About the Six-Animal Model
A practical framework for understanding group dynamics, developed through years of teaching, research, and professional practice.
Origin
The Six-Animal Model was developed by Dr Simon McCallum as a practical tool for helping students and professionals understand group dynamics. The model emerged from observing hundreds of student project teams and professional groups, noting the same patterns of success and failure recurring across very different contexts.
The key insight was that group dysfunction is rarely about individual talent or effort. Instead, it stems from missing functional roles. A group of brilliant individuals will still fail if nobody manages the process, or if nobody identifies risks, or if nobody maintains morale. The animal metaphor was chosen deliberately: it creates psychological separation from personal identity, making it easier to discuss roles without triggering defensiveness.
The model draws on established psychological research -- primarily Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan) -- to provide a rigorous foundation for what might otherwise be a purely intuitive framework. Each animal maps to a unique combination of primary and secondary psychological needs (Competence, Relatedness, and Agency), explaining not just what the role does, but why the person in that role is driven to do it.
Where the Model Is Used
VUW Executive MBA
Used in the Executive MBA programme at Victoria University of Wellington to help experienced managers understand and improve their team leadership through role awareness.
CS User Experience (SWEN303)
Applied in the SWEN303 User Experience course to help software engineering students form effective project teams and understand interpersonal dynamics in design work.
Game Development (IMT3603)
Used in the IMT3603 Game Development course to help game development teams self-organise, identify missing roles, and manage the intense collaborative demands of game production.
Professional Workshops
Delivered as standalone workshops for organisations wanting to improve team effectiveness, restructure teams, or diagnose persistent group dysfunctions in their workplace.
Key Influences
Nordic Management Culture
The flat, consensus-driven management style of Scandinavian organisations influenced the model's emphasis on distributed roles rather than hierarchical leadership. Every role is equally important; the Bear is not "above" the Rabbit.
Neurodiversity Awareness
The model acknowledges that different people have genuinely different motivational drives and communication styles. Rather than expecting everyone to conform to one mode of working, it creates space for varied approaches within a structured framework.
Gamification
The use of animal avatars and the "multi-classing" terminology deliberately borrows from game design. This makes the model more memorable, more engaging, and less clinical than traditional personality frameworks. People remember "I'm a Wolf" better than "I score high on affiliation".
Psychological Safety
Inspired by Amy Edmondson's research on psychological safety, the animal metaphor creates a safe way to discuss role failures. Saying "we need more Cat energy in this meeting" is far less threatening than "you're not being critical enough".
About Dr Simon McCallum
Dr Simon McCallum is an academic and practitioner with experience spanning computer science, game development, education, and organisational psychology. He has held positions at Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), where he teaches software engineering, game development, and user experience design.
His research interests include group dynamics, gamification of learning, neurodiversity in education, and the application of psychological frameworks to practical team management. The Six-Animal Model is one of several frameworks he has developed to bridge the gap between psychological theory and everyday team practice.
Interested in Using the Model?
Whether you're an educator, manager, or team leader, Dr McCallum can help you apply the Six-Animal Model in your context.