The Working Genius framework
Most team friction isn't a people problem.
It's a mismatch problem.
When people are doing work that drains them, work that sits outside their natural strengths, they slow down, check out, or burn out. The Working Genius framework, developed by Patrick Lencioni, gives teams a language for understanding why this happens and a practical way to fix it.
Working Genius identifies six types of work, and maps each person on your team to the two types that give them energy and joy, the two they can do but that slowly drain them, and the two that genuinely frustrate them.
The result is a team map that makes visible what was previously invisible: why certain meetings feel exhausting, why some people thrive in ideation but stall on execution, why a high performer in one role struggled in another.
The Six Types
Wonder Asking the big questions. These people thrive when pondering what could be or what's being missed.
Invention Creating new solutions. These people come alive when given a blank page and a problem worth solving.
Discernment Evaluating ideas intuitively. These people have a natural sense for what will work — and what won't.
Galvanizing Inspiring others to act. These people energize a room and move teams from thinking to doing.
Enablement Supporting and encouraging. These people find deep satisfaction in helping others succeed.
Tenacity Pushing to completion. These people won't let a project die, they drive it across the finish line.
What Changes When a Team Knows This
Teams stop making unfair assumptions about each other. When someone avoids a task or seems disengaged, the default is no longer "they don't care", it's "that might be in their frustration zone." That shift in language alone changes how conflict gets handled.
Roles and responsibilities can be adjusted around people's actual energy, not just their job titles. Work gets distributed in ways that are more sustainable, and more effective.
And perhaps most importantly, people give themselves permission to stop feeling guilty about the things that drain them. When you know your geniuses, you stop performing and start contributing.
Why Having Two Facilitators in the Room Matters
Most Working Genius sessions are run by a single facilitator following a script. Sonder brings two, and that distinction shows up in the results.
Mike holds the business lens: what does this mean for your org chart, your decision-making, your growth plan? Carly holds the human one: what's the tension underneath the surface, and how do we create enough safety for it to come out?
When both are present, teams don't just complete an assessment, they have the conversations they've been avoiding. That's where the real work happens.
"Mike and Carly were a warm and encouraging presence with our staff team. Their practical application of Working Genius was a powerful testament to the importance of defining clear lanes and having a common language. We feel empowered in our roles, with the freedom to operate in our geniuses and ask for help where we feel friction. This content is accessible and immediately applicable, and breeds strength, unity, and commitment to the mission of any organization Their passion is contagious. We couldn't recommend them more."
— Jennifer Powers, Founder & Director of Mission, Tried & True Parenting
"It was a tipping point for us. Never before had I observed our team really focus like that, or get my leadership team all on the same page to where we have a working model of how we're going to grow in understanding and building trust."
— Greg Wood, Owner, Alpha Metal Finishing
Ready to See What Your Team Is Actually Built For?
A Working Genius session with Sonder starts with your team taking the assessment, then we come in and help you use it. Not just as a conversation piece, but as a working tool for how you structure, communicate, and lead.