The quiet before the sprint

We were all there, a few minutes early for the sprint planning. The air was that specific kind of quiet, not tense exactly, but full of potential energy. Everyone was looking at their screens or notes, waiting for the signal to begin.

Finding a fair way in

I’d brought the wheel up on the shared screen, just a simple circle with a few options. The idea wasn't to decide anything major, just to pick how we'd start talking. It felt better than me just pointing at someone or asking for a volunteer out of the blue.Someone gave it a virtual spin. The pointer landed on ‘Share a win from last week.’ For a second, there was just that quiet reaction—a few nods, a soft ‘ah’ from someone. It wasn't a cheer, more like a collective settling into the task.

That first story changes the room

Maria went first, talking about finally fixing a persistent bug. It was a small thing, but she described the moment it clicked. Her relief was palpable, even through the video call.That story, chosen by chance, did something. It shifted the energy from individual preparation to a shared space. The next person jumped in more easily, and the quiet turned into a gentle hum of connection.We didn't debate the method or process it. The wheel had just made a choice, and we followed it. The fairness of it was in its simplicity—no one was put on the spot by me, and no one could argue with where the pointer landed.

A tool that serves, not directs

As a facilitator, it’s a relief to have something impartial take the first step. It lets me step back from being the director of conversation and just be part of the circle.

The value of a gentle nudge

Sometimes a team just needs a nudge in a positive direction, not a push. The wheel provides that nudge without any friction, letting the group's own dynamics take over from there.