You can't hire your way out of overwhelm if you haven't named what you're trying to escape. This workbook walks you through three pre-hire decisions before you write a job description, post a role, or sit through a single interview.
1. Name your own Working Genius. You can't hire a complement until you know your wiring.
2. Run the Impact Filter on the role. Commit to purpose, importance, ideal outcome, and 8 success criteria.
3. Set the target profile. Turn the criteria into a scorecard you actually use in the interview.
Move through the tabs in order. Your inputs save automatically to this device. Use Print/PDF for a paper version, or Export Markdown for your notes app. Nothing leaves your computer unless you export it.
The EA is the first rung. You give back the inbox, the calendar, the booking, the buying, the gifting. The hours you reclaim go to the next 80/20 quadrant up the ladder. Until the EA is in place and operating, the rungs above are theoretical.
The six Working Geniuses come from Patrick Lencioni. You have two geniuses (energy zones), two competencies (you can do it, but it costs you), and two frustrations (drains your battery fast). Your frustrations are the first thing to hire for.
If you haven't taken the assessment yet, do that first. workinggenius.com
I/E. Geniuses: creating solutions and supporting people. Frustrations are almost certainly Tenacity (finishing) and Galvanizing (pushing people). Competencies likely Wonder and Discernment. The cost shows up in projects that stall at 80%, ideas that don't get rallied into team action, and a calendar that fills with low-leverage support work.
The Strategic Coach Impact Filter forces you to commit to the project's purpose, importance, ideal outcome, and success criteria before you start interviewing. Skip it, and you hire fast and fire fast. Do it, and you walk into every interview with a scorecard.
These become your interview rubric in Tab 04. Rank them in order of importance. #1 is the deal-breaker.
Your geniuses tell you what you bring. Your frustrations tell you what to hire. The target Working Genius for your EA is whatever fills the frustration zone.
You are I/E. You create and support. Your frustrations are Tenacity and Galvanizing. The default target for your EA is G/T (Galvanizing + Tenacity). They push you to decide, push the team to act, drive projects to done. Strong runner-up is D/T (Discernment + Tenacity), the gatekeeper profile, best when the role is heavy on inbox triage and judgment calls. Avoid hiring another I or another E. Two creators with no closer is paralysis. Two helpers with no driver is drift.
Your 8 success criteria become 8 rubric lines. Rate every finalist from 1 to 5 against each. Total possible: 40. Anything below 32 means keep looking.
Three questions that test the Working Genius profile in practice. Don't skip them.
Tests Tenacity and Galvanizing in real life.
Tests the gatekeeper instinct and verbal protection.
You will do this. The honest answer is what matters.
If your top candidate scores below 32/40, don't hire. Re-open the search. If they score 32+, move to references and a paid trial period before the formal offer.
Export your Markdown, drop it in your Obsidian vault under 01 Formation / TMP / Pre-Hire EA, and share with your spouse and coach before posting the role.