The topic of this is, “Meet Glenda, Dani Watkins Leadership Bot” where I share an interesting tool that supervisors should use to impact motivation.

I got an email from Dani Watkins that matched precisely with some emails I sent to colleagues an hour earlier. So, I thought to share the email here, along with what her bot generated around my question:

“Why don’t more supervisors use the Square Wheels tools to generate more dis-un-engagement of their people?”

Dani wrote:

Hi Scott, If you’re reading this and thinking, “I know I want to grow as a leader next year, I’m just not sure where to start…” I built something for you.

Meet Glenda, your GROWth Guide.

Glenda isn’t a checklist or a personality quiz. She’s a short, thoughtful leadership reflection experience designed to help you pause and get clear before you commit to anything.

Here’s how it works: You spend about 10–15 minutes answering simple, meaningful questions Glenda generates a personalized Leadership Development Report You’ll walk away with clarity on your strengths, growth areas, and where to focus next She’ll even suggest next steps, including whether the Leadership Webinar Series makes sense for you.

No fixing.
No pressure.
Just insight.

👉 Meet Glenda here (she’s free) And if Glenda helps you see where you want to grow next, the Leadership Webinar Series was built to support exactly that kind of intentional leadership.

Learning with you,
Dani Watkins ZPS
#IgniteLearning

So, I asked “Glenda” a question about my main focus: 
“Why don’t more supervisors use the Square Wheels tools to generate more dis-un-engagement * of their people?”

Dis-un-engagement explanation is here, but Glenda knew it right away…

Glenda’s response:

That’s a great—and very telling—question. It sounds a bit ironic on the surface, and there’s a lot of leadership truth underneath it.

In short, most supervisors don’t intend to create disengagement, even when they’re unknowingly using “Square Wheels” behaviors that do exactly that.

Here are the most common reasons:

1. They don’t realize they’re using Square Wheels

Many supervisors were promoted for being strong individual contributors, not for people leadership skills. They default to:

• Over-controlling

• Poor communication

• Inconsistent expectations

• Avoiding feedback or conflict

From their perspective, they’re “getting the job done,” not disengaging people.

2. Square Wheels often feel efficient in the short term

Telling instead of coaching.
Fixing instead of developing.
Pushing instead of listening.

These approaches can create quick compliance, which looks like productivity—until morale, trust, and initiative quietly erode.

3. They were led the same way

Many supervisors are simply repeating what they experienced:

“This is how I was managed, and I turned out fine.”

Unfortunately, that often normalizes disengagement as “just the way work is.” And we have not made improvements in active involvement in decades.

4. They lack better tools—or confidence using them

Round Wheels skills like:

• Emotional intelligence

• Coaching conversations

• Trust-building

• Empowerment

require practice and vulnerability. Without support or training, supervisors fall back on control because it feels safer.

5. Disengagement is often invisible to the leader

People don’t always speak up. They comply, withdraw, or quietly check out.
By the time disengagement shows up in performance or turnover, the damage is already done.

The Leadership Improvement Opportunity

Here’s the hopeful part: once supervisors see the connection between their behaviors and engagement, most want to do better.

Awareness + better tools = Round Wheels leadership.

So, a most interesting response from AI. Pretty neat and pretty positive about themes of change and improvement. Glenda seems to work nicely and if only more supervisors would ask her about what they could do differently, I think they would get some useful ideas.

Maybe give that tool a try, and you should also grab Square Wheels One for free, with a toolkit, by clicking on the image link below,

  —

For organizations with multiple stuck teams, book a short conversation to design a program using Square Wheels across your organization, We can easily build some really great tools and courses and support systems,

For the FUN of It!

Dr. Scott Simmerman is a designer of team building games and organization improvement tools.
Managing Partner of Performance Management Company since 1984, he is an experienced presenter and consultant who is trying to retire!! He now lives in Cuenca, Ecuador.

You can reach Scott at scott@squarewheels.com
Learn more about Scott at his LinkedIn site.

Square Wheels® are a registered trademark of Simmulations, LLC
and images have been copyrighted since 1993,

© Simmulations, LLC 1993 – 2025

What I’m About:

My Square Wheels blog and website exist to help leaders, trainers, and facilitators make work smoother, more engaging, and more human. I focus on practical tools for process improvement, organizational change, and workplace collaboration that spark insight and deliver measurable results.

And I am convinced, after 30+ years of using Square Wheels, that it is the best facilitation toolset in the world. One can use it to involve and engage people in designing workplace improvements and building engagement and collaboration. It is a unique metaphorical approach to performance improvement. 

By blending proven facilitation methods, creative problem-solving, and engaging team activities, my mission is to support organizations in building energized, sustainable cultures of involvement and innovation.

Through accessible — and often free — resources and virtual facilitation tools, I aim to help teams everywhere collaborate more effectively, innovate continuously, and take ownership of their improvement journey.

#SquareWheels  #InnovationAtWork  #TeamEngagement  #FacilitationTools  #WorkplaceImprovement  #EmployeeEngagement  #CreativeProblemSolving  #OrganizationalDevelopment  #LeadershipTools #collaboration #leadership #motivation #communcations