When you’re the presenter or leader of the meeting and participants are looking confused or asleep, there’s only one solution: ask a question. Get the participation up and the communication flowing using some of the following examples.

For Confused or Concerned Looking Faces:
“It seems like my comments may not be as clear as I thought. Is there specific information could I go over for you?”

For Blank Stares and Sleepy Participants:
“Is everyone following me? Shall I speed up or slow down?”

For Negative Body Language:
“I’m sensing that you may have some questions about what I’m saying. Would anyone like to make a comment?”

For Any Time you Need People to Return to the Present:
“Are there any questions at this point?”

Remember, what people say and what they actually mean can be surprisingly different. If people are glaring at you and casting furtive glances at the exit, schedule a quick break. The better you respond to your audience’s silent communications, the easier it will be for you to work with your team, and the more productive your next meeting!

1. Source: www.uselessknowledge.com

Usually when people are faced with a time crunch, they think of ways to multi-task, such as brushing their teeth in the shower, reading their e-mail while having their morning coffee instead of bantering with colleagues or reviewing documents while waiting for a meeting to begin. These might buy you a few minutes but they can’t be applied to the multitude of time-stressed situations that arise throughout the day. The following strategies can.

Mind the Clock
The most important thing to realize is that in order to beat the clock, you need to mind the clock. Be conscious of the amount of time you spend on activities, especially on day-to-day tasks since we often underestimate how long it actually takes to accomplish these. For example, if you don’t account for the time it takes to read and respond to the overnight build-up of e-mail, you’ll feel behind schedule every morning before you’ve even started working on your projects!

Make Time Count
Planning is key. You must allocate your time in order to save time. One simple rule is to spend at least five minutes each and every day planning your day. Write a list of all the activities you want to accomplish and estimate the time it will take to perform each. Then, prioritize them in order of importance. Begin by applying your efforts to the top item and work to your time deadline. If you have not finished the activity when the allocated time is up, continue until it is done before you move on to the next task.

For meetings, the agenda is your most critical ally against the loss of productive work time. Your agenda should itemize every topic to be discussed, list the participant(s) to lead that topic and set a specific amount of time for each one. Participants should be required to read the agenda well in advance of the actual meeting, to think about what they will be asked to comment on and prepare their contribution.

Keep on Track
It may be difficult at first to estimate the amount of time it takes to accomplish an activity. Start to track how much time it actually takes to do what you’ve intended by creating a simple table and logging how many minutes you spend on each task. You may be surprised to see how many times you’re disrupted and how much time you spend re-orienting yourself to the task at hand.

Limit Distractions
You can save a lot of time simply by limiting distractions. Evaluate whether it’s more important to attend to the new matter or your current activity. It’s critical to monitor progress and manage disruptions during a meeting. You need to keep an eye on the clock and stop discussions that you know are unproductive or better handled outside the meeting.

Since you already know how much work time you have, you’ll have more productive and stress-free days when you make a plan and can realistically predict how much time it takes to accomplish your tasks. Now, you can stop the clock before the alarm goes off.

I am a complete blogging numpty, but I just had to give it a try.

Now, let’s start…

Ever feel like your team is getting nowhere fast? Teamwork can be an excellent way for colleagues to use their shared knowledge to problem solve and create products or solutions. However, it’s important to determine whether forming a team will enhance your company’s productivity on a project or just waste valuable resources.
If you’re thinking teamwork is the way to go, ask yourself the following questions before you round up the troops and get the project underway.

Are you sure you need a team to do the job?
Sometimes, assigning a team to a project just isn’t the best choice. Some jobs will be completed more efficiently if assigned to one person. If an individual has the knowledge, time and experience to fly solo on a project, let her. That will leave more people free for projects that really need a team approach.

Does a team have enough time to do the job right?
There is nothing worse than wasting people’s valuable time with undefined goals. Tell your team what you want them to accomplish and why this job is important to the company. Otherwise, it’s difficult for people to give their all to a project they consider meaningless. Before you create your team, know what their exact task will be. Having a common objective will keep team members motivated. It’s also wise to give team members a clear picture of what role each individual will play.

Does the team know exactly what they need to accomplish?
Team members should have a reasonable amount of time to work together and achieve their goal. Rushing a team will cut down on productivity because of increased pressure and lack of time to come up with the creative results your company craves.

Establish a clear start and finish date at the beginning of the project. The team may disagree and request a new target date, but at least you’ll know ahead of time instead of facing last-minute requests for deadline extensions.

Have you picked the right people?
Look for team members who are open to new ideas and supportive of one another.

Build your team from people who can cover all aspects of the project. When feasible, have people from different departments on your team – marketing, accounting, even the mailroom. Ten heads may be better than one, but not if they all think exactly the same way. The job will get done faster when the necessary information and resources are encompassed within the team members.

But remember that no one is perfect. People have different ways of approaching projects, and teamwork sometimes results in disagreements. To help team members get over obstacles and maintain productivity assign a team facilitator.

If you’re creating the team for the right reasons and taking the time to set up a diverse group, you’ll be sure to see increased productivity on all your team endeavors.

1. Source: Business Week, 11/27/00