Discovering Our “Working Genius” at Zeochem
What happens when you put a group of people in a room, ask them to invent a company, create a product, and pitch it to the rest of the team?
For our Louisville team, it turns out you learn a lot more than who has the best sales pitch.
Recently, a group from the Zeochem Louisville team participated in a “Working Genius” workshop led by our very own People Operations Manager, Kat Poole. Before the workshop even began, everyone completed a short online assessment. But this wasn’t your everyday personality quiz telling you what animal, zodiac sign, or color palette you match best. The Working Genius assessment was designed to help uncover how each person naturally contributes at work — from generating ideas and evaluating options to driving projects forward and seeing them through to completion.
For a little background, Working Genius is a practical teamwork and productivity framework developed by Patrick Lencioni that helps individuals understand how they naturally contribute to work. The model identifies six distinct types of “geniuses” that are essential to moving ideas from concept to completion, while also highlighting the work that may be less energizing for each person. By understanding these natural strengths, teams can collaborate more effectively, reduce frustration, and leverage the unique contributions of every individual.
During the workshop, teams took part in creative exercises where they invented companies, developed products, and pitched their ideas. At first, it just felt like a fun team-building activity. But once we reviewed our Working Genius results, the purpose behind the exercises became crystal clear.
We could see in real time how different strengths naturally emerged within each team. Some people thrived when brainstorming and generating new ideas. Others helped narrow down the best direction, organize the approach, or push the project toward execution. Some naturally focused on maintaining momentum and ensuring the work moved across the finish line.
The workshop gave us a better understanding of not only ourselves, but also each other. It highlighted how every stage of a project benefits from different perspectives and contributions, and how strong teams are built when those strengths work together.
And while our fictional companies may never make it to market, the experience provided a real-world demonstration of how different strengths contribute to a team’s success. The creativity, collaboration, and laughter throughout the day certainly made the workshop one to remember.
The workshop is part of an ongoing effort to support collaboration and professional development across the Louisville site. Earlier this year, Kat also facilitated a Working Genius session with the local leadership team, helping leaders gain a deeper understanding of one another’s strengths and working styles.
A big thank you to Kat Poole for leading the workshop and helping the team gain new insights into how we work best together. The lessons learned will continue to support stronger teamwork and communication as we tackle future projects across the organization.