Problem-Solving in Meetings

Here’s an experienced consultant’s tip on how to unstick a meeting where people have gotten frozen into their positions. You need to do three things, in a particular order: 1. Ensure that people agree on the need to come to a decision. Sometimes that’s obvious, but in other instances “do nothing” might be a superficially-appealing way to smooth over dissent. You might perform some basic math showing how the status quo is unsustainable, or list out potential costs of delay, or assess when a decision has to be made in order to avoid bad consequences. Sometimes, doing nothing is indeed the best course of action, but too often it’s chosen because it’s easy and ruffles the fewest feathers. Slay that beast. 2. List out all the options. Make sure you include bad ones, too, because the point is to be comprehensive and not judgmental. If everything is on the table, then people can’t dispute whether something should or shouldn’t be included. 3. Last, for each option, list out “What You Need to Believe” for the option to be attractive. Get down to core assumptions that are related to discoverable facts. Some assumptions are so obvious that they can be either validated or invalidated by the group immediately – that’s good! Others will require research – that’s good too, because the research can be dispassionately objective. Now you’ve transformed the discussion from arguing positions into prioritizing facts to be researched. That’s a different, much more objective debate to have. Plus, you’ve established the basis for resolving disagreements as the facts come in. You’ve resolved both whether to make a decision and how that decision will be made.

Making progress on controversial problems Have you been pulled into a problem where everyone has an opinion, no one agrees, and no one has an actual solution? Like “Should we pivot this big ongoing project that the CEO isn’t convinced about?” My early attempts to tackle these didn't go great. I’d end up presenting a cautious solution to my boss’s boss’s, while another exec vocally disagreed.  Fun, right? 🙂  I needed a process that helped me stay calm, make progress, and get back to focusing on customer impact. What worked:    1. Understand where we are in the problem-solving process.  Most problems are like a universe — they expand in size and complexity with every new piece of information, then contract as potential solutions get eliminated. That gives me a roadmap. If I’m still hearing new information, it’s too early to propose answers. If I’m hearing repetitive info, time to consider solutions. Just naming where I am helps me stay grounded. 2. Use documents to get specific and share context.  Writing down facts and assumptions surfaces obvious questions, like “Is the main goal user experience, or perception?”  It can feel remedial, but that’s how I know everyone agrees on the core info.  It also means we can separate gathering information from jumping into solutions, which saves hours in real-time meetings.  3. Over-communicate the process and status.  For big problems, everyone wants to know what's happening and how to help. A regular update solves that: “This week I’m talking with X, Y, and Z;  Monday I'll share a recommendation draft;  Wednesday I'll share with leaders A, B, and C;  please share feedback by Tuesday.”  If I get inbound questions, I can just respond with the existing written process. 4. Ask questions even if they're embarrassing.  For crucial info, like “actually, who is the most important audience for this?”, I find someone safe, ask directly, and write the answer in my list of facts.  Usually someone else is missing that context too.  5. Write an opinionated recommendation.  My core proposal includes: - Summary:  problem statement & recommendation - Information learned:  facts v. assumptions (both are important) - Goals and decision criteria  - Options & pros / cons for each - Why this recommendation - Next steps if the recommendation is agreed on, including mitigating risks - Discussion of recommendation & other options Real-time discussions are more effective because everyone has the same info. 6. Don’t hold out for a perfect solution.  If a problem is controversial, by definition there’s no clear solution.   That gives me permission to propose my imperfect solution.   This process, simple as it is, has helped me tackle even the hardest problems.  And it’s helped me figure out how to diagnose and manage disagreements rationally, so even when everyone disagrees, we can figure out what it takes to make progress.  (For regular updates + the doodle, check out amivora.substack.com!)

I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’ve been so very guilty of this one. A problem comes up, and before anyone has really defined the problem, I’m already tossing out fixes. Many leaders do the same. That’s because the skill that got many of us into leadership roles is problem solving. We’re rewarded for being quick with answers, confident in our recommendations, and decisive under pressure. The instinct is useful, but it also creates a trap. And the moment a suggested solution hits the table, people pile on. Options multiply. Debates fire up. Pretty soon you’ve got a full menu of alternatives, but very little clarity on whether any of them fit the situation. What usually gets skipped is the boring alignment on the fundamentals: • What’s the actual problem? • What would a good outcome look like? • What criteria must every solution satisfy? Without that frame, teams burn cycles solving the wrong thing. Or worse, they move forward under the illusion of agreement, only to realize later that success meant something different to each person. That’s when frustration, rework, and blame start creeping in. The discipline is slowing down to create the frame before anyone starts building solutions: ↳ Define the problem. Say out loud what’s broken, missing, or at risk. Be clear on the facts. Don’t assume it’s obvious. ↳ Set the objectives. Establish what matters most. Define what success looks like. These are the guardrails. ↳ Then explore options. With the problem and objectives clear, you can test solutions against a shared standard. This doesn’t need to make meetings longer. In fact, it often shortens them (and makes them less frustrating). Once objectives are explicit, weak ideas drop out on their own. Stronger ones rise quickly. The debate gets sharper, faster, and less personal because you’re judging against agreed criteria instead of opinions. The real challenge isn’t generating ideas. Most teams have more of those than they can possibly pursue. The challenge is resisting the urge to jump to them before you’ve earned the right. Have you seen this problem? What are your best techniques for overcoming it? #leadership #decisionmaking #execution #meetings

