Your Best People Are Tired - and It's Not What You Think!

You know the person who slowly becomes worn out and frustrated in their role or vocation — and can't pinpoint the cause? They're capable. They care. They show up on time. But somewhere along the way the spark went out, and now everybody is working harder and getting less done.

I know that feeling from the inside. Kathy and I own the Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery in Richardson, and here's a fact I sometimes forget: a bakery doesn't run on cake. It runs on people.

Here's a real scenario: One team member realized that their giftedness was in working with people rather than in operations...and placing an assistant that had creative ideas in operating consistency with her became their superpower. To watch their collaboration grow confidence and capacity was empowering for the other team members. There was a new vitality and excitement throughout.

That was the day Kathy stopped asking "Why isn't this working?" and started asking a better question: "Is this person doing the work they were made for?"

Why I care about this (and why you can trust Kathy with it)

Let's rewind. Kathy started out as a numbers girl — a BS and a Master's in Accounting from Louisiana Tech. She's spent more than a decade in Dallas running real businesses with real payrolls, real schedules, and real people who sometimes call in sick on the busiest Saturday of the year. So when she says team culture matters, she’s not talking about posters in the break room. She's talking about the bottom line.

She made the decision to become certified in two tools I've watched change teams — mine included: The 6 Types of Working Genius and The Power of a Positive Team.

They're simple, they're practical, and NOT one bit of either is fluff.

Working Genius: the right person in the right seat

Patrick Lencioni's Working Genius model says every kind of work moves through six stages — Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity. Every one of us has two of those that give us energy, and two that drain us dry. WOW. When I first saw my own results, I laughed out loud — because it explained why I had a tendency to abandon to-do lists as well as my constant Wonder about everything I encounter.

The Working Genius is why I'm writing this blog. I, Bryan, have been changed by the understanding of how each of us gets work done. I have learned that there are things I am NOT good at doing—we all have our own 2 geniuses and we work well when we embrace those and work with others to be geniuses in their responsibilities. It completely removes the stress of thinking I've not measured up to roles that I was never meant to pursue...and actually supercharged the tasks that I enjoy.

I have been present when Kathy shares the Working Genius model so many times and I never tire of watching the light bulbs light up. Kathy then shares the power of the team with each in the right job to maximize their geniuses—it is exciting and never gets old.

Here's what happens in a Working Genius workshop: your team stops taking each other's frustrations personally. The person who keeps asking "but what if?" isn't being difficult — that's their genius. The person who loves to finish things isn't bossy — they're the reason anything ever gets done. Once people can see it, they stop judging it. And they start trading work so everybody spends more of their day in the stuff that fills them up.

The Power of a Positive Team: Culture on Purpose

Jon Gordon's Power of a Positive Team is built on something Kathy has believed her whole adult life: positivity isn't a personality trait. It's a choice — and a team can make that choice together. Now, it's not pretending everything is fine. Spoiler alert — it isn't always fine. Customers get upset. Orders go sideways. People have hard weeks at home and bring them to work.

A positive team doesn't ignore the hard stuff. It just refuses to let negativity run the place. In her workshop Kathy talks honestly about what's draining your team, then builds real habits around trust, connection, and commitment to each other.

Get to vs. have to — that one shift alone can change the whole feel of a Monday morning. It's the business version of what she has been saying for years: Look for Good. It's there. You just have to go looking.

What happens when teams try it

I could tell you these workshops work. I'd rather let the people in the room tell you.

An owner who now sees that Wondering is necessary to keep the business innovative and who says thank you to the Enablement geniuses because he sees each of these team members for the added value to his whole operation. I still laugh at his actual "Ooooh" moment when we learned his team's geniuses.

The personal impact on marriages when a husband or wife learns they are the complete opposite of their spouse and they have been judging and condemning based solely on their genius and perspective. One person actually said "you have saved my marriage. I have never seen my husband in this light before. I know how to encourage him now and not crush his enthusiasm."

Fact. When people finally understand how they're wired and decide to show up for each other, it's not a small change. It's a different team.

So — what's your team capable of?

You don't need a new team. You might just need to see the one you have a little more clearly. If you're curious what a Working Genius or Power of a Positive Team workshop could look like for your group — a leadership retreat, a staff day, or a team that's simply tired. Reach out at TheKathyRogers.com or call (214) 536-2222, and we'll figure out what fits.

Your people have good in them. Let's go find it together. Look for Good.

Bryan Rogers is a partner at DCGTX, LLC. Bryan is the creativity and marketing behind The Kathy Rogers message. His client list is evidence that superior corporate identity and branding increases the health of organizations and businesses nationwide. He is a gifted artist/outdoorsman who is always fascinated by the imagery that God's creation reveals in nature. Bryan is also Kathy's husband, teammate and No. 1 fan—who enjoys being a guest blog author occasionally. You may contact Bryan at bryan@dcglink.com.