Computer-free Coaching

I forgot my laptop the other day. By the time I realized my mistake I was at what I’d call the point of no return on a 35-mile commute in a city known for horrible traffic. No way was I going back. No laptop drive of shame for me.

I’ve done this before, but this last time I felt a particular and explicit freedom from entanglement. Not having what we often consider the primary tool of our trade forced me to observe and listen more, to turn up the intensity of my collaboration and involvement.

Interestingly, the “abandon it” phenomenon has applied to my personal space at work as well. While I have my own desk, I rarely occupy it. (It now serves a dual purpose as both a convenient place to arrange team lunch fixings and a hangar for micro-scale RC helicopters.)

So, folks, here’s a coaching challenge: leave your personal machine at home for a day.

Treat this “personal computer-free” day as a chance to pair with someone you haven’t worked with in a while. Look around the team room: what’s new? Listen to the sounds of people working through problems and solutions. Can you help? Drag your mates away from their workstations and engage them in a little lightweight whiteboard modeling.