I timed it yesterday: A leadership team spent 47 minutes "solving" the same issue they've tackled in every meeting for the past 4 months. Sound familiar? They identified symptoms, not causes. Everyone had opinions, few had solutions. They created action items no one completed. The problem returned, slightly repackaged. This isn't just inefficient. It's the silent killer of growing businesses. After implementing EOS with 500+ entrepreneurial companies over 15 years, I've found teams waste up to 68% of their meeting time on recurring issues that never get solved at the root. The difference between teams that solve issues once and teams stuck in the loop isn't intelligence. It's methodology. Enter the Issues Solving Track - the EOS tool that transforms how leadership teams attack problems: 1. IDENTIFY the real issue Most teams get this wrong. They discuss symptoms, not causes. Try this instead: → Write the issue as one clear sentence → Ask "Why is this happening?" three times → Determine if it's a people issue, process breakdown, or communication gap A manufacturing client kept "solving" quality problems until they properly identified the real issue: unclear quality standards, not lazy employees. 2. DISCUSS with discipline The discussion phase isn't: → A platform for the loudest voice → A place for tangents and war stories → A political positioning exercise It is: → A focused examination of relevant facts → A space for diverse perspectives → A way to challenge assumptions respectfully The best teams have a designated facilitator who keeps discussion on track and ensures every voice contributes. 3. SOLVE completely The only reason to discuss an issue is to solve it. When you've reached clarity, document: → A specific action step → One person accountable (not a department) → A concrete due date (not "ASAP" or "ongoing") Then move on. No revisiting. No second-guessing. A software company I work with was averaging 3.5 hours in weekly leadership meetings. After implementing the Issues Solving Track, they cut meeting time to 90 minutes while solving twice as many issues. The best businesses aren't the ones without problems. They're the ones that solve problems at the root. Want to implement the Issues Solving Track in your business? Use the process below 👇

"Can you help me solve this?" How many times have you heard this from your team? If you're a leader, probably hundreds of times. I used to get frustrated when team members would dump problems on my desk without thinking them through. Then I discovered the 1-3-1 rule and it transformed how we solve challenges at our company. Here's the magic formula: 1️⃣ Problem: Define it crystal clear • A problem well-articulated is half solved • Encourage precise, thoughtful problem statements 3️⃣ Options: Generate 3 viable solutions • Forces creative thinking • Demonstrates proactive problem-solving • Shows the team isn't just waiting for a rescue 1️⃣ Recommendation: Their proposed solution • 90% of the time, this is what leaders want to hear • Shows they’ve done the mental heavy lifting By implementing this: We're pushing decision-making to the frontline. The people experiencing the problem have the most information to solve it. It helps build a culture of: • Critical thinking • Ownership • Empowerment • Strategic problem-solving Pro tip: Teach this framework to your entire team. Watch how it transforms your organizational problem-solving approach. Have you tried something similar? 

Useless meetings drain energy… Mastering them isn't optional—it's crucial. Every bad meeting costs real progress. Try these frameworks: RAPID Framework R - Recommend: Subject matter experts propose solutions A - Agree: Stakeholders approve or veto recommendations P - Perform: Individuals execute the finalized decision I - Input: Contributors provide feedback and insights D - Decide: Decision-maker ensures alignment 7Ps Meeting Framework Purpose: Define the meeting's objective People: Identify key participants Process: Outline the meeting flow Product: Determine expected outcomes Pitfalls: Anticipate potential challenges Preparation: Ensure readiness before the meeting Practicalities: Address logistical details 4Ps Framework Performance: Evaluate team performance People: Focus on individual contributions Projects: Align discussions with project goals Priorities: Set clear priorities for action items Lightning Decision Jam (LDJ) Identify the Problem: Define the issue clearly Ideate: Brainstorm solutions individually and share Cluster Ideas: Group similar ideas for clarity Vote: Prioritize ideas through voting Action Items: Assign tasks based on selected ideas Which framework will you try first? Found this useful? Follow Jonathan and reshare.

