Attendance
Who really needs to be in the meeting? Invite only necessary individuals and leave everyone else to do more productive work. Your meetings will be more effective if you have fewer people in attendance.

Agenda
Every meeting should have a clear agenda that is sent out to the meeting attendees ahead of time so they can prepare. Do not stray from the agenda. An exception to this might be if you are having a brainstorming session.

Time
Set a specific time frame for your meeting and stick to it. Meetings should be as short as possible. Always have respect for your colleague’s time. They most likely have other work to do and are depending on the meeting to start and end on time.

For more advice on holding effective meetings, check out this article and this website.

Finding the Right Fit
It’s important to lay out specific goals and timelines for Independent Contractors. Write the job description as if you were hiring a full-time employee. If you are unsure of what to pay an Independent Contractor, try visiting websites such as elance.com and Salary.com.

Terms
Write the contract clearly. Include specific goals and timelines, but also include measures in which those timelines can be extended. Include information such as equipment and staff needed to accomplish said goals. Also, remember to correctly report your contractors to the IRS. According to this article, 15% of the workforce is misclassified.

Maximize Productivity
An Independent Contractor probably already knows how they work best, or they would not be successful. That in mind, you may want to include an incentive in the contract, such as the potential for a bonus if the job is done earlier than expected or if the contractor goes above and beyond.

You can read the entire article here.

Deadlines are your friends

Some people are afraid of the word “Deadline”. It sounds so final, so unwavering. It has the word “DEAD” in it! Think of a deadline as more of a goal. When you come to work, take a few minutes to think about what needs to get done that day and the order in which you need to do it. If a project does not have a specific deadline, ask your manager or just give yourself a deadline for getting it done. This will help you prioritize your tasks. If you are having difficulty prioritizing, enlist the help of a manager or co-worker. Also, if you can foresee a problem with a set deadline, don’t wait until the last minute to tell your manager. See if the deadline can be moved. If not, see if another project’s deadline can be extended so you can prioritize the project with the hard deadline.

Focus

In the internet age, it is all too tempting to put off your work for “just a second” while you check your Facebook page or your email. If you find yourself with the urge to do this, set a goal for yourself, such as “I am going to respond to all of the emails in my Inbox” and then reward yourself with a minute or so of checking Facebook. This satisfies the urge, but also allows you to complete a task. You could also use this tactic if you have the urge to get a cup of coffee or a snack. If you work in an office, chatty co-workers can also be a heavy distraction. If your office has a door, it can be as easy as just shutting your door until a task is complete. If you don’t have a door, or work in a cubicle, it can be a little tricky. Putting on headphones or a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your cube can get the message across.

Know Yourself

We have all heard people say, “I’m a morning person”, or “I am definitely NOT a morning person”. Which one are you? Some people focus better in the morning and tend to get more distracted in the afternoon, or vice versa. When planning your day, take this into account. If you are a morning person, do your more difficult tasks in the morning and save easier ones for the afternoon.

PMI currently offers 5 levels of credentials:

CAPM-Certified Associate in Project Management
For individuals who play a role in project management, but do not direct the team. This certification is for an individual just starting out in the world of Project Management.

PMI-SP-Scheduling Professional
For individuals who develop and drive the timeline of projects and ensure that projects are done on time.

PMI-RMP-Risk Management Professional
For individuals who assess and identify risks, and capitalize on opportunities presented through the course of a project.

PMP-Project Management Professionals
For individuals who lead and direct project teams. This certification is for more experienced Project Managers.

PgMP-Program Management Professional
This is the highest level of certification and is for the individual who achieves an organizational objective through driving and overseeing projects and resources. This is for experienced project managers that not only drive projects, but may run an entire program over a long period of time for a company.

Becoming a member and getting certified in any of these certifications requires a certain level of education, a number of hours of training, classes, and/or actual on-the-job project management as well as fees for the PMP Certification exam. For more information on these requirements, click here.

If you are a project manager and are thinking about taking the exam, Global Knowledge, a worldwide business and IT training company, is currently offering a FREE practice exam. You can learn about how to take advantage of this opportunity here.