Issue Processing Framework

Here’s the structure for the framework:

 

When someone brings an issue to the table, you frame it the following way.

• How do I ____?

• This issue is important to me because ____.

• What I have done to date is ____.

• What I want the group to help me with is ____.

 

Next, everyone else is allowed to ask clarifying questions to the person who brought up the issue. The other people in the group are explicitly not permitted to provide observations or suggestions.

Sometimes, the questions help identify that the issue bringer proposed the wrong “how do I” statement.

 

After the questions have been exhausted, group members are allowed to nominate suggestions for an alternative “how do I” statement. Ultimately, the issue bringer either sticks with the original “how do I” statement or changes it to one of the other suggestions.

 

At this point, everyone in the group is allowed to provide suggestions on the issue. The best suggestions usually encompass personal stories of a similar situation and how things played out. This enables the issue bringer to draw their own conclusions about what actions to take.

 

Finally, the issue bringer commits to a next action by a specified date.