The silence after asking for a volunteer

It was one of those moments after a project review, when the next presentation was due. I asked who wanted to take the lead, and the silence that followed was heavy, almost tangible. Everyone was looking at their notes or the table, and I could feel the reluctance in the room.

When no one wants to step forward

I realized then that asking for volunteers wasn't about willingness, but about putting someone on the spot. It created this subtle pressure, a sense that someone had to sacrifice their time or comfort. The team was capable, but the direct question felt like an assignment waiting to happen.We needed a way out of that dynamic, something that felt fair and removed my role as the point of decision. It wasn't about avoiding responsibility, but about distributing it in a way that felt neutral. The goal was to make the next step obvious, without my voice being the one that named it.

A turn of the wheel

So we put together a simple list, just the names of everyone involved in the work. The rule was that whoever the wheel landed on would handle the next client sync or stakeholder update. There was no discussion, no debate—just the spin.The first time we used it, the relief was almost audible. The person it selected gave a small shrug and a nod, and that was that. The awkward silence was gone, replaced by a quiet acceptance of the process. It became our method, not my decision.

What it changed

It stopped the pre-meeting anxiety about who would be asked. The randomness of it felt genuinely fair, and over time, people started preparing as if they might be next, which was the whole point.

The unexpected part

It also took the focus off me. I was no longer the manager assigning a task, but just another participant waiting for the wheel to stop. It changed the energy in the room completely.