Does this time sink happen to you?
A coaching client used most of their appointment time to tell me about a conversation that they had. When he got to the end of the story, things had been worked out nicely.
I said, a bit befuddled, "So what do you need help with?”
Him: “Oh nothing”.
Me: "Then why are you bringing this up today?"
Him: "My boss told me to".
I inquired: "How does she know about it?"
Him: "I texted her right after the incident so she'd be informed in case she got wind of it. When she got my text she said, ‘You should tell Beth’.”
Me: "Did you tell her you were texting her just to keep her in the loop, and there was no action needed?"
Him: "Uhm, no. I thought she'd know that”.
I know his boss pretty well. She’s a "fix it" person. She was also swamped that day and so I’m guessing her solution was to send him to me for help. As a result, the client used most of his appointment to talk about something that was already handled, and not the scenario he actually wanted help with.
One Small Thing Saves So Much Time
Do you sometimes communicate something without being clear about what you want the other person to do with the information? And does that lack of clarity sometimes result in wasted time?
When you share information it is helpful to let people know what you are hoping they will do with it. For example:
"This is for your information only, no action needed."
"This is me venting -- nothing for you to do. Thanks for receiving it."
"I need your guidance on what I should do next, thanks".
See where I'm going here?
In this case, my client gained a new tool. He learned that it is in his own best interest to state at the beginning why he’s communicating information and what the desired action (or inaction) is that he seeks.