Every now and then (~5-10 minutes, or when I look actively distracted), briefly check in (where if I’m in-the-zone, this might just be a brief “Are you focused on what you mean to be?” from them, and a nod or “yeah” from me).
Some other prompts I use when being a [high-effort body double / low-effort metacognitive assistant / rubber duck]:
What are you doing?
What’s your goal?
Or: what’s your goal for the next n minutes?
Or: what should be your goal?
Are you stuck?
Follow-ups if they’re stuck:
what should you do?
can I help?
have you considered asking someone for help?
If I don’t know who could help, this is more like prompting them to figure out who could help; if I know the manager/colleague/friend who they should ask, I might use that person’s name
Maybe you should x
If someone else was in your position, what would you advise them to do?
I like all these questions. “Maybe you should X” is least likely to be helpful but still fine so long as “nah” wraps up the thread quickly and we move on. The first three are usually helpful (at least filtered for assistants who are asking them fairly thoughtfully)
Some other prompts I use when being a [high-effort body double / low-effort metacognitive assistant / rubber duck]:
What are you doing?
What’s your goal?
Or: what’s your goal for the next n minutes?
Or: what should be your goal?
Are you stuck?
Follow-ups if they’re stuck:
what should you do?
can I help?
have you considered asking someone for help?
If I don’t know who could help, this is more like prompting them to figure out who could help; if I know the manager/colleague/friend who they should ask, I might use that person’s name
Maybe you should x
If someone else was in your position, what would you advise them to do?
I like all these questions. “Maybe you should X” is least likely to be helpful but still fine so long as “nah” wraps up the thread quickly and we move on. The first three are usually helpful (at least filtered for assistants who are asking them fairly thoughtfully)