Every meeting has them: tangents, side discussions, important topics that aren't on the agenda. The parking lot technique handles this without derailing the meeting.
What It Is
A parking lot is a list of topics that come up during a meeting but aren't on the agenda. Instead of addressing them immediately (and derailing the meeting), you "park" them for later discussion.
How It Works
When an off-topic discussion starts:
"That's a great point. Let's park that for our next meeting — I want to make sure we stay on track today."
Write it on the parking lot list. Move on.
At the end of the meeting:
"We have five minutes left. Let's quickly review the parking lot. Are any of these urgent enough to address today, or do they wait for next week?"
Most of the time, they can wait. But knowing they're captured means nobody feels like their point was ignored.
Why It Works
Most tangents are valuable — they're just not urgent. The parking lot honors that value without letting it derail the meeting.
It also creates a built-in agenda for the next meeting. Things that get parked multiple times probably need their own dedicated discussion.
The Key Rules
Park immediately. When something comes up that isn't on the agenda, park it. Don't wait until it's too late.
Review the lot. Always end meetings by reviewing what's been parked.
Follow up. If you park it, you better bring it back. Otherwise people stop trusting the system.
The System Behind It
I use a Meeting Mastery System that makes parking lots automatic:
- Parking lot template built into every agenda
- Parking lot review as part of every meeting wrap-up
- Action tracker for following up on parked items
The parking lot isn't about ignoring ideas. It's about respecting the meeting's time while honoring valuable contributions.
[Link to Meeting Mastery System in bio]
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