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It's been almost half a year since Google bought the stat service Measure Map and hired its creator Jeffrey Veen. Looks like he's taken charge at his new home, thus ruining all our planned "It's not easy being Veen" jokes. In a chat with design firm 37signals, he shares his emergency meeting strategy.

There are meetings I attend to promote a specific agenda item. So I half-listen off to the side until the thing I need comes up.

I agree that meetings can be poisonous. When I feel a meeting going off into endless debate, I try to hijack them — get my laptop up on the projector, or stand at the whiteboard and draw.

Disempowered team leaders of the Valley, take note. Remember that it helps if you have something to say.

Fireside chat with Khoi Vinh and Jeffrey Veen [37signals]