“Michelle, I don’t need to be recognized in front of people.”
John said this gently, almost apologetically.
We were talking about how he preferred to receive appreciation, and I remember feeling a bit… disappointed. It didn’t feel like public recognition to me. It felt like acknowledging someone whose contribution made the whole team better. I wanted to openly tell the team all about it; I wanted them to know the subtle yet powerful ways that John made everyone’s life easier.
I told him, “I just feel like you add so much value. Sometimes ‘thank you’ doesn’t feel like enough.”
That was the disappointment — thank-you didn’t feel like enough, so I wanted to give a really BIG, PUBLIC thank-you.
He smiled and said, “But your thank-you is enough for me. Knowing you see it… that’s what matters.”
That hit me.
Because what he was actually telling me wasn’t just a preference, it was his workplace genius expressing itself.
John embodies the Genius of Enablement.
Those whose genius is Enablement are the steady hands who respond when there’s a need and quietly help others move forward. They don’t require a spotlight; being useful is what energizes them. They’re often the glue in a department, the bridge, the helper, the person others rely on.
Enablement is powerful.
But like every genius, it has a shadow.
People with this working genius can over-yes. They take on too much and their desire to help becomes the very thing that causes their overwhelm.
We can all appreciate that once we understand someone’s natural work style, it becomes easier to support them in a meaningful way. But that kind of insight usually takes time… trial, error, and a lot of guesswork.
I wanted something that could speed up the learning curve. A framework that put language around moments like this so I could meet my team as they were, not just as I am.
Shortly after that conversation, I discovered a framework that explained how people connect to their work, not just another personality test.
It's called the 6 Types of Working Genius.
There are six types of genius represented in the Working Genius model; six parts of work where people may feel naturally strong, capable, and energized.
To get started, individuals or teams take the Working Genius Assessment to understand their two core work strengths, what types of work they can manage, and what quickly drains them.
Every job requires all six types of working geniuses:
Everyone has all six, but some give energy while others drain it:
Once you begin to notice what type of work aligns best with an employee, work becomes easier to guide, collaborate on, and complete, without burning people out.
If you’re curious to learn more, this episode of the Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni is a great place to start (and it’s free): No Joy No Genius
In this episode, Pat and the Working Genius team dive into the importance of fulfillment and joy in determining what your Geniuses are.
Once you understand workplace genius, you begin to see patterns everywhere.
Some people instinctively explore possibility and ask great questions. You might find yourself thinking, “Wow… great question.”
Others jump quickly into creating new approaches. If this is your workplace genius, you might hear compliments like, “You’re so creative,” or “Great idea!”
Some evaluate ideas and sense what will realistically work; you just trust their judgment.
There are teammates who naturally rally others to get things moving; the spark, the catalyst.
Some step in to support and help, just like John. We all need a little help along the way.
And others feel great satisfaction finishing the work and hitting the target; the ones who love crossing items off the to-do list.
These aren’t small quirks.
They are signals, revealing the work strengths people bring to the table and where they naturally shine.
This doesn’t mean people should only do work they do best, that’s not realistic.
It simply means that when people spend a meaningful portion of their time doing work that energizes them, they have the grit and resilience to tackle the tasks that drain them.
This is one of the aspects I love most about being a team coach: helping groups build self-awareness by learning their unique strengths while also understanding the strengths of their peers.
During a Working Genius workshop, we explore each person’s Working Genius assessment results, which reveals the work that energizes them, along with the tasks that tend to drain them. Then we map where each participant fits within the six parts of work so the team can see how everyone contributes.
In the best way… you’ll never look at each other the same way again.
Burnout isn’t only about workload.
More often, it comes from spending too much time in work that sits in our frustration zone.
Think about work styles like battery life:
People operate the same way.
Strong performers rarely complain, they will do whatever is needed but if most of their day involves work that drains them, they’re likely grinding through. The more time they spend outside their genius, the faster their battery loses charge.
According to Gallup, these engaged employees are 61% more likely to burn out.
Why? Because they’re reliable so they come through. But reliability without replenishment erodes employee well-being because the joy and fulfillment in their work is not there.
What if we repaid them by giving them work that boosts their batteries rather than drains them?
To stay healthy and effective, people need regular access to work that recharges them, work that aligns with their workplace genius. When that happens, they gain energy back... work becomes regenerative. And that energy boost helps them take on tasks that is draining for them without burning out.
When leaders understand their team’s workplace genius, something important shifts, they stop confusing motivation with capability.
Too often, we judge others through our own work strengths.
If something seems straightforward to us, we assume it should feel the same for everyone. When it doesn’t, we label the resistance as attitude, lack of initiative, or poor performance.
But workplace genius works more like those hidden-image posters. You know the ones that look like random patterns and colors; you’re supposed to stare into the center and let your eyes relax until suddenly… an elephant appears.
I’m terrible at those!. And yet some people see the image right away.
The 6 Types of Working Genius works the same way.
Once you realize someone simply can’t see what you see, the frustration eases.
You stop thinking, “Why can’t they just do this?”
And you start getting resourceful, “Which part of this work is theirs to lead and where might someone else be a better fit?”
That’s the real unlock.
Leaders who embrace this don’t lower expectations, they align them.
They put people where they contribute most naturally and build support around the areas that drain them.
When that happens, collaboration changes:
This is more than smoother workflow, it’s psychological ease. Teams experience less judgment or guilt and more partnership.
This type of shift is where a team coach or workshop facilitator can accelerate change; helping teams map their work styles, understand how the 6 Types of Working Genius show up in real conversations, and redesign collaboration so strengths are shared rather than siloed.
If workplace genius is something you want to explore, or if you’re seeing burnout, bottlenecks, tension across functions, or misalignment, I’d love to help.
As a workshop facilitator and team coach, I guide leadership teams through Working Genius workshops to:
And of course, the engagement kicks off with the most fun part, the Working Genius Assessment. I set this up for you; it takes less than 3 minutes to complete and bam, you get your report with personal insights. I especially love the Genius Pairings section.
If you’re curious what this could look like for your team, let’s talk. → Book a Working Genius Workshop
Work feels different when you’re operating in your genius. There’s more flow, more clarity, and more fulfillment; not just in what gets done, but in how it gets done.
That’s the real promise of understanding your workplace genius: everyone contributes in the way they’re wired to contribute.
So I’ll leave you with this:
What is your workplace genius?
And what might change once you know?
Michelle Nicole Martin
Leadership Coach & Consultant
Connect with me on LinkedIn
