The quiet before the rotation wheel spins

The room was quiet, just the hum of the projector and the soft clatter of mugs being set down. I’d placed the laptop at the center of the table, the wheel already loaded. It felt less like a decision and more like a simple, transparent step we could all see.

Setting the stage for fairness

I didn’t want to frame it as a solution to a problem. It was just a method, a way to visually step back from the usual back-and-forth. Everyone knew the roster needed to be set, and the old way of volunteering or deferring was starting to feel uneven.My role here was just to facilitate, not to steer. The wheel’s neutrality was its main feature. It removed the need for anyone to justify why they couldn’t take a particular slot, or for me to have to make a judgment call.

When the wheel does the talking

There’s a particular kind of relief when an external tool takes the pressure off. The conversation shifted from ‘who should’ to simply ‘what’s next.’ We were all looking at the same screen, the same list of names and weeks.It created a shared focus. The discussion became about logistics and coverage, not about personal capacity or perceived fairness. The wheel presented the options, and we could then talk about the practicalities of each result.

A moment of collective pause

Just before the first spin, there was that familiar, brief silence. It wasn’t tense, just attentive.

The mechanics of impartiality

Watching the cursor land felt deliberate, yet completely detached from any individual in the room.