Have you been in a committee meeting that sounds like this? 🔹 Faculty #1: “We need to collect more data.” 🔹 Faculty #2: “But, here’s an idea that might work…” 🔹 Faculty #3: “That won’t work.” 🔹 Faculty #4: “Who would even be in charge of this?” And just like that, the discussion goes in circles, ideas stall, and no clear action is taken. Sound familiar? This isn’t a people problem— 👉 It’s a process problem. People naturally approach problem-solving from different angles. So, when meetings jump between gathering information, brainstorming, critiquing, and deciding all at once, they become chaotic and frustrating. The fix?  👉 Structure the conversation. Guide discussions step-by-step so your committee members know when to gather facts, when to generate ideas, when to refine, and when to decide. 🟢 Gather the Facts → What do we already know? No opinions. 🟢 Generate Ideas → What are all the possibilities? No criticism—just creativity. 🟢 Strengthen Good Ideas → What’s working? Highlight strengths before critiquing. 🟢 Constructive Critique → Where could this fail? Identify weaknesses with solutions. 🟢 Own It → Who’s responsible? What’s next? No more debating. When you fix the process,  Better decisions will follow. How do you keep committee meetings productive? ------------------------------- ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders. 💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #departmentchairs #deans #programmanagers #academicleadership

“Why are you doing this?” vs. “How can this move us forward?” One shuts people down. The other sparks progress. A few months ago, I sat in on a tense team meeting. A deadline had been missed, and frustration filled the room. The manager, arms crossed, looked directly at one team member and asked, “Why are you doing this?” Silence. One looked down, scrambling for an answer. Others shifted uncomfortably. The energy in the room had shifted—from problem-solving to blame. I’ve seen this happen countless times. When conflict arises, our instinct is to question, defend, or assign blame. But what if, instead of shutting the conversation down, we opened it up? Now imagine if the manager had asked instead: “How can doing this progress us forward?” The impact is immediate. This simple shift in words changes the energy from defensive to constructive, from looking at the past to focusing on the future. Conflict isn’t the problem, it's how we approach it. Teams that handle conflict well don’t avoid it—they reframe it. They shift from blame to solutions, from frustration to collaboration. This approach is backed by research—high-performing teams aren’t the ones with zero conflict, but the ones that use conflict to drive clarity, alignment, and better decisions. Try this the next time conflict arises: 1️⃣ Pause before reacting – ask yourself: am I looking for blame or a way forward? 2️⃣ Reframe the question – instead of “Why are you doing this?” try “How can we solve this together?” 3️⃣ Turn conflict into clarity – use tension as a signal that something needs adjusting—not a reason to divide. This is part of the COMBThrough series, where we help teams untangle real challenges and turn them into opportunities for collaboration, agility, and performance. So, the next time frustration builds in your team, ask: Are we stuck in the problem, or are we working toward the solution? Would love to hear—how does your team handle tough conversations? ********************************************************************************* Hi! I’m Cassandra Nadira. I help teams unlock their potential to increase performance with proven tools and practices. 🚀 Let’s elevate your team: ✅ Workshops & Trainings – Build self-awareness and leadership agility ✅ Custom Programs – Enhance team dynamics and performance ✅ Speaking Engagements – Inspire with actionable insights 📩 Message me to explore how we can work together! #team #humanresources #workforce #challenges #leadership #learn #development #cassandracoach

You ever leave a meeting where everything looked “on track”… but your gut said otherwise? I was in a meeting with a senior exec recently where everyone was reporting smooth progress. Dashboards were green. Updates were tight. We walked out, and she turned to me and said: “That was a watermelon meeting. Green on the outside. Red on the inside." It’s a natural outcome when everyone’s trying to show they’re on top of things. But here’s the truth: you can’t solve what no one’s willing to say out loud. So how do you shift the tone without creating fear? Try this: ✅ Share what milestones were hit and what impact they had ✅ Name the next challenge as a team, not just as individuals ✅ Have everyone offer 1–2 ideas for moving forward ✅ Use the meeting to think together, not just report out This takes the energy from status updates to collaborative problem-solving. Because great teams don’t hide the red. They rally around it.

Here's an idea for meetings that actually solve problems—not just talk about them! Instead of having attendees bring reports to a meeting, ask them to bring a problem they need help with. To save time, have them write it up in under 200 words and publish it at the meeting. Set a rule: No repeating the problem—everyone has already seen it. Instead, focus on answering questions and offering suggestions. Crucially, these should be given without debate or defensive responses—only for consideration. This keeps discussions productive and prevents them from turning into back-and-forth arguments. End each problem-solving session with a simple, forward-thinking question: "Is there anything here that intrigues you and might get things more on the right track?" Small shifts in meeting structure can lead to big breakthroughs in decision-making and problem-solving! #LeadershipDevelopment #ProblemSolving #MeetingsThatWork #Collaboration #WorkplaceProductivity