Growing up, I spent countless evenings at baseball fields with my dad.
As a professional baseball scout, his job wasn't just to identify talented players. It was to figure out which players would actually help a team win.
We rarely arrived just before the first pitch. Instead, we'd get there hours early. We'd watch who showed up first, who stayed late, who encouraged teammates, and who seemed to love the work that nobody else noticed.
Those observations often told us more than the statistics ever could.
Years later, I've realized leading an organization isn't much different.
Hiring talented people is important.
Helping those talented people perform at their highest level is even more important.
That's what we call Workforce Performance.
And one of the best tools I've found for helping leaders improve Workforce Performance is Patrick Lencioni's Working Genius framework.
Workforce Performance Is Bigger Than Employee WellnessWhen many organizations think about improving employee performance, they immediately think about wellness.
Maybe it's a fitness challenge.
Maybe it's healthier options in the workplace.
Maybe it's an employee incentive program.
Those things can create positive change, but they are only one piece of the puzzle.
True Workforce Performance is about helping employees become healthier, more resilient, more engaged, and better equipped to perform at their highest level.
That includes physical health, but it also includes leadership, communication, role clarity, team dynamics, and creating an environment where people can do meaningful work.
One of the biggest questions leaders should ask is:
Are our employees spending most of their time doing work that energizes them or work that drains them?
That question has a significant impact on engagement, productivity, and burnout.
Why Employee Burnout Isn't Always About Working Too MuchWhen someone tells me they are burned out, my first question usually isn't:
"How many hours are you working?"
Instead, I want to know:
"What kind of work are you doing every day?"
Those questions produce very different answers.
Imagine hiring someone because they are incredibly creative. They love solving problems, finding new solutions, and thinking differently.
Now imagine placing that person in a role where every day revolves around repetitive tasks, spreadsheets, and checking boxes.
Can they do it?
Absolutely.
Will they thrive?
Probably not.
Over time, their energy decreases. Their engagement drops. Eventually, performance suffers.
The opposite is also true.
When people spend more time working in areas that naturally energize them, they often become more engaged, more productive, and more fulfilled.
That is why understanding how people work is such an important part of building a high-performing workforce.
What Is Working Genius?Working Genius is a framework created by Patrick Lencioni that helps leaders understand the types of work that naturally give people energy.
Unlike traditional personality assessments, Working Genius focuses on how people contribute throughout the process of getting work done.
Every project moves through six stages:
Wonder → Invention → Discernment → Galvanizing → Enablement → Tenacity
Each person has:
Two Working Geniuses — areas that naturally energize them
Two Competencies — areas they can do well
Two Frustrations — areas that drain their energy
The goal is not to put people in a box.
The goal is to help leaders understand how their people are most likely to thrive.
That insight can influence hiring, leadership development, team structure, and how organizations approach important initiatives.
Why Business Initiatives Often FailOne of my favorite lessons from Patrick Lencioni compares launching a business initiative to landing an airplane.
Every successful landing follows a sequence.
You begin with Wonder.
Why does this matter?
What problem are we trying to solve?
Then comes Invention.
What solutions could address this challenge?
Discernment helps determine which ideas are actually worth pursuing.
Galvanizing creates alignment and gets people moving.
Enablement provides support.
Tenacity makes sure the work gets finished.
The problem is many organizations try to skip steps.
A leader has a great idea on Monday and expects the organization to execute it by Friday.
Or a team is deep into execution when someone introduces a brand-new idea that pulls everyone back into brainstorming mode.
It's like taking an airplane that is seconds away from landing and suddenly sending it back into the sky.
The result?
Projects stall.
Employees become frustrated.
Momentum disappears.
Great leaders understand that innovation and execution both matter, but they happen at different times.
Three Questions Every HR Leader Should AskThe beauty of Working Genius is that you don't need to completely restructure your organization to see results.
Start by asking these three questions:
Are people spending time in their areas of strength?
A talented employee in the wrong role will often look like an underperforming employee.
Before assuming someone lacks motivation, consider whether they are consistently working in areas that drain their energy.
Are our meetings designed for the right purpose?
Creative conversations require different people than operational conversations.
A brainstorming meeting and an execution meeting should not look the same.
When leaders understand the purpose of a meeting, teams communicate more effectively.
Are we protecting our teams from unnecessary distractions?
Creative thinkers need space to explore.
Operational teams need space to execute.
The best organizations know when to invite people into the conversation and when to protect their focus.
Building a Higher-Performing WorkforceAt MuuvWell, we believe healthier employees create stronger organizations.
But health is only part of the equation.
Organizations perform at a higher level when employees are physically healthy, mentally resilient, supported by strong leaders, and aligned with meaningful work.
That's Workforce Performance.
Working Genius is one tool that helps leaders understand their teams better, reduce employee burnout, improve communication, and build stronger organizations.
If you're an HR leader, executive, or safety professional looking for practical ways to improve employee engagement and workforce performance, we'd love to start a conversation.
MuuvWell partners with organizations across Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and throughout the country to improve Workforce Performance through employee wellness, executive wellness, leadership development, and injury prevention.
Schedule a Workforce Performance strategy conversation with MuuvWell today.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is Working Genius?
Working Genius is a framework developed by Patrick Lencioni that helps individuals and teams understand the types of work that naturally energize them. It identifies six stages of work: Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity.
How does Working Genius reduce employee burnout?
Working Genius helps leaders understand which types of work give employees energy and which types create frustration. By aligning people with work that fits their strengths, organizations can improve engagement and reduce unnecessary burnout.
Is Working Genius useful for HR leaders?
Yes. HR leaders can use Working Genius to improve hiring decisions, leadership development, team communication, employee engagement, and organizational effectiveness.
What is Workforce Performance?
Workforce Performance is the ability of employees to consistently perform at their highest level by combining physical health, mental resilience, leadership support, team alignment, and meaningful work.
How is Workforce Performance different from corporate wellness?
Corporate wellness typically focuses on employee health initiatives. Workforce Performance expands that approach by also addressing leadership, productivity, communication, injury prevention, and the systems that help employees succeed.
About the AuthorKevin Winn, CSCS, NSCA-CPT is the Founder and CEO of MuuvWell, a Workforce Performance company helping organizations build healthier, stronger, and more productive teams. Through employee wellness, executive wellness, leadership development, and injury prevention, Kevin helps organizations improve employee health while driving better business outcomes.
Kevin also hosts the MuuvWell Podcast, where he interviews business leaders and experts about building healthier workplaces and improving Workforce Performance.