WHAT APPEARS TO BE

Where are the important decisions being made in your company?

Have you ever attended a meeting where people nod their heads in approval of a plan being discussed. They may even smile. Sometimes they even voice their commitment to supporting the initiative. And then…

WHAT MIGHT BE

…and then these same people, at the end of the day, as they walk to their car, congregate with other like-minded people and conduct “The Parking Lot Veto”.  “They’re crazy if they think I’m going to support that,” they say. In mere seconds, everything that was accomplished in earlier meetings, indeed agreed upon, is dismantled.

Teams that use The Parking Lot Veto as a business strategy suffer. Alignment is an illusion. More meetings are necessary. And customers, who sense the poor quality, walk away.

WHAT CAN BE

How do we stop The Parking Lot Vetoes? The average person is quick to point fingers, blaming others. This oft-used tactic actually breeds more of the same behavior as people rush to the parking lot to vent their frustrations.

There’s a better way to lead. Here are three steps to stopping The Parking Lot Veto:

1. Build relationships. As is stated in our upcoming book, Stomp The Elephant In The Office, people who have good relationships with others will then be accountable to those same people. Few people sabotage their partners.
2. Consistently cultivate the understanding that all ideas have merit. It’s a fact: People are going to share their thoughts; lead in a way where they can do that in front of you.
3. Tap into the motivations of everyone involved. If the only person who is motivated to see a project through is the boss, you can guarantee there will be plenty of vetoes later.

Where are the decisions made in your company: in your meetings or in the parking lot?

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”? You decide.