Can't help but wonder...what was the method you gave your daughter for dealing with people that do not follow through with their commitments? As a Project Manager, this would be a life saver!
Nothing spectacular: Keep a running Google doc with meeting notes. Project the document during the meeting so that everyone can read the notes you are typing. Share the doc with all participants. Make a note of all the action items in that doc. After the meeting, edit the doc and collect all the action items per person in a separate section at the bottom of the meeting notes. Send an email with a link to the doc and refer to the action items. Mid-week, send a follow-up reminder. Send another reminder the day before the next meeting. Start the next meeting with a review of the action items. Carry over action items only once! Make a note in the doc if you close an action item as unfilfilled because of two weeks of no action. Bring it up during perf review.
This is great. Two experiences really prepared me for work life in this way. The first was working at Wawa in high school (think the movie Clerks only a little nicer). They actually had mandatory classes in how to talk to customers, figure out what they want, etc. Use those skills every day. The other is going through the Drexel University co-op program where they had a mandatory semester-long course in professional skills before you went on your first co-op assignment. Invaluable. How to hold a fork, dress, not chew gum in meetings, or take your skateboard to them (the latter relaxed later at places like Google).
Hey Jos, great piece!
Can't help but wonder...what was the method you gave your daughter for dealing with people that do not follow through with their commitments? As a Project Manager, this would be a life saver!
Nothing spectacular: Keep a running Google doc with meeting notes. Project the document during the meeting so that everyone can read the notes you are typing. Share the doc with all participants. Make a note of all the action items in that doc. After the meeting, edit the doc and collect all the action items per person in a separate section at the bottom of the meeting notes. Send an email with a link to the doc and refer to the action items. Mid-week, send a follow-up reminder. Send another reminder the day before the next meeting. Start the next meeting with a review of the action items. Carry over action items only once! Make a note in the doc if you close an action item as unfilfilled because of two weeks of no action. Bring it up during perf review.
This is great. Two experiences really prepared me for work life in this way. The first was working at Wawa in high school (think the movie Clerks only a little nicer). They actually had mandatory classes in how to talk to customers, figure out what they want, etc. Use those skills every day. The other is going through the Drexel University co-op program where they had a mandatory semester-long course in professional skills before you went on your first co-op assignment. Invaluable. How to hold a fork, dress, not chew gum in meetings, or take your skateboard to them (the latter relaxed later at places like Google).
I very much look forward to your book!