One tomato at a time: staying effective in September
| Dear Leaders, |
| September always comes with that mix of energy and overwhelm, doesn’t it? Between work deadlines, personal life, and year-end closures coming up, 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. |
| Warmly, 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 in Italian) 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 try. Your brain will quickly get used to this rhythm. Driiiiiiing! |
| Leadership nudges |
| TAKE TIME TO MAKE TIME |
| September is also the kick off to that last stretch before the year closes: landing your targets, budgets to prepare (and negotiate!), preparing the 2026 roadmap, 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 counts. Simple, not easy..but powerful. |
| So dear leader, weave this mantra into your daily life. |
| Need support to put it into practice? The Laughing Willow offers: |
| – Manager training |
| – Individual 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? |
| Pick your date: |
| Monday, October 13, 2025 Friday, November 7, 2025 → And register here |