Ever been in a meeting where everything discussed is important, and somehow nothing gets decided?

It starts innocently:

• “We don’t have clear roles…”

• “We also don’t have the right system…”

• “And staffing is an issue…”

Ten minutes later, you’re basically watching a live, human version of Whac-A-Mole.

Everyone’s right. That’s the problem.

When you are trying to address problems with multiple, interconnected causes, conversations drift, meetings spin, and progress grinds to a halt.

Here’s a simple way to regain control when you see problem solving start to spin:

1. Define the outcome (7 words or less)

2. List all barriers (roles, systems, staffing, etc.)

3. Prioritize: which of these barriers has a High / Medium / Low impact

4. Pick ONE high-priority barrier and develop a list of actions to weaken or remove it

It's not glamorous. But it's extremely effective. Focus on getting commitment to take action on one barrier at a time, and little-by-little, your team will make progress.

If your team gets stuck in “smart but stalled” conversations like this, click the link below. We'd love to talk you through it.