The Quest #179: 👍 A Simple Timing Rule of Thumb

Hello friends,

Greetings from Barcelona.☀️

Thanks for reading The Quest, your weekly round-up of tips and insights to help you design and lead exceptional online sessions that your group members will love.❤️

I want to talk about something that a lot of people struggle with when it comes to running live online sessions: ✨TIMING✨

I’ll share a simple timing rule of thumb that you can use to guide your timing design decisions that gives you structure and flexibility.

Let’s dive right in.

Jazz musician Miles Davis famously said, “Timing isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.”

If you’ve ever listened to Miles Davis, you probably didn’t even notice the timing. He innovated and improvised, yet everything flowed effortlessly.

That’s because, behind every Jazz masterpiece, there’s a strong underlying structure.

The same goes for live online sessions.

Timing gives your session both structure and flexibility. It keeps the experience cohesive and engaging, while still leaving room for spontaneity. Without it, your session risks feeling disjointed. And important moments are rushed through or skipped altogether.

Most live session leaders struggle with timing.

Myself included! I often underestimate how long things will take. So I’ve learned to pay extra attention to timing when designing sessions.

And there’s a pattern.

While building my on-demand course Live Session Magic, I discovered something amazing: after analyzing four years of live session designs, I found that the timing structure for an effective session was strikingly similar to Jazz.

This time structure has become my go-to rule of thumb.

It’s got 4 sections that each play a role in giving your participants a complete experience.

It’s not an exact science. But it can give your session that underlying structure that gives you flexibility.

Let’s break down the four key sections:

1. “The Intro” – Setting the tone (20% of session time)

This is the critical start where you welcome participants, set the tone, and start engaging the group— just like musicians warming up the audience.

👉 The key here is to give people enough time to ease into the session, but not so much that it drags on.

2. “The Head” – Core material (50% of session time)

This is the heart of your session—the reason participants showed up. Spend the bulk of your time here, diving into key content.

👉 The key here is not to overload participants with information. Let the material breathe and give it room for exploration without rushing.

3. “Improvisation” – Reflection and exploration (20% of session time)

Here’s where participants dive deeper, reflecting and exploring concepts and new ideas.

👉The key here is to give enough time for insights to surface while not going completely off-piste.

4. “The Outro” – Wrapping up (10% of session time)

This is where you bring everything together, recap the session, and give your group a sense of closure—just like the final notes of a jazz performance.

👉 The key here is not to rush or skip the closing but to allow time for a proper, satisfying end.

Here’s what that might look like for a 60-minute online session:

Depending on the nature of your session, you might need more time for the intro or the closing—especially if it’s the final session in a course.

But the beauty of this framework is that it gives you a structure while allowing room for improvisation—just like a great jazz musician.

How about you? How could you apply this timing rule of thumb to your sessions? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

This Week’s Facilitator Finds 💪

In this section, you’ll find curated events, resources, tips, and tools worth checking out.

1/🎥 Time Management: Extreme Buffer. A YouTube video from AJ&Smart with tips for staying on time by planning extreme buffers (since we are talking about time:).

2/ 📅 Learn to Unlearn Webinar Sept 17. A 1hr webinar that will show you how mastering the art of unlearning can keep you innovative, adaptable, and competitive. From my friend and adaptability expert Ann Reilly.

3/ ⚒️ StreamAlive’s Create with AI. You may have heard me talk about StreamAlive. They are developing new AI features to empower live session engagement that looks very promising!

💌 Thanks for reading The Quest

I always love hearing your feedback and suggestions. Just hit reply to share your thoughts and ideas.

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Creatively yours,

Whenever you are ready there are 2 more ways I can help you:

👉Custom coaching & team training. Book a free 15-minute zero-commitment call with me to see how I can support you and your team.

👉 Live Session Design Video Course. Live Session Magic gives you a proven system for designing consistently high-quality online sessions. Join the interest list here and be the first to get access.

👉5-week Live Online Course. The Breakthrough Facilitation course gives you tools, personalized feedback, and a proven framework for designing and leading high-engagement live sessions. Join the interest list and be the first to get the next cohort dates and discounts.