A Wheel of Misfortune: A Tech Tale

Adeliah Jacobs
2 min readNov 13, 2024

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As a change facilitator and digital product owner, I’ve seen my fair share of tech mishaps. But none as hilariously disastrous as my recent encounter with WheelOfNames.com

The Epic Fail 🎉🎊

Photo by C Perret on Unsplash

A bunch of braai buddies in a WhatsApp group decided to use Wheel of Names to randomly assign Secret Santa gift recipients. Simple enough, right? Wrong! After eight spins, we were left with a trail of excited “Yay!”s followed by disappointing “Name already taken”s. The root of the problem wasn’t a design flaw, but rather a lack of understanding and preparation. The person who introduced the tool hadn’t fully explored its capabilities and limitations… and hadn’t considered the potential user experience. That person is me!

Photo by Francisco De Legarreta C. on Unsplash

The Lesson

Thorough understanding and preparation are crucial when introducing new technology. It’s not just about the tool itself, but also about how it’s implemented and used.

The Takeaways

1. Do Your Homework, AJ! 😁: Before introducing a new tool, take the time to learn its ins and outs. Learn for self and learn for others

2. Test, Test, Test: Involve potential users in the testing process to identify and address any issues.

Your Turn …

Have you ever:

😐Struggled with a digital tool that just didn’t get you?
🤕Encountered a situation where a lack of training or understanding led to frustration?
🤠Tamed a new tech beast and emerged victorious?

Reflecting on Workplace Experiences

Have you ever encountered a similar situation in your workplace? Perhaps a new software was introduced without proper training or support, leading to confusion and frustration. Or maybe a well-intentioned initiative was derailed by a lack of planning.

Join the conversation — share your own tech tales of woe in the comments 💬👇

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Adeliah Jacobs
Adeliah Jacobs

Written by Adeliah Jacobs

Big on making change possible and fun. A reinvention mindset is the key component of successful change campaigns in business and life

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