The Wheel of Mild Embarrassment

It was one of those company off-sites where you can feel the polite distance between departments. Someone had the bright idea to pull up a punishment wheel on the big screen, and honestly, I thought it would be a flop.

The first spin broke the ice

Mark from accounting spun it. The wheel landed on ‘Do your best celebrity impression for 30 seconds.’ He went with a surprisingly good, if slightly desperate, Arnold Schwarzenegger.The laughter that followed wasn't just polite. It was real, the kind that makes your stomach hurt. You could see people’s shoulders drop, just a little.

Watching the group shift

Suddenly, it wasn't about teams or job titles anymore. It was about whether Sarah from marketing could actually eat a spoonful of hot sauce without crying. She did, but her face was a picture.Each silly consequence became a tiny, shared story. The awkwardness didn't just fade; it got replaced by something else. A collective willingness to be a bit ridiculous together.

The moment it clicked

I saw two senior managers who barely speak debating the best way to perform a terrible pop song. That’s when I knew the wheel had done its job.