One tomato at a time: staying effective in September
| Dear Leaders, |
| September always brings that mix of excitement and being overwhelmed, doesn't it? Between work deadlines, personal life, and upcoming year-end closures, it can feel like a juggling act. This month, I want to share a few of my own little tricks to stay on track and remain effective. |
| Kind regards, Anita Cassagne, Founder & Coach at The Laughing Willow. |
| This month's nugget |
| A simple deep work practice to try and adopt |
| Is your September feeling like an endless to-do list? To avoid falling into the trap of multitasking and interruptions, let me share a method that works for me: the Pomodoro Technique.. |
| This technique was developed in the late 1980s by Francesco Cirillo, an Italian entrepreneur and productivity consultant. |
| He came up with it as a student, using a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato.Pomodoro to manage his study time. |
 It’s simple: you work in short, focused bursts. Imagine that classic kitchen timer shaped like a tomato (Pomodoro in Italian). 25 minutes of total focus followed by 5 minutes of pause. After 4 “tomatoes,” take a longer break (15–30 minutes). |
| Give it a go. Your brain will soon get used to this rhythm. Ring ring! |
| Leadership nudges |
| TAKE TIME TO MAKE TIME |
| September also marks the kick-off of that final push before the year concludes: hitting your targets, preparing (and negotiating!) budgets, getting the 2026 roadmap ready, planning end-of-year reviews, and the list goes on. |
| A phrase someone whispered to me recently has become a mantra: Take time to make time – for the work that really matters. |
I recently came across an HBR article that really struck me: most of us spend 40% of our time on tasks that bring little value – and that someone else could easily do. The authors suggest a simple exercise: look at everything you did yesterday, break it into 30–60 min chunks, and run each task through 4 quick questions (they even have a grid for this!). The idea is to spot what you can Drop, delegate, or redesign.Those who tried this saved almost a day a week and reinvested that time in work that really matters. Simple, not easy... but powerful. |
| So dear leader, weave this mantra into your daily life. |
| Do you need support to put it into practice? The Laughing Willow Offers |
| – Manager training |
| – One-to-one coaching |
| – Co-development sessions a powerful way to be effective thanks to collective brilliance |
| A lunch like no other |
| What I love most is the “aha” moment, and it often happens in co-development sessions. |
| Here’s what some participants from this year’s free sessions shared: |
| “I'm leaving with concrete actions I would never have thought of on my own.” “This helped me reflect far beyond my usual horizon.” |
| That’s the power of collective intelligence. When you share your challenge, the group becomes your mirror, your sounding board and your sparring partner. And in just two hours, you can unlock a problem. |
| And here's the good news: Registrations are now open for the end-of-year co-development sessions! |
| It's |
| – Free – Online – At lunchtime (so it fits into your day) Available in French or English (depending on the group) |
| And what if it were you this time? |
| Choose your date: |
| Monday, 13 October 2025 Friday, 7 November 2025 → And register here |