The Margolis Wheel Exercise can be very beneficial in community development since it allows people to see different points of view on the problems and teachers them not to be shy about expressing their ideas. Thus, when discussing the same problem with different consultants, a person learns essential communication skills. While with the first or second consultant, he or she will be timid and reverse, a person is likely to feel more outgoing later. Moreover, any exchange of ideas fosters community development since it allows to find optimal ways for problem resolution.
On the part of consultants, the exercise allows to assume responsibility for one’s words or advice, and, since these pieces of advice may be discussed in a group later, a consultant will feel obliged to give the best advice he or she can. Moreover, it fosters listening skills since listening without interruption and asking prompting questions is a skill not all people have. Nevertheless, this skill is essential for community development as only by listening to each other’s concerns people may come to an agreement on these or those community issues (Ledwith, 2020). Finally, the exercise presupposes a fair exchange of opinions, the polemics within which the best decisions can often be found.
I would incorporate The Margolis Wheel Exercise into my community development project by allowing people to focus on the most topical issues of the community and try to find answers to them. These community issues may include domestic violence, access to clean drinking water, child abuse and many others. By incorporating the Margolis Wheel Exercise into my community development project, I would give people a chance to exchange ideas avoiding heated debates and misunderstanding that always occurs in large group discussions. I believe the exercise to be valuable in promoting cohesion among community groups.
Reference
Ledwith, M. (2020). Community development: A critical approach. Policy Press.