> One way I have found to be effective is to focus on being productive despite the other person. I try to find solutions/alternatives that may be more effective and don't require involving the ineffective person.

This above line may sound arrogant because it sort of implies that you are the smartest of the lot. For all you know, you may be the incompetent one for someone else.

However, this attitude (without being a pr*ck about it) can be very useful in navigating your way through the messy reality and becoming more productive in spite of it. It will prevent (or reduce) a lot of "you should have said this before", or "I should have known this before", or "you cannot change that now", or "who wrote this code?" moments.