When Teams Discover Their Genius: A Facilitation Success Story
There's something magical that happens when a room full of professionals suddenly realizes their teams aren't broken—they're just working outside their natural genius zones. A recent Working Genius workshop co-facilitated by Amanda Gilchrist and Matt Ley demonstrated exactly why understanding individual strengths transforms entire teams.
The Co-Facilitation Advantage
This workshop marked the first major co-facilitation for the IPN Advisors co-founders, and the impact was immediately apparent. Having both Amanda and Matt leading the session created dynamic energy that participants noticed and appreciated.
“I liked having two instructors.”
For Amanda and Matt, the collaborative approach proved equally valuable—turning facilitation from a solo performance into what Matt described as "life-giving" team sport.
Key Breakthrough Moments
Reframing Management
One of the most powerful shifts came when participants understood management not as "leadership's little sibling," but as its own crucial lane alongside strategic leadership and operational contribution. This reframing helped leaders see their tactical optimization role as valuable rather than secondary.
“The breakdown of gear types was very helpful and eye-opening. It helped me look at what I need to pay more attention with for my team.”
Personal and Professional Integration
Working Genius transcended workplace applications, giving participants language for all aspects of their lives.
“Understanding how my job affects my life and happiness is very helpful in evaluating whether or not I am in the right place.”
Another had a specific breakthrough about competency areas:
“My ‘aha’ moment was yellow competency is not ‘non-existent’ just not natural and [causes] some drain.”
Immediate Team Applications
The strongest feedback centered on participants seeing immediate applications for their teams:
“I really enjoyed this class, I learned a lot about myself and I’m excited to think more about what my teams strengths are.”
“Great tools to share with your teams to delegate the right duties to the right person.”
This immediate translation from personal insight to team strategy is exactly what makes Working Genius powerful. Leaders don't just understand themselves better, they can create environments where everyone operates more from their genius zones.
The Vulnerability Factor
Participants appreciated the psychological safety that allowed for honest self-reflection:
“There was a very vulnerable aspect to the awareness in discovering and sharing with our teams. Very impactful, thank you.”
This vulnerability is essential for real transformation—people need safety to be honest about what energizes and drains them.
Beyond Traditional Assessment
Rather than just explaining the six genius types, Amanda and Matt connected the framework to practical applications:
Meeting effectiveness and structure
Strategic delegation based on natural strengths
Team composition and dynamics
Personal fulfillment and career alignment
“This provided great value identifying how I think and work, as well as what to work on to show up for my team. Realizing what gives me joy/fulfillment and what drains my battery.”
Measurable Impact
With an average rating of 4.5 out of 5, the quantitative feedback was strong. But the qualitative responses revealed the deeper impact.
Participants left with tools to build more effective teams, delegate more strategically, and create more fulfilling work experiences.
The Ripple Effect
What makes this work meaningful extends beyond the workshop room. When teams understand each other's genius zones, projects move faster, meetings become more productive, conflict decreases, and fulfillment increases.
Participants left equipped to create these changes in their own organizations.
The combination of personal insight and practical application is what transforms individual awareness into organizational change—exactly the kind of people-centered transformation that creates lasting impact.
Interested in bringing Working Genius to your organization? Connect with IPN Advisors → to explore how this framework could unlock your team's potential.