If you choose to, you can lead your managers into Dis-Un-Enabling their workplaces with Square Wheels and you can get the tool for free!

Enablement IS a Thing. It is something you can do, and it changes motivation dramatically.

You can enable people. And they can then choose to do things to improve their workplaces. Yet all the research in most of the companies finds that workers and their supervisors are disengaged. More than 7 in 10 from research from Gallup and others. Why? Managers are not really asking people what needs to be done differently. 

What is it? Enablement is the practice of giving people the clarity, tools, skills, and resources they need so it is easier for them to succeed and perform at their best. In business, it is often described as an integral change function that equips employees with knowledge, technology, and support to increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency.​ And a reality is that supervisors and workers don’t have it.

People are CHOOSING not to be involved. And things do NOT work smoothly in most workplaces.

So, take 10 minutes in your next group meeting. (Note that this works at EVERY level of an organization.

Show them the image and ask for their responses: Listen for the Square Wheels and expect them to offer some round wheel ideas as they continue the discussion. (Note: THEIR perceived round wheels!)

Get the main Square Wheels One image free by clicking on this image!

I’m guessing that you know that workplaces such, being full of people competing, with plenty of silos and Spectator Sheep with so many feeling up their axles in mud while pushing their wagons uphill. The data on people and performance continue to be horrific. Hell, 70% of supervisors are disengaged. Burnout is everywhere and so many are just pretending to be employed and productive.

More training will have only a small impact on performance because it is not addressing the dysfunctional systems and processes.

I do NOT know all the solutions, but I do know that we can begin to make some changes if we begin to do some things differently. We can clarify the missions and visions and expectations and use that as one place to begin to reshape the organizational culture. We can make the workers feel that we at least understand their problems and we can at least try to fix some things. 

And we can ask them where competition is having some negative impacts on cooperation and collaboration. We can share the vision about where we are headed and realize that many things are actively preventing change.

So, some stupidly simple ideas on removing the things blocking people from moving a little faster and better:

I for one am NOT GIVING UP. And I can share some tools we have found to work,

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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 – 2026

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 and we can easily license your organization to use these images and approaches.

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.

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