Some remarks and ideas can short-circuit an otherwise productive team discussion. Addressing the issue or answering off-topic questions takes the group away from the meaty matter that was already on the table. The digression zaps the discussion and robs it of focus and energy.
Once back on track, the question is, “Where were we?” Despite the best team’s effort, the group never recaptures the exact point being made prior to the diversion.
Digression is the enemy of productive discussion. Good leaders do everything they can to prevent detours that take the group backward or in a different discussion direction.
They know, all too well, that reaching a quality decision or conclusion requires keeping everyone’s focus exclusively on the issue being discussed. Anything that detracts from that focus undermines the goal of completing the task at hand.
But no matter how good the leader or facilitator is, no one can prevent a team member from making a statement that may derail the discussion. Once taken up and addressed in even a cursory fashion, the damage is already done. The discussion has been hijacked and will never be as complete.
Keeping meetings on time and on track is never easy. That’s why great leaders employ a Parking Lot, where off-topic ideas or comments can be parked and discussed later. A simple flip chart or whiteboard works marvelously to capture such issues. You can even use the title Parking Lot in bold letters. Anytime an off-topic problem, issue, or idea is raised by anyone, the leader has the option of placing it in the Parking Lot without missing a beat in the current discussion thread.
With only a little trial and error, team members quickly become used to this tactic and will learn to write a topic or question on the board without interrupting the discussion flow. Not surprisingly, the very existence of a Parking Lot reminds team members not to digress if they can avoid it. Teams and leaders who deploy this simple device often experience few off-topic comments as a result.
Parking comments and ideas to the side for discussion later helps to keep the discussion on time and on track. When discussing important issues, any statement that redirects the discussion, however unintentional, is actually a hand grenade in disguise. The best way to defuse it is to move it off the table. Park it for later.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
