How Cognitive Dissonance using Square Wheels images and facilitation tactics can drive organizational transformations and culture change

• Imagine a team pulling a wagon rolling on wooden square wheels with a cargo of round rubber tires.
  
• Imagine the leader pulling on a very long rope and the wagon pushers unable to see where they are going.
  
• Imagine the team pulling the wagon uphill in the mud with Spectator Sheep voicing their suppport.

To make this even more like many organizations, you can also add alligators and silos while having the people pushing and pulling the wagon in the grinding paste of their reality. Just imagine! 

The Psychology of Organizational Inertia

We have used this image since 1993 to facilitate ideas for improvement

Transforming Discomfort into Opportunity

The brilliance of the Square Wheels approach lies in its ability to transform psychological tension into a motivational tool. By creating a safe, non-threatening engaging environment for reflection, teams can recognize inefficiencies without feeling personally attacked or defensive. They can actively participate and share their ideas and perspectives..

We start by showing this basic image and then letting people talk and generate ideas from their workplace experiences. I give them “one minute of silent contemplation”” to gather their own thoughts and then let the tabletops of 5 to 6 people share their ideas and reactions for “5 minutes.”  It is not uncommon for a tabletop to generate 25 thoughts around this image and I let them discuss things for as long as the energy is there — and this works well in face-to-face situations as well as remote breakout rooms.

The illustration functions like an organizational Rorschach test. Its “inkblot simplicity” allows people to project their experiences, identify general and systemic issues, creatively address their issues and roadblocks, and engage in creative problem-solving without fear of retribution or judgment.

And all this is before we start asking them about what Square Wheels exist within their organization. Different people see things differently, with some focusing on issues like systems and processes while others look at the human side of things. There are not any real answers, since this is, “just a cartoon,” but the effects are always amazing and we change their language of performance to focus on opportunities, the round wheels.

A worksheet to collect an individuals ideas about workplace Square Wheels

Breaking Psychological Barriers

Traditional change management often fails because it confronts people directly with their shortcomings. The Square Wheels metaphor takes a different approach. It provides a universal language for discussing complex organizational challenges while reducing anxiety about proposing improvements.

Teams using this approach report remarkable widespread outcomes. They experience faster problem identification, more collaborative solution development, and a significant reduction in resistance to change. The metaphor works by shifting perspective from problem-focused to solution-oriented thinking. The cognitive dissonance arises as the Square Wheels are identified because there are almost always good Round Wheel possibilities to address the issues. THIS is the gap that provides the motivation; they want to replace SWs with round ones.

The Mechanics of Motivation

When shown the Square Wheels One image, individuals and teams undergo a psychological transformation. They move from passive acceptance of current practices to active exploration of potential improvements. It is amazing to watch and fun to facilitate.

This shift generates intrinsic motivation—the best driver of organizational change. The approach triggers multiple psychological processes and involves both System One and System Two Thinking (in the framework of Daniel Kahneman). It reframes obstacles as opportunities, encourages team-based problem-solving, and breaks down hierarchical barriers that typically impede innovation.

And things get even more interesting when we add the other metaphors like mid, silos and alligators because they also become discussion points for focus. Especially useful is the idea of Spectator Sheep, in my opinion. There are roughly 20% of people in most organizations who are actively UN-engaged. By allowing them to “voice their thoughts” within the context of gathering ideas about Square and Round wheels, we give them direct opportunities to engage in their most serious issues. Understand the reality that they are already dissociated from the organizational reality and that their views can be beneficial.  (We call this DIS-Un-engagement: here and here)

For added perspective, some organizations actually appoint people to serve as Devil’s Advocates to take a problem-oriented look at decisions. The use of the Square Wheels metaphor combined with group facilitation is a powerful way to help DIS-un-engage people in your workplace. Consider making Spectator Sheep team leaders to solve the problems they see most important.

Implementation Strategies

Conclusion: Embracing Continuous Continuous Improvement

The Square Wheels metaphor transcends being merely a training tool—it represents a philosophy of organizational development and is all about people and performance and how things really work.

By embracing cognitive dissonance as a catalyst for engagement and change, teams can transform psychological tension into a powerful driver of innovation and performance.

And note that supervisors and managers can facilitate and be actively involved in helping their workgroups improve with minimal training — this would dramatically influence their effectiveness in engaging their people on improving their workplaces.

Organizations that master this approach recognize a fundamental truth: the round wheels of potential improvement are often already within reach. And the round wheels of today will be those Square Wheels of the future; there is a need for continuous continuous improvement plus the need to actively involve people in the change process.

Here is a related article on change called, “Teaching the caterpillar to fly,” wrapped around this image:

The journey from awareness to transformation begins with a simple yet profound recognition of our existing realities and our choices to do things differently, along with the courage to challenge them. Teams offer so much more peer support around the change process and personal growth.

In an increasingly complex business landscape, the ability to recognize and replace “Square Wheels” becomes not just an advantage, but a necessity for survival and growth, whether you use the metaphor or not.

The Square Wheels images and the metaphor provide an easy and memorable way to discuss issues and opportunities.