A fair way to decide

We were stuck. The team had two strong, valid approaches for the next sprint, and the discussion was starting to circle. I could feel the energy shifting from collaborative to competitive, each person digging in a little deeper.

When opinions are equally valid

As a Scrum Master, my role isn't to pick a winner. It's to guide the team to a decision they can all own. That's the tricky part, when both options are technically sound but represent different philosophies about the work.Arguing the merits wasn't getting us anywhere. We were just reinforcing our own positions. I remember looking at the clock, feeling that familiar pressure of a planning session running long without a resolution.

The relief of an impartial arbiter

That's when I suggested we spin for it. Not to trivialize the decision, but to accept that either path was good. We listed the two core options on the wheel.The click of the spin was loud in the quiet room. We all watched it slow down, that shared focus a welcome change from the debate. When it landed, there was a collective exhale. Not a cheer for a 'win', but a genuine sense of relief.The decision was made. Fairly. Impersonally. We could finally stop talking about *what* to do and start figuring out *how* to do it. The tension just dissolved.

Moving forward together

After the spin, the dynamic completely changed. The team that had been divided a minute before immediately coalesced around the chosen option. There were no hard feelings, no 'I told you so' moments.We spent the next twenty minutes in the most productive, focused conversation of the entire session. The wheel had done its job—it removed the personal stake from the equation and let us get back to being a team.