ASSESSMENT REPORT

Michel Fortin’s Working Genius Revealed

DISCOVER THE
GIFTS YOU BRING
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OV E R V I E W

A Brief Overview of Working Genius
Everyone has natural, God-given talents when it comes to work. As it turns out, there are six different types oftalents, or geniuses, and each of them is required for accomplishing any kind of endeavor.
Each of us has two areas that are considered our true geniuses or gifts. These are the activities that give us
joy, energy, and passion. We call these our areas of Working Genius. Two of the six types are what we call ourWorking Frustrations, activities that rob us of joy and energy. Most of us aren’t very skilled in these areas.
The nal two are what we refer to as Working Competencies, activities that neither feed nor drain us andwhich we can do fairly well for a limited period of time.
The Six Types of Working Genius form an interdependent model, a comprehensive process foraccomplishing any type of work. Each type of genius receives and/or gives something to adjacent types,
creating a natural work ow starting with Wonder and culminating in Tenacity. The model below depicts theow of the six types and includes a short de nition of each genius.

THE SIX TYPESWONDER: identi es the need for improvement or change
INVENTION: con rms the importance of that need, and generates an idea or solution
DISCERNMENT: assesses the merit and workability of the idea or solution
GALVANIZING: generates enthusiasm and action around the idea or solution
ENABLEMENT: initiates support and assists in the implementation of the idea or solution
TENACITY: commits to ensuring that the idea or solution gets completed and that desired results are achieved

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R E S U LT SYour Results
Michel, the information below summarizes the results of your assessment.

WORKING GENIUS:
Your areas of Working Genius are Invention and Discernment.

I

You are naturally gifted at and derive energy and joy from creating originaland novel ideas and solutions.

DYou are naturally gifted at and derive energy and joy from using your intuition
and instincts to evaluate and assess ideas or plans.

WORKING COMPETENCY:
Your areas of Working Competency are Wonder and Tenacity.

W

You are capable of and don’t mind pondering the possibility of greater
potential and opportunity in a given situation.

TYou are capable of and don’t mind pushing projects and tasks through tocompletion to ensure that the desired results are achieved.

WORKING FRUSTRATION:
Your areas of Working Frustration are Enablement and Galvanizing.

E

You aren’t naturally gifted at and don’t derive energy and joy from providing
others with encouragement and assistance for projects and tasks.

GYou aren’t naturally gifted at and don’t derive energy and joy from rallying
people and inspiring them to take action around ideas, projects, or tasks.

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R E S U LT S

Your Working Geniuses
According to your Assessment, you have the Genius of INVENTION and DISCERNMENT, which are described below.
These are the activities that give you joy, energy, and passion. As a result, you are quite skilled in these areas.

Wonder

Discernment

Invention

Enablement

Galvanizing

Tenacity

INVENTIONDISCERNMENTThe Genius of Invention is about coming up with novel
ideas and solutions to solve problems and address issues.
Invention involves creativity and original thinking, oftenwith little direction. People with this genius are con dent
and inspired by a problem that has no apparent solution,and they derive energy and joy from getting theopportunity to take a rst crack at coming up with a newidea. The bene ts of this genius are generally wellunderstood in society, and include anything related toinnovation, novel thinking, and original problem-solving.

The Genius of Discernment involves making soundjudgments relying on instinct and intuition across a widevariety of situations. It entails pattern recognition andintegrative thinking, rather than expertise, knowledge, ordata. As such, people with Discernment have a knack forand derive energy and joy from evaluating whether or not
an idea is sound, or if it requires further tweaking andadjustments. The bene ts of Discernment are many, even
if they are somewhat dif cult to pinpoint as a result of theintuitive nature of the gift. They include curating,evaluating, and identifying the best ideas, and avoiding theones that aren’t good, or re ning those that aren’t yetready.

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R E S U LT S

Your Working Competencies
According to your assessment, your areas of competency are WONDER and TENACITY, which are described below.
These are the activities that you nd neither completely miserable nor completely joyful. It’s important that you
understand your competencies, because most people can operate in these areas fairly well for a while. However, youwill eventually grow weary if you don't have the opportunity to exercise your true geniuses.

Wonder

Discernment

Invention

Enablement

GalvanizingTenacity

WONDERTENACITYThe Genius of Wonder involves pondering and asking
questions, contemplating the reasons why things are theway they are. People with this genius derive joy andenergy from thoughtfully observing the environment
around them and wondering whether there might be adifferent or better way. Compared to other geniuses,
Wonder is not the most observable genius, because it is amostly internal process. However, almost every new
initiative, program, or project begins because someone
wonders. The bene ts of this genius include asking bigquestions, prompting people to consider assumptions
that may need to be questioned, and challenging thestatus quo.

The Genius of Tenacity is about execution. It involves
getting things done, achieving results, and realizing thedesired impact of a task or project. People with Tenacity
derive real joy and energy from crossing tasks off a list andknowing that they met the standards for completion.
They are also comfortable pushing through obstacles. The
bene ts of this genius revolve around making sure that
goals are met and projects are completed on time, evenwhen inevitable problems surface.

