Ideation
Idea parking lot template
A place to park good ideas and side topics so the meeting stays on track.
What it is
A parking lot is a place for ideas and questions that come up in a meeting but don't belong to the topic at hand. Writing them down keeps the meeting on track and keeps the idea.
When to use it
- In workshops and long meetings with a fixed agenda
- When one person keeps raising a side topic
- As a standing board where the team collects ideas between planning sessions
How to run it
- 01
Show it at the start
Tell the group the board exists and that anyone can add to it. Saying "let's park that" gets much easier.
- 02
Park it, don't discuss it
When a side topic comes up, write it in one sentence in the right frame and carry on.
- 03
Sort at the end
Spend the last five minutes on the board. Move notes that are settled into Decided, needs owner.
- 04
Give each one an owner
Anything that needs action gets a name. Look at the ideas again at your next planning session.
Opens a new board from this prompt:
"Parking lot for a product strategy workshop, with side topics about pricing, hiring and a partner program"
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