Basic Facilitation Skills: #5 How to Facilitate Open Issues Using a Parking Lot
Channel: MG Rush Facilitation Training and Coaching
Date: 2016-11-02

How to Facilitate Open Issues Using a Parking Lot (or as we prefer to call it, a Refrigerator)

There are various ways of describing open issues that develop during meetings. Other terms used by organizations include Issue Bin, Coffee Pot, Water Cooler, Elevator Speech, Limbo, Chestnuts, Popcorn, and our favorite, Refrigerator (a term used in the Middle East because the items temporarily stored there can be preserved and cooked up later). Regardless of the term you use, or the phrase that is embraced by your organizational culture, open issues need to be managed properly rather than left unattended as a list of items without context or assigned next steps.

Complete your open issues step after the review of completed items and assignment of action items. During the meeting, record open issues as they arise. Now, review each open issue. First make sure the open issue remains valid. Over the course of meetings, some open issues are no longer “open” and if so, they can be deleted or marked accordingly (eg, OBE = Overcome by Event, or taken care of). Append each open issue with the following:

♣ The issue status—along with a complete, coherent statement of description

♣ Who is responsible for communicating back to the group on the status of the open issue (frequently viewed as who ‘will do’ or complete the open issue)

♣ When completion is expected (month, day, year)

♣ How progress or completion will be communicated to your group of participants

♣ Give the file a name so that future ‘searches’ are made much easier

♣ Consider email size limitations, file naming conventions, and file-server security restrictions

Alternatively

A simpler method for managing open issues is called the “2 by 4.”  Meant to connote a standard piece of lumber, the method suggests a quick, tripartite approach—namely:
1. To:  Do what ?
2. By:  Who and when ?
3. For:  What purpose or benefit ?

OTHER RESOURCES:
How to Manage Your Meeting Parking Lot and Action Items: https://mgrush.com/blog/meeting-parking-lot/

Five Meeting Problems and What You Should Do About Them: https://mgrush.com/blog/meeting-problems/

Triple Constraint Theory: Use a Flexibility Matrix to Fortify Project Charters https://mgrush.com/blog/flexibility-matrix/

5 Tips on How to Facilitate Board Meetings (or Committees): https://mgrush.com/blog/facilitate-board-meetings/

Transform Your Roles and Responsibilities Into a GANTT Chart: https://mgrush.com/blog/roles-responsibilities-gantt-chart/

 * For information on Facilitation Training  go to:  https://mgrush.com/

 * For over 300 articles on facilitation skills, tools and tips go to: https://mgrush.com/blog/

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Music: "Air Hockey Saloon" by Chris Zabriskie
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Chris_Zabriskie/Vendaface/05_-_Air_Hockey_Saloon