NOTE
Some people become quite good at activities that fall within their areas of Working Competency, either because careeror life circumstances forced them to do so, or because they have a strong drive to excel at almost anything they do.
However, those people will not derive the same kind of joy and energy from—and are not as naturally gifted in—thoseactivities compared to their areas of Working Genius. Moreover, spending too much time working in one’s areas ofcompetency can eventually lead to exasperation and burnout.
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R E S U LT S

Your Working Frustrations
According to your assessment, your areas of frustration are ENABLEMENT and GALVANIZING which are describedbelow. It’s particularly important to know your frustrations for two reasons. First, you will want to avoid spending too
much time doing activities in these areas because this usually leads to weariness and dissatisfaction. Second, you willwant to avoid feeling unnecessarily shameful or guilty about not being naturally gifted in these areas.

Wonder

Discernment

Invention

Enablement

Galvanizing

Tenacity

ENABLEMENTGALVANIZINGThe Genius of Enablement involves answering the call toaction and seamlessly providing others with theunconditional support and assistance they need. People
with this genius get energy and joy from providing otherswith the support they need to get something started, andby providing the human glue required to hold it together.
Even though people with Enablement are often ideal teammembers, they sometimes discount the importance of
their genius, mistakenly believing that they are simply
amenable or “nice.” The bene ts of this genius include
higher morale and greater interpersonal appreciation andsupport.

The Genius of Galvanizing is about rallying and motivating
people, often around projects, ideas, or initiatives. People
with the gift of Galvanizing derive joy and energy frominspiring and persuading others to take action to getthings moving, even if it involves convincing them torethink or change their plans. Galvanizing is relatively easy
to identify as it is an observable and often public activity.
The bene ts of this genius include nurturing people’s
excitement about potential by building energy andmomentum around a program, or idea.

NOTE
Keep in mind that some people can become adept at activities that fall within their areas of Working Frustration, either
because career or life circumstances have forced them to do so, or because they have a boundless desire to excel atalmost anything they do. However, those people do not derive real joy and energy from—and are not as naturally gifted
in—those activities compared to their areas of Working Genius. Moreover, spending any signi cant amount of time inone’s areas of frustration will lead to exasperation and burnout.

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R E S U LT S

Your Unique Pairing
While each of the genius types is important on its own,
the combination or pairing of your two Working
Geniuses can be just as insightful when it comes toidentifying your unique talents and gifts. Below is a
description of your pairing, which is the combination ofINVENTION and DISCERNMENT.
People with this pairing get real energy and joy fromID | DIusing their intuition and instinctive ability to come up

The Discriminating Ideatorwith new ideas from scratch, and they are good atA creative, intuitive, and con dent
generator of new ideas. Uses
instinct and integrative thinking tosolve real problems.

using integrative thinking and pattern recognition
rather than data and expertise. As a result, they areparticularly effective in solving problems and coming
up with workable, practical solutions with a particularlyhigh level of success. They can sometimes appear
impatient and over-con dent when they receive
pushback around their ideas, and they often lose
interest after the initial phase of Invention is over. We
call this pairing The Discriminating Ideator.

On the following page you’ll nd brief descriptions of all 15 pairings.

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Working Genius Pairings
WI | IWID | DIDE | ED

The Creative Dreamer

The Discriminating Ideator

The Insightful Collaborator

A passionate idealist with anendless stream of big questions
and ideas to consider.
Comfortable with their head in
the clouds.

A creative, intuitive, and con dent
generator of new ideas. Uses
instinct and integrative thinking
to solve real problems.

An intuitive, empathic advisor andteam player. Sel ess andcompassionate in providing
others with what they need in theright way.

WD | DW

IG | GI

DT | TDThe Contemplative Counselor

The Evangelizing Innovator

The Judicious Accomplisher

A thoughtful, insightful, andnuanced advisor. Slow to declarecertainty but deep in wisdom,intuition, and rationale.

An excitable and convincing
generator and promoter of newideas. Combines curiosity andcon dence with infectious
enthusiasm.

A reliable, prudent, and focuseddoer. A unique combination ofpractical urgency and intuitive
judgment.

WG | GW

IE | EI

GE | EGThe Philosophical Motivator

The Adaptable Designer

The Enthusiastic Encourager

An excitable, curious, andenthusiastic proponent of ideas
and people. A unique
combination of eagerness andcaution.

A generator of new ideas inresponse to the needs of others. A
unique combination of creativity
and exibility.

A warm and positive af rmer ofothers. Quick to support andinspire people who need energy
or reassurance.

WE | EW

IT | TI

GT | TG

The Idealistic Supporter

The Methodical Architect

The Assertive Driver

A loyal, modest, and thoughtful
contributor. Carefully considers
others’ needs and reluctant todemand attention.

A precise, reliable, and planfulsolver of problems. A unique
combination of innovative
thinking and practicalimplementation.

A taskmaster extraordinaire.
Willing to push and remind
others, and dive in themselves, toensure that things get done.

WT | TW

DG | GDET | TEThe Careful Implementer

The Intuitive Activator

The Loyal Finisher

A thorough, practical, and careful
contributor. A unique
combination of steady reliability
and quiet depth.

