Keeping Your Meetings on Track with the “Parking Lot” Technique

Meetings often stray off-topic. To maintain focus and efficiency, I like to use the “parking lot” technique. This simple yet effective method helps keep meetings on track while ensuring that important, off-agenda items are not overlooked and is a simple way to honor all ideas and ensure everyone is heard.

The “parking lot” is a designated area where you can “park” any items that arise during a meeting but aren’t on the agenda. These could be important for later discussion but are not immediately relevant to the current topic. A “parking lot” can be as simple as a whiteboard or a large piece of flip chart paper attached to the wall.

The “parking lot” technique is a simple yet powerful tool that enhances the effectiveness of meetings in several ways. Here’s why it works:

• Maintains Focus and Structure. By “parking” off-topic items, the technique helps keep the meeting focused on the current agenda. Participants can discuss agenda items thoroughly without being sidetracked by unrelated topics.
• Encourages Inclusivity and Participation. The parking lot provides a space for all participants to voice their concerns and ideas, even if they don’t fit the current agenda. This inclusivity fosters a more collaborative environment, where everyone feels their input is valued and considered.
• Prevents Idea Loss. Often valuable ideas and issues arise spontaneously during meetings. Without a system to capture these, they can be easily forgotten. The parking lot ensures that no important thoughts are lost, as they are recorded for future discussion.
• Reduces Meeting Length. By deferring non-urgent items to the parking lot, meetings can run more smoothly and quickly. This reduces the likelihood of long, drawn-out discussions that can lead to meeting fatigue and decreased productivity.
• Promotes Accountability. Reviewing the parking lot at the end of the meeting and assigning owners to each item ensures that all issues are addressed and followed up on. This accountability helps drive action and ensures that parked items are not neglected.
• Enhances Meeting Quality. With the parking lot technique, meetings become more focused and productive. This improves the overall quality of the meeting, as participants can delve deeper into the agenda items without being sidetracked. 

Michael Wilkinson, in his book The Secrets of Facilitation, discusses three standard parking lot categories that he uses.  He says that it’s important to introduce these parking lot categories at the start of the meeting to describe their purpose and location.

• Issues List: Items not relevant to the current agenda item that will be addressed later or outside the session. 
• Decisions List: Decisions that are made by the participants during the session. 
• Actions List: Actions to be performed sometime after the completion of the session.

And here are some actions that can help make your parking lot a success:

• Make It Visible. Ensure the parking lot is visible to all participants. Using a flip chart or whiteboard allows everyone to see and contribute to the items parked there. This visibility prevents duplication and can spark additional insights through the connection of related ideas.
• Hire a “Valet.” In larger meetings, designate a representative to manage the parking lot. This person, the “valet,” is responsible for adding ideas to the parking lot and ensuring the wording is accurate. In smaller meetings, the note-taker can assume this role.
• Encourage Self-Parking. Empower participants to add their contributions to the parking lot if they realize their points don’t fit within the current agenda. They can do this during breaks or after the meeting. This encourages relevant discussion and ensures that valuable ideas are not lost.
• Review at the End. At the end of the meeting, briefly review the items in the parking lot and assign an owner to each. This ensures the topics are recognized and followed up on, maintaining accountability and ensuring progress.
• Follow Up. For the parking lot to be effective, follow up on the parked topics post-meeting. Include them in future agendas if necessary, and ensure they are given adequate time for discussion. No idea should be lost, and owners should aim to resolve all parking lot issues within an appropriate timeframe.
• Track Contributors. Monitor who frequently adds items to the parking lot. This can provide insights into whether certain participants are blockers helping to refine topics, if they don’t understand the agenda, or if their concerns are being ignored. This tracking helps address underlying issues and improves meeting effectiveness.
• Maintain a History. Keep a history of all items that have been parked. This helps in identifying recurring issues that need more attention and ensures that all items are eventually closed out or addressed in future meetings.

Using a parking lot in your meetings can significantly enhance productivity and ensure that all important topics are addressed in due course. By making it visible, managing it effectively, and following up diligently, you can keep your meetings focused and efficient while not losing sight of valuable ideas and contributions.