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You can find an introduction to Issue Resolution Meetings in Chapter 31 of Where the Action Is. These resources will help you plan, run, and troubleshoot the specific Issue Resolution Meetings your team needs.

Definition

An Issue Resolution Meeting is used when two parties both recognize there is a problem to solve, but they have different beliefs about how the problem should be solved.

Questions Answered

  • Given that we do not agree on what to do next,
  • can we find a mutually satisfactory way to move forward?

Examples

  • Support Team Escalation
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Contract Negotiations and Renewals
  • Neighborhood Dispute

Purpose

  • To reach a new agreement or reconciliation.
  • To secure commitment to further the relationship.

Work Outcomes

  • An agreement (ideally).
  • Clarity on what happens next.

Human Outcomes

  • Closure.

Meeting Agenda Templates and Guides

How to Handle Complaints and Questions

Paul Axtell - Surfacing and working through questions and complaints is key to growing and sustaining a great organization (or personal relationship). While clearing questions and dealing with complaints are two separate processes, this meeting agenda template covers both since often a discussion will surface each equally. Any... [ more ]

How to Lead a Sensitive Conversation

Dr. Patricia Thompson - Use the helpful strategies in this meeting agenda template to facilitate group discussions about sensitive topics. While the techniques outlined can help to create more open dialogue in any meeting, they will be particularly valuable during potentially difficult conversations in which it’s important to hear the... [ more ]

Lucid Blog Posts

6 Reasons Most Efforts to Fix a Bad Meeting Culture Fail and How You Can Beat the Odds

Elise Keith (2019). At Lucid Meetings, our mission is to make it easy for teams to run successful meetings every day. Teaching teams the skills they need to run successful meetings seems like an obvious way for us to fulfill this mission, which is why we've now opened our first courses to students. We opened Meeting School now because, after over a decade of research and work with high-performing organizations, we know what works.

Emergency! What SCUBA Dive Instruction Can Teach You About Responding to a Business Crisis

Chris Gift (2012). The first thing you must do is assess the situation. Is this a small or large problem? Do you need to call for help or can you deal with it locally? Don't just look at the immediate problem (the patient) - make sure to assess the surrounding environment.


Glossary of Meeting Terms

Technique

Appreciative Inquiry
Appreciative Inquiry techniques seek to build on the positive outcomes, successes, and highlights in a situation instead of focusing on how to counteract negative forces. Practitioners recognize that people are...