An instinctive and con dent
decision-maker. Able to assess
situations quickly and accurately,
and marshal people to act.

A responsive, dependable doer.
Willing to step up whensomething is needed anddetermined to ful ll theircommitments.

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A P P L I C AT I O N

What’s Next: Applying Working Genius
It is painful to think that there are many people in the world who are stuck in jobs that don’t alignwith their Working Geniuses, or perhaps even roles that force them to live within theirf rustrations. It’s even worse to know that many of them don’t know why they are miserable.
Individuals who fully embrace the power of this model can experience greater levels of selfawareness, increase their joy, ful llment, and productivity, and decrease unnecessary guilt andjudgment.
How you use your Working Genius results will depend on where you are in your work and life,
and why you decided to take the assessment in the rst place. Here are some possibilities:

WORK FROM YOUR GENIUS
Evaluate your personal and professional life.
Identify how you can more effectively lean into your Working Geniuses and do less inyour Working Frustrations.
Consider how you schedule your work and how you might tackle competency- or
f rustration-related activities when you have more energy.
Identify and call out when you are doing work outside your geniuses so that you can beaware and intentional about your energy levels.
Lean on those around you for input and ask for help in areas outside your geniuses.

SHARE YOUR RESULTS WITH OTHERS
Imagine how your relationships could improve if you clearly understood one another’s
geniuses and f rustrations.
Start by telling others (family, f riends, co-workers, team members) what you discovered
about yourself.
Invite them to take the Working Genius Assessment and review your results with oneanother.
Discuss how you might help one another use your geniuses and avoid your f rustrations.
Offer to use your Working Geniuses to help others.

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A P P L I C AT I O N

USE WORKING GENIUS AS A TEAM
Teams that embrace this model can experience greater levels of trust, increase morale andproductivity, have better meetings, and become more successful in hiring the right people.

Four simple steps to using Working Genius as a team:

STEP 1: Have everyone take the Working Genius Assessment as a group (10 minutes).
STEP 2: Sit down together to reveal your results to one another (15 – 30 minutes).
Have everyone highlight the areas of the report that were particularly insightful
and convicting for them.
Have them also read the description of their Working Genius Pairings.
For additional discussion, prompt the following questions: Where in yourcurrent job are you able to contribute using your geniuses? Where in yourcurrent job are you experiencing exasperation or burnout?

STEP 3: Review the Team Map which presents your collective results of the Working
Genius Assessments. The Team Map displays a snapshot of each member's Working
Geniuses and Working Frustrations. From this map, you’ll be able to identify areas ofstrength for the team, and gaps that might explain challenges you've experienced in thepast. The Team Map will also help you identify opportunities to make adjustments that willlead to increased productivity and ful llment. See page 10 for a sample Team Map andanalysis (15 – 30 minutes).

STEP 4: Discuss how you might reorganize your roles to leverage one another’s Working
Geniuses, and reduce time spent in your areas of f rustration. Consider “borrowing” people
f rom other departments, or even hiring new people, to address areas where you lacknecessary genius (30 – 60 minutes).

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A P P L I C AT I O NAnalyzing a Team Map
Here are a few questions to get you started:
1.
2.
3.
4.

What are our team’s strengths?
What are our team’s gaps?*
How does this team map explain past failures and/or successes of the team?
Is there anything we should adjust or reconsider about our next project or priority to maximize our effectiveness?

This team has a strong
representation in
Galvanizing. They know
how to stir up energy andmomentum but need tobe careful to not rally
others around the wrong
initiatives.

With only one member
having the Genius of
Wonder and three with it
as a frustration, this teamneeds to ensure they aremaking time to ask theright questions andidentifying the rightproblems before moving
to action.

This team should ask:
- In the past, have wegalvanized ideas that we
had not fully discerned?
- Do we keep stirring up
energy around the sameideas and initiatives
without taking the time
to wonder or invent?
- How do we ensure that
we focus our gift ofGalvanizing around only
our most important
initiatives?

This team should ask:
- Are we tapping into
Yasmine’s gift for ourprojects and initiatives?
- Are we really solving forthe right problems?

This team lacks Discernment and may have trouble evaluating, re ning, or selecting the right ideas.
This team should ask:
- How does a lack of Discernment explain past frustrations or failure?
- How can we ensure ideas and initiatives are properly vetted before we start implementing?
- Can we hire or borrow someone with this genius to help us with our decision-making?

*TIP: Learn more about the implications of when a genius is missing on a team in The Impact on Teams
handout.

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A P P L I C AT I O NWant to Go Deeper?
Taking the Working Genius Assessment is the rst step in discovering your gifts and experiencing how it cantransform your work, your team, and your life. The Working Genius team has created several resources tohelp individuals, teams, and organizations leverage this model in both personal and professional life.
Discover how Working Genius applies to meetings, hiring, project management, productivity, relationships,
family, and more with the resources below:

The Book

The Podcast

BUY NOW

LISTEN NOW

Certi cation

Free Tools & Resources

LEARN MORE

LEARN MORE

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