Method · Problem solving

Parking lot: how to run it

A visible list where topics that come up but do not belong in this meeting are written down, so they are not lost and the meeting stays on track.

10 minutes4 stepsProblem solving
Other methods

When it helps

Use it in any meeting with an agenda, especially workshops and long meetings, to move off tangents without dismissing the person who raised them.

When to use something else

Skip it if nobody ever reviews the list — then it becomes a polite way of ignoring people. Always end by deciding what happens to each item.

How to run it, step by step

  1. Explain it at the start2 min
    • Anything off-topic goes on the parking lot; we will decide what to do with it at the end.
  2. Park during the meeting0.5 min
    • When a tangent starts, the facilitator suggests parking it and writes it down in the person’s words.
  3. Review at the end5 min
    • For each item: answer it now, give it an owner, put it on another agenda, or drop it.
  4. Share the list2.5 min
    • Send the parked items and their outcomes with the notes.

What comes out — an example

Made up, to show the shape.

Parked. “Why do invoices go out on the 3rd?”; “new laptop policy”; “holiday party date”.

Outcomes. Invoices — finance lead explains by email (Ana); laptops — next IT meeting; party — dropped, HR is already handling it.

Time saved. The invoice question alone had taken ten minutes in the last meeting; parked in thirty seconds this time.

Questions

What is a parking lot in a meeting?

A list of topics that come up during a meeting but are outside its purpose, kept so they can be dealt with later.

How do you use a parking lot well?

Write items in the speaker’s words, and at the end decide what happens to each one.

Is a parking lot the same as an issues list?

Similar — an issues list is usually ongoing across meetings, while a parking lot is often for one meeting.

Other methods

Five whysAsk “why?” about a problem, then about the answer, and keep going — usually around five times — until you reach a cause you can actually fix.PremortemBefore starting a project, imagine it has already failed and have everyone write down why — then change the plan to prevent the likeliest causes.Walk the boardRun a team stand-up by going through the work board from right to left — what is nearly done first — instead of person by person, so the talk is about finishing work.TimeboxingGive each part of a meeting or task a fixed amount of time, and stop when it runs out — then decide whether to continue, move on, or come back to it.Lean CoffeeA meeting with no agenda until it starts: everybody writes topics, the group votes, and you talk about the most popular ones in short, timed rounds.Fishbowl discussionA few people talk in an inner circle while everyone else listens from around them; listeners can step in by taking an empty chair, so a large group can hold one real conversation.

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