My stopwatch lost to the tissue box

This morning at 8:00, someone booked a ‘coaching’ slot and opened with a childhood wound; my whiteboard and stopwatch looked betrayed while the tissue box took the lead. I named the fork — therapy to process the pain, or coaching to build a two-step plan by Friday — and we rescheduled the deep dive, but I’m curious what one-liners you use to nudge the switch without killing the vibe.

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I use one pivot line: ‘Do you want me in coach mode or care mode for the next 15 minutes?’ If they hesitate, I offer ‘both: 3 minutes to honor it, 12 to plan by Friday,’ and my stopwatch stops pouting.

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