Unleashing Your Inner Genius
Pioneer Library System
Innovation Synopsis
Pioneer Library System certified three staff facilitators in the Six Types of Working Genius framework and deployed organization-wide training for all 280 employees. Through personalized assessments and interactive team activities at Staff Development Day, employees gained actionable insights into their natural strengths and productive working styles. This strategic investment transformed workplace collaboration, reduced conflict, and created a common language for discussing work preferences across all departments and positions.
Challenge/Opportunity
PLS faced persistent workplace challenges that previous personality assessments (StrengthsFinder, True Colors) failed to resolve:
• Staff frustration with work assignments that didn't align with natural strengths
• Cross-departmental collaboration barriers due to different working styles
• High conflict rates in project teams with unclear role definitions
• Leadership gaps in understanding how to delegate effectively
• One-size-fits-all training that didn't account for diverse learning needs
• Lack of common language for discussing productivity and team dynamics
After years of trial and error with various tools, PLS needed a framework that was actionable for immediate workplace application, scalable across 280 staff of varying job descriptions, and focused on team dynamics, not just individual assessment.
Key Elements of Innovation
PLS strategically implemented Six Types of Working Genius by investing in three certified internal facilitators rather than relying on external consultants, ensuring cultural alignment and creating sustainable, long-term expertise within the organization. The deployment was comprehensive: all 280 staff members, from frontline staff to executive leadership, completed individual assessments before participating in interactive team-based activities during Staff Day. Trainers recognized what makes Working Genius uniquely effective is its focus on work activities that energize or drain people, rather than static personality traits. This framework provided teams with actionable vocabulary for discussing work preferences and collaboration styles in real-time. PLS became the first library in the state to deploy a comprehensive productivity framework organization-wide, adapting business sector tools for the public service environment and creating a replicable model for libraries nationwide.
Achieved Outcomes
This training transformed relationships at PLS and set unprecedented buy-in with 100% participation at Staff Day. PLS’s facilitators created sustainable training capacity that extends beyond the initial rollout. Framework is now embedded in onboarding, committee formation, performance reviews, and hiring processes. Staff report stronger collaboration, clearer role understanding, and greater awareness of how their contributions drive organizational success. Managers consistently report improved delegation strategies and more effective project assignments based on genius alignment. Teams now use shared language to self-organize and proactively address potential friction. The impact extends beyond PLS: facilitators have trained seven organizations statewide, including libraries, Chambers of Commerce, and the State Department of Libraries. The model will be presented at the 2026 PLA conference, demonstrating its replicability and value to the broader library field.
