Start countdown timers before call begins

It's 15 minutes before you begin a one-hour teleconference. You stare at your timer, and remind yourself to start it when you began the call.

But, unfortunately, you often forget to start your time in the stress of beginning a call.

The solution is to start the countdown time before the call begins. Say you're going to begin recording a 60 minute call in 15 minutes. Simple: start a 75 minute countdown (60 plus 15) right now. This ensures that your timer will warn you when you near the end of your time.

(Thanks to Betsy Parker for this tip.)