How Working Genius Compares to Other Tools and Why Teams Finally Get Traction
- Josh Simmons
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
“It’s not a personality quiz. It’s a productivity game-changer.”
If you’ve ever walked out of a team training or offsite thinking, “That was great—but now what?”... you’re not alone.
Most teams, including me, have tried tools like StrengthsFinder, CoreClarity, Enneagram, DiSC, or MBTI. They walk away with language, insights, and sometimes an “aha!” moment. But the tool often stays behind in the binder when Monday rolls around.
That’s where The 6 Types of Working Genius stands out.
This post isn’t about comparing or competing. We love those tools and the value they bring. Working Genius simply answers a different question—one that’s often missing in conversations about effective teamwork:
“How do you naturally contribute to getting work done?”
Where Working Genius Fits in the Toolbox
Most tools help you understand:
Who you are
How you communicate
What motivates you
How you react under stress
Working Genius helps you understand:
What part of work gives you energy
What part of work drains you
Where you naturally excel in the life cycle of a project
Personality tools help you understand the driver. Working Genius helps you understand what kind of vehicle they’re best at driving — and where they run out of gas.
This shift — from identity to contribution — makes Working Genius so uniquely actionable.
What Makes Working Genius Distinct
✔️ It’s about work, not wiring.
This tool focuses on how people move through tasks and projects — brainstorming, evaluating, launching, supporting, and finishing.
It’s less “how do you show up in the world?”And more: “What kind of work lights you up — and what kind wears you out?”
✔️ It gives you a shared language—instantly.
This happens in every team session I lead. Team members walk out already saying:
“We need so and so's Tenacity on this.”
“That meeting was all Galvanizing, no Discernment.”
“I’m deep in my Frustration zone, and it’s wearing me down.”
The model gives people words they can use the very next day. It reduces confusion, clears the air, and invites people to name what’s actually happening without judgment.
✔️ It’s designed for teams, not just individuals.
Yes, it’s insightful on a personal level. But its real power is in solving team problems:
Why does this project always stall?
Why do our meetings drag? Why are they unproductive? Why does it feel like we talk in circles?
Why are some people overwhelmed while others are underutilized?
When you map your team’s Geniuses, you start seeing gaps and overlaps that explain so much and give you the clarity to move forward with intention.
Why It Works (and What Makes It Stick)
Here’s the truth: A tool is only as valuable as your willingness to use it.
Working Genius gives you immediate clarity, but long-term traction requires rhythm. It works best when you build it into your cadence:
Delegate based on Geniuses
Name where a project is getting stuck (Three Stages of Work!)
Identify when someone’s in a Frustration zone
Adjust meetings to balance Wonder, Discernment, and Tenacity
Celebrate when someone’s working from their Genius
New language + small rituals = big shifts over time.
It’s not about overhauling everything. It’s about embedding small changes that honor how people actually work.
Complement, Not Competition
Let me be clear: Working Genius isn’t “better” than other tools. It’s different.
The Enneagram might help you understand someone’s motivations and core beliefs. StrengthsFinder can show someone their unique talents and strengths. DiSC can help you understand the personalities and desired working environment of those you lead.
Working Genius adds another layer: What kind of work is this person naturally built to do, and what drains them the fastest?
Wrap-Up: The Traction You’ve Been Missing
You may not need a new strategy if your team feels stuck, scattered, or burnt out. You may just need a shared framework for how the work gets done and how to activate each person along the way.
“What if your team isn’t broken—it’s just misaligned?”
Start by noticing:
Where things tend to stall
Who’s energized vs. drained
What gets avoided or passed around like a hot potato
And if you’ve already taken the assessment, you’re holding the key to unlocking better team collaboration right now.
Coming Up in Post 4…
“We took the assessment. Now what?”Next time, we’ll explore how to walk your team through their results and what to do after you’ve named your Genius.
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