Some people were late for the (personal effectiveness &) time management session they'd asked for, so I was in the right place.
We talked about where time "goes" (emails, meetings, inadequate systems, interruptions/distractions & inefficient processes...) and how energy gets drained along with it.
I asked them to coach each other, using a solution-focused approach, to discover how they could behave differently so that their tasks became more manageable. 20 minute conversations each way.
The structure encouraged them to notice what they were already doing that was working & what they could do more of that was likely to work. For some, unused to coaching, it was a challenge to ask questions and listen (and let people work things out for themselves). But everyone had the answers when they paid attention to their own habits, what was in their control, & how things could be different.
3 things that helped people feel hopeful at the end of the session:
1. Taking time to think & talk about solutions more than problems
2. Noticing the role they played in their own overwhelm
3. Committing to a small, realistic change
20 mins well spent. I think.
