Are your Meetings Solving Problems–or Just Discussing Them?
By Peter Wolfgramm, GIA Director of Operations
Have you ever left a leadership meeting thinking, “We talked about a lot, but what did we actually accomplish?”
Many ministry teams experience this frustration. Without a clear process for identifying and prioritizing important issues, meetings can quickly become reactive. The conversation often centers on the concern that happens to be raised first or the topic that generates the most discussion. As a result, some issues may be discussed repeatedly but never resolved, while other important concerns may never be raised at all. This can lead to side conversations, getting into rabbit holes, and frustration among team members.
Leaders may feel like they talked a lot but accomplished very little. If this sounds familiar, one simple tool can make a remarkable difference; the issues list, a key component of a Level 10 Meeting.
A productive leadership team meeting needs a clear way to identify and address the issues that can keep the ministry from moving forward. This is the purpose of the issues list. Without such a list, important concerns can remain unspoken, conversations can become scattered, and the same problems may continue to surface without ever being resolved.
The issues list provides a simple but powerful solution. