reduces nerves and allows for immediate application. Send reminders, confirm completion and make sure no one is left clicking on a laptop while others are already learning about the six types of work.

Team Map Collected

A team map lets people see the whole group’s distribution of the six types at a glance. This becomes a breakthrough moment where patterns finally make sense. Prepare it ahead of time so you can reveal it cleanly and guide the group toward greater understanding of the type of work they naturally enjoy or avoid.

Pre-Work Materials

Simple pre-work helps people feel grounded. Provide a one page overview of the working genius model or a short video that explains the distinct types in plain language. This reduces anxiety and gives the team something concrete to hold onto before the interactive workshop begins.

Leader Goals Call

A goals call with the team leader prevents misunderstandings. Ask what the leader hopes will shift, where the team experiences frustrating loops and where they simply want a better way to collaborate. This information lets you plan each exercise with intention.

Psychological Safety Preparation

Talking about frustrations and mismatches can be sensitive. Psychological safety ensures the team does not fall into the common dysfunctions of a team. Encourage the leader to model openness and emphasise that this workshop is an effective tool for insight, not blame.

Step 4. Choose the Right Workshop Length

Decide whether your working genius session will be a two hour introduction, a four hour workshop or a full day experience. Shorter workshops create awareness. Longer ones allow application, team commitments and redesigning meetings or roles. Match the time to your goals so the workshop does not feel rushed or shallow.

Step 5. Prepare Yourself as the Facilitator

The facilitator matters almost as much as the content. A certified facilitator brings confidence, credibility and a deep understanding of the working genius framework. Gather practical tools such as worksheets, case studies and examples. Prepare memorable stories and keep your slide deck simple. If your team would benefit from an external expert, you can contact [email protected] to explore booking a virtual or in person Working Genius workshop.

Certification

Certification gives you a richer grasp of the six types and the stages of work. It also gives you access to official materials and ongoing support. This helps you guide teams with clarity and protect the integrity of the working genius model developed by Pat Lencioni and his team at The Table Group.

WG Toolkit

A toolkit keeps you organised. Include your team map template, energy audit sheet and project planning prompts. These practical items help team members use the application section of their custom report more effectively and immediately.

Case Studies

Share stories from consulting teams, small businesses or higher education institutions where the model helped create stronger teams. Real examples help people see new ways of working and remind them this is not just theory, it is something with immediate application.

Stories

Personal and client stories make the material human. Tell stories about natural talents being misunderstood or mismatches that caused unnecessary stress. These stories remind teams that collective success requires diversity in the types of work people find energising.

Slide Deck

Use simple visuals. Include the circle of six types, the team map and the stages of work. Avoid overloading slides with text. The simplest way to make the model stick is by keeping it easy to follow.

Printed Materials

Printed materials give participants something to use later. Provide copies of their reports, worksheets and the team map. This helps convert insights into daily work habits that improve team effectiveness long after the workshop ends.

Step 6. Build Trust Before the Session

Send a warm message to participants emphasising that there are no good or bad geniuses. Explain that the working frustrations are normal and that this is part personality assessment and part productivity tool. When people feel safe, they are far more willing to explore the kind of work that brings them the most joy and the areas that consistently drain them.

Step 7. Open the Workshop Strongly

Your opening sets the tone. Welcome people sincerely and acknowledge the reality they walk in with. Explain how the time will run so no one feels nervous. Invite curiosity instead of defensiveness. These first minutes create the emotional runway for everything that follows.

Welcome and Expectations

Thank people for being present. Explain that this is a working session designed to help them understand team member's strengths and improve team productivity. Clarify that the goal is not to label anyone but to create a shared language that makes collaboration easier.

Explain the Flow

Walk the group through the agenda. Tell them when they will learn, reflect and talk. This lowers resistance and keeps the group relaxed and engaged.

Establish Trust

Set simple ground rules about confidentiality and kindness. Share something small and honest about your own geniuses or frustrations to show that this is a place where honesty is normal and safe.

Share the Origin Story

Briefly share that Pat Lencioni created the model after noticing why certain parts of his job drained him while others felt effortless. This story is relatable and reminds teams that the tool was born from real experience.

Explain Why the Team Is Here

Connect the workshop to real issues like confusing meetings, half finished projects or overlapping responsibilities. When people understand the purpose, they engage more deeply.

Step 8. Teach the Working Genius Model Clearly

Now introduce the six types and the stages of work. Keep the language simple so people can see themselves in the descriptions. Explain that this framework is the only tool of its kind that blends natural talents with the way teams actually get work done. Encourage participants to speak up as you go. Curiosity builds ownership.

Overview of the Six Types

Give a quick summary of each genius. Explain that these are not personality labels but descriptions of the kind of work that energises people. This prepares the room for deeper reflection later.

Explain the Phases of Work

Show how ideation, evaluation and execution create a complete project journey. Most teams discover they rush or skip steps which leads to frustration. Mapping their daily work to these stages gives team members a clearer understanding of the type of work they should lead or support.

Common Team Dysfunctions When Geniuses Are Missing

Missing geniuses create predictable patterns. Some teams lack Wonder and miss opportunities. Others lack Tenacity and leave projects unfinished. Share these examples so the team recognises them in their own workflow and sees hope for a better way.

Real Examples

Share stories of Wonderless teams, Invention gaps or overloaded Tenacity people. These cases help participants see that team dynamics are not personal flaws but signs of imbalance in the process of work.

Step 9. Debrief Individual Profiles

Give everyone quiet time to read their custom report. Invite them to underline sentences that match their real experience. Encourage honesty about what feels true, what feels surprising and what they want to understand better. This is the perfect starting point for personal insight.

Reveal Geniuses, Competencies and Frustrations

Explain that each person has two geniuses, two competencies and two frustrations. Help them see that frustrations do not signal weakness. They simply reveal where energy is lowest. This normalises the range of experiences in the room.

Guided Reflection Questions

Give participants prompts to deepen their insight. Ask where their geniuses have created wins or where frustrations have led to procrastination. Reflection helps people connect the dots between their natural talents and the daily work that drains or fuels them.

Energy Mapping

Ask participants to map their weekly tasks against their profile. This exercise helps them see where they spend unnecessary time in frustration and where small changes could bring greater joy and team cohesion.

Story Sharing Exercise

Invite people to share stories about moments when they felt energised at work and moments when they felt drained. These stories build empathy and show how different types of work affect different people.

Normalising Frustrations

Remind the team that everyone has frustrations. Laughing together about these moments removes shame and builds connection. This is one of the simplest ways to help the team see each other with more compassion.

Step 10. Reveal and Explore the Team Map

The team map is one of the most powerful parts of the workshop. Display it clearly so everyone can see how the six types are represented. The team will instantly recognise patterns they could not see before.

Display or Build the Map

Let people confirm their placement and absorb the visual distribution. This moment often brings instant clarity about recurring frustrations or bottlenecks.

How to Interpret the Map

Explain what it means if a genius is heavy or missing. Guide the group through what these patterns mean for meetings, projects and collaboration. This brings their experience into sharper focus.

Gaps

A gap means the team rarely expresses a certain type of contribution. This is not a failure. It is simply a signal to borrow that genius from elsewhere or adjust expectations for specific projects.

Overloads

When one or two people carry too much of a genius, they often feel stretched or exhausted. Talk with the group about how to share responsibilities better so team performance does not depend on a single person’s capacity.

Role Mismatches

When someone’s job requires mostly frustration work, they will eventually disengage. Use this moment to explore adjustments or support that can bring roles closer to each team member’s strengths.

Missing Geniuses

A missing genius means an entire type of contribution is rare on this team. Help the group brainstorm how to intentionally bring that voice into key decisions or stages of work.

Frustration Clusters

When many people share the same frustration, certain tasks will always feel heavy. Naming this lets teams plan workflows that minimise collective strain and promote better results.

Step 11. Run Interactive Team Exercises

Exercises move the group from insight to action. These activities give the team immediate application tools they can use right away which helps the content stick.

Genius Pair Dialog

Pair people with different geniuses and ask them how they can support each other’s natural talents and frustration areas. This builds practical collaboration habits.

Michael Dueck’s Commitments Exercise

Invite each person to make a small public commitment. This builds accountability and leverages the natural gift of rallying found in the genius of galvanizing.

Project Mapping With the Genius Arrows

Take a real project and design it using all six types of work. This helps the team create smoother handoffs and reduce stress.

Meeting Redesign Exercise

Use the model to redesign a recurring meeting. Decide which stage it belongs to and which geniuses should lead. This is one of the fastest ways to achieve better meetings.

Role Redesign Exercise

Invite pairs to explore how small shifts can bring their roles closer to their natural strengths. These conversations often create meaningful change.

Energy Audit

Have participants revisit their weekly activities and identify quick adjustments that reduce frustration. This is the easiest way to bring immediate relief and better focus.

Scenario Practice

Give the group a scenario and ask them to run it using all six types. This builds confidence and helps them see how the working genius model applies in any given situation.

Step 12. Apply Working Genius to Daily Work

Bring everything together by showing the team how to use the model after the workshop. This is where team productivity improves and team effectiveness becomes visible.

Improve Meetings

Label each meeting by stage and invite the right people. This simple shift transforms team meetings from draining to productive.

Delegate by Genius

Assign tasks based on genius rather than convenience. This leads to better results in less time because people take on work that matches their energy.

Reduce Burnout

Balance frustrations across the team. Pair disruptive geniuses with responsive ones to create healthier collaboration. Burnout often reduces quickly when energy is managed well.

Speed Up Execution

Execution becomes smoother when teams respect the order of the stages of work. Encourage Galvanizing, Enablement and Tenacity to lead this phase.

Improve Planning

Use the six types to design plans from start to finish. This creates clearer expectations and stronger outcomes.

Improve Communication

Tailor messages to the geniuses in the room. Wonder wants the why. Invention loves new ideas. Discernment needs fit. Galvanizing needs momentum. Enablement needs clarity. Tenacity needs targets.

Step 13. Close the Workshop With Clarity

End the workshop by connecting insights to action. Decide as a team what will change starting tomorrow.

Synthesize Insights

Capture two or three team wide takeaways. This helps everyone feel aligned.

Create Team Commitments

Use the working genius framework to create new habits in meetings and projects. These commitments keep the model alive.

Write Individual Action Plans

Invite each person to write a simple plan with one change to start, one change to stop and one conversation to have.

Plan Next Steps for the Team Map

Decide where the map will remain visible and how often it will be revisited.

Share the Implementation Roadmap

Outline check ins, follow up workshops and anything else that keeps the momentum going. If you want a certified working genius facilitator to support this ongoing work, you can contact [email protected].

Provide Resources

Give the team practical tools such as coaching questions, templates and short guides they can use in their daily work.

Advanced Applications of the Working Genius Framework

After teams experience the core workshop, the working genius model can support deeper cultural changes. These applications help leaders create cohesive teams, improve long term performance and build new ways of working that last.

Use Working Genius to Transform Culture

Teams build stronger cultures when they use consistent language to describe how work flows. The model helps normalise differences and reduces friction. Encourage leaders to speak openly about geniuses and frustrations in everyday conversations so the framework becomes part of team identity.

Working Genius in Schools and Student Programs

Educators use the model to help both staff and older students discover which types of work give them energy. This supports mentorship programs and career guidance. Schools often see students become more confident when they understand their natural talents and how they contribute to group projects.

Working Genius for Boards and Executive Teams

Boards and senior teams need clarity about who leads each stage of strategic work. The model helps them divide responsibilities more effectively. A team leader can use the team map to assign roles during planning cycles so decisions move forward with less confusion.

Resolve Conflict Through Working Genius

Many conflicts come from misunderstanding how other people work. When two team members know each other’s frustrations, it becomes easier to separate behaviour from intent. This creates more empathy and often removes tension faster than personality instruments alone.

Use Working Genius for Strategic Planning

Planning requires disruptive geniuses like Wonder and Invention and responsive ones like Discernment, Enablement and Tenacity. When all six types are represented, strategies become more realistic. Encourage leaders to check every planning group against the six types before starting.

Combine Working Genius With Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Working Genius strengthens the trust foundation of the Five Dysfunctions model. When people reveal their frustrations openly, teams develop vulnerability based trust faster. This makes conflict healthier and helps teams reach better results. These two frameworks work extremely well together.

Working Genius Compared With Other Tools

Different tools answer different questions. The working genius framework focuses specifically on the process of work and the types of work that energise or drain a person. This makes it a practical tool for team meetings, daily work and team dynamics.

Working Genius vs MCode

Working Genius examines the kind of work that brings someone joy. MCode explores why a person is motivated. Use Working Genius for roles, projects and collaboration, and use MCode if you want deeper insight about internal drives.

Working Genius vs StrengthsFinder

StrengthsFinder identifies talents. Working Genius identifies energising work activities. Some talents do not actually energise people, which is why this difference matters. Many teams use both. One reveals what someone does well and the other shows where they feel most alive.

Working Genius vs DISC

DISC helps people understand communication and behaviour. Working Genius helps them understand how they contribute to work. Use DISC to resolve interpersonal tension and Working Genius to structure the best workflow for projects.

Working Genius vs MBTI

MBTI explores personality preferences. Working Genius explores team productivity and the process of work. These frameworks do not conflict. If anything, Working Genius gives MBTI users a way to turn insight into clear actions within the workplace.

Choosing the Right Tool

Use Working Genius when you want immediate application to meetings, projects and team performance. Use personality frameworks when you want insight about tendencies or identity. Clear outcomes make the choice easy.

How Tools Can Work Together

Working Genius connects self awareness to team function. You can easily layer it with StrengthsFinder, MCode or DISC. Many leaders choose Working Genius first because it is the fastest way to improve team productivity.

The Role of a Certified Working Genius Facilitator

A certified facilitator brings structure, safety and expertise to the workshop. This increases the impact for your team because they know how to navigate tension, guide deeper conversations and support immediate application. Their practical experience makes the workshop smoother.

What Makes a Great Facilitator

A good facilitator understands the framework and reads the room well. They ask thoughtful questions and keep discussions grounded. Their job is not to dominate the space but to help team members uncover their own insights.

Skills Needed for a Transformational Workshop

Great facilitators teach clearly, manage group dynamics and support honest discussion. They use practical tools that connect theory to real work. They also know how to keep energy high without rushing reflection.

Why Certification Matters

Certification ensures facilitators use the correct concepts and tools developed through the Table Group’s research. It also trains them to deliver sessions safely and effectively. I am a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, I'd love to hear from you. Please feel free to email me at [email protected].

How Facilitators Stand Out

Facilitators stand out when they combine the framework with their background. Someone with leadership consulting experience or sector insights brings richer context. Stories from higher education, small business or nonprofit teams help audiences feel understood.

Stories and Sector Examples

Collect stories from your consulting team, career leadership collective partners, school leadership teams or corporate groups. Sharing these examples shows the working genius assessment in action and helps people see what is possible in their own setting.

Tools, Resources and Templates

Supporting tools help people use the model long after the workshop ends. These templates make it easy for teams to revisit insights during team meetings, offsites and one to one conversations.

Team Map Template

A team map template helps teams spot patterns quickly. Leaders can use it during planning or staffing conversations. This keeps the six types visible rather than forgotten.

Energy Audit Worksheet

The worksheet helps team members identify where they feel most joy and where they feel drained. It is simple, fast and useful during coaching sessions. People often discover small adjustments that make a big difference.

Meeting Redesign Template

This template guides leaders to clarify the purpose and stage of each meeting. It helps teams avoid mixing ideation with execution. Many groups call it the simplest way to improve meetings immediately.

Project Flow Template

Teams can design projects using all six types of work. This template walks them from Wonder to Tenacity and helps them assign roles properly. It is especially valuable for remote teams or large cross functional groups.

Forty Coaching Questions

A list of powerful questions helps leaders support team member growth. These prompts work during performance conversations, supervision or team coaching sessions.

Pre Workshop Checklist

A clear checklist ensures that assessments are completed, materials are printed and the room is set up. This keeps the experience smooth for participants and reduces last minute mistakes.

Slide Deck Elements

Reusable slide elements keep workshops visually clear. Simple visuals help people understand complex ideas and give facilitators more freedom to focus on group engagement.

Conclusion

A Working Genius workshop is one of the most effective ways to help teams understand their natural strengths and improve the process of work. The model gives people a clearer understanding of how they contribute and why some days feel easier than others. When teams apply these insights consistently, they see better results, smoother collaboration and greater satisfaction.

If you want support running a workshop, facilitating a leadership team offsite or leading a virtual working genius session, you can email me at [email protected]. As a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, I can guide your team through each step so you get the most from the six types.