The Hub of the wheel represents the group’s core values, vision and goals.
The Fibre of the Hub is the communication of the group’s core values, vision and goals
The Rim of the wheel represents the groups operating agreements, norms and culture.
The Fibre of the Rim is the communication of the group’s operating agreements, norms and culture.
The Tyre of the wheel represents the groups capacity to remain flexible, open and adaptable to change.
The Fibre of the Tyre is the communication required to achieve this flexibility and adaptability.
The Spokes of the wheel represent the groups working capacities. This includes the group’s capacity to apply planning, problem solving & decision making processes, to adopt of various roles and responsibilities, to undertake reflection and to resolve conflict.
The Fibre of the Spokes is the communication within the group about these capacities.
Move your mouse over the image of the wheel above to explore how the elements of effective group functioning can be related to the structure of a wheel
The Wheel Model
The ‘Wheel Model’ has been developed to promote successful group functioning by presenting a framework for understanding the complexities of group collaboration. This analogy uses the different structural components of a wheel (written in red) to represent the different variables known to impact on group work (written in black).
When each of these ‘components’/variables are thoughtfully attended to the ‘wheel’/group runs ‘smoothly’/works well. The model also serves as a reflective tool for group analysis by linking the structure of the ‘wheel’/group to its ‘performance’/functioning. When one or more of the ‘wheel’s components’/group’s variables is retarded or missing, then the ‘wheel’/group can become dysfunctional resulting in limitations to its optimal performance.