1. Set an agenda, thus defining the objective.
Request a meeting agenda ahead of time, that outlines what the participants want to discuss and the best way of using the allocated time. Agendas need to have flexibility, and should act as a tool that force individuals to think about what they want to accomplish in meetings. The agenda helps all involved to focus on what they are trying to achieve and how best to reach that objective.
2. Assign a note-taker.
I'm a big believer in capturing an official set of notes, so inaccuracies and inconsistencies can be caught immediately. All those who attended, and those who missed the meetings receive a copy of the notes. When people are trying to remember what decisions were made, in what direction the team is going, and what actions need to be taken, they can simply review the notes.
3. Discourage politics, use the information at hand.
This idea can and should apply to meetings in organizations in which people feel as though the boss will use favoritism for the individual instead of embracing the idea. Use the Six Thinking Hats, or at least talk on the raw information you have. Don't mix in feelings, without letting people know that it is just feelings.
4. Stick to the clock.
To add a little pressure to keep meetings focused, get a timer on the wall, counting down the minutes left for a particular meeting or topic. Impose structure amidst creative chaos. The timer exerts a subtle pressure to keep meetings running on schedule.
Your mind is often your greatest tool, but as anyone who has been taken over by fear, frustration, or worry knows, it can also be your greatest enemy. Whether you're concerned about not having the respect of your peers or that a customer isn't calling you back because she's gone to a competitor, over-thinking the issue only serves to compound the worry. Instead, pretend you have what you want. Act as if your peers respect you or the customer is loyal. These may be fantasies, but what you're worrying about may be as well. It's better to stop the worry and act confidently; chances are better you'll get what you want.
Ref:
Harvard Business PublishingWho are you trying to please?
What are you promising?
How much money are you trying to make?
How much freedom are you willing to trade for opportunity?
What are you trying to change?
What do you want people to say about you?
Which people?
Do we care about you?
(and after each answer, ask 'why?')
Ref:
Seth Godin
If I'd asked my customers what they wanted, they'd have said a faster horse.
-Henry Ford
You cannot only ask the right questions, you have to ask them the right way as well.
Reference: Wikiquote and somewhere in dialog.
I do not spend all day working on projects, so I estimate in hours of work, not days.
I cannot do a project, so I need to break it into tasks and estimate the tasks.
I find it that when I estimate a task, I usually see it as just doing the work. Take in consideration communication, waiting and ad-hoc changes in requirements.
Have I done more or less exactly these tasks before?
Yes: Hey I'm a better estimator.
No: There's a larger chance of failure.
In hindsight I find this rule amusing: Take the first estimation of number of hours, and multiply that with π (pi), and you get quite close to actual time.
