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You can find an introduction to Problem Solving Meetings in Chapter 25 of Where the Action Is. These resources will help you plan, run, and troubleshoot the specific Problem Solving Meetings your team needs.

Definition

Teams use Problem Solving Meetings to analyze a situation and its causes, assess what direction to take, then create an action plan to resolve the problem.

Questions Answered

  • What do we know about the problem?
  • What are our options?
  • What are we going to do to address it?

Examples

  • Incident Response
  • Strategic Issue Resolution
  • Major Project Change Resolution

Core Process

Most problem solving meetings include these steps.

  1. Problem Definition
  2. Solution Goals & Constraints
  3. Identify Possible Solutions
  4. Select Approach
  5. Define Action Plan
  6. Confirm Next Steps

Purpose

  • Find a solution to a problem.
  • Secure commitment to enact the solution.

Work Outcomes

  • A solution or possible solution options.
  • Clarity about who will do what by when.
  • A scheduled check-in time.

Human Outcomes

  • Understanding of the problem’s scope.
  • A path forward—getting unstuck.
  • Support for tackling the problem.

Meeting Agenda Templates and Guides

How to Access the Wisdom of Your Group

Paul Axtell - Seeking input from colleagues is different from the typical approach to group problem solving. Problem solving is a back-and-forth conversation. Seeking input from colleagues is a reflective exercise built around observing your colleagues discuss a problem or idea.At the heart of this meeting agenda template design... [ more ]

How to Run an Urgent Problem Solving Meeting

Elise Keith - This meeting agenda template helps a team find short-term tactical solutions to an urgent problem. The conversation includes time to gain a shared understanding of the problem, but focuses primarily on listing and evaluating possible solutions and the creation of a short- term action plan. Use this meeting to... [ 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.

How to Run an Urgent Problem Solving Meeting

Elise Keith (2016). This meeting format is best for urgent problems that require a speedy tactical response. When you leave the meeting, someone will immediately go out and do something to start solving the problem.

The "No clue why we're meeting!" Agenda

Elise Keith (2015). There are times when I put a meeting on my schedule, and I have no good idea why. I don’t really know the goal of the meeting, there’s no agenda, and I have no clue what the meeting is meant to accomplish.

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

5 Whys
The 5 Whys is a technique used to determine the root cause of an issue. By repeatedly asking the question “Why” (five is a good rule of thumb), you can discover symptoms which may lead to the reason a problem exists...
Argument Mapping
Argument Mapping is a technique for graphically breaking down and showing the reasoning (or argument) behind a statement. In a meeting, groups can use Argument Mapping to explore the underlying assumptions behind a...
Creative Problem Solving
Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is a method that attempts to approach a problem or a challenge in an innovative way. The process helps redefine problems and opportunities to come up with new responses and solutions....
Fishbone Diagrams
A fishbone diagram is a visual technique that teams use to organize their thinking and identify causes for a problem. The diagram starts with a process or problem written at the right center of the board, with a long...
Force Field Analysis
Teams conduct a force field analysis when they need to make go/no-go decisions. Teams start by writing the proposed change down the center of the diagram. To the left, they list the forces driving change, with an...
Pareto Analysis
A Pareto Analysis is a decision-making technique used to choose a limited number of actions to take that will result in a significant impact. The analysis uses the Pareto Principle (the 80/20 rule), which states for...
Round Robin
The term Round Robin is used to refer to two distinct techniques. For some, a "round robin" is just another name for a go around. For others, a round robin is a specialized brainwriting technique in which everyone...
SCAMPER
SCAMPER is a creative thinking and problem-solving technique that guides groups to evaluate an idea by exploring similar or related ideas. SCAMPER stands for: Substitute: looking at what can be switched out in...
Six Serving Men
Six Serving Men is a team exercise that examines an issue from twelve different viewpoints. It is based on the words of the poem by Rudyard Kipling: I keep six honest serving men, they taught me all I knew. Their...
TRIZ
There are multiple meeting and thinking techniques called TRIZ. Liberating Structures describes TRIZ as meeting exercise designed to help groups identify counterproductive things they may be doing and find ways to...