Write plan before conversation
Prepare a list of key topics, ideas, and questions in advance. This will help structure the discussion, track how many questions are left, and how deep they go. Don’t rely on memory alone — you’re likely to forget something.
Build the plan gradually, not all at once
Create your plan gradually. If the meeting is recurring, it’s helpful to create a task for the meeting in your personal task tracker during the current conversation and gradually note down topics / ideas / questions to discuss. A good agenda grows over time.
Come with a solution
Think through the problem and come with your proposed solution. When discussing an idea or issue, always consider what a possible solution might be, how you would approach it, what assumptions you would make.
Take notes during conversation
Capture key points and agreements as they happen. Otherwise, you may forget details or need to follow up later.
If it’s a work task, create action items in your project or personal tracker on the spot. It doesn’t need to be perfect — even rough notes are better than none.
Give context to the other person
People come into conversations with different backgrounds. Share relevant context to help others understand your perspective. A simple example: if a designer wants to create a complex animation, it makes sense to explain to the developer why such complexity is needed and what exactly you're trying to achieve.
Tame emotions
If emotions rise for any reason, it's okay to take a break: either let someone else speak and take a moment to relax, or pause the conversation entirely for a while.
Stay in sync
When two or more people are involved in any activity, it's important to keep each other informed about your upcoming plans.
When working with others, keep them informed about your plans. Share what you’re doing and when, especially if priorities shift or you take a break.
This helps keep everyone on the same page and understand where things are heading at the moment.
It’s especially important if you or your teammate switched to another task or took a break from work.
The imperative
Communicate and collaborate with others the way you want them to communicate and collaborate with you.
You won’t always manage to follow all these points — and that's ok. Usually that’s a sign that you’re overloaded or simply tired — which means it’s time to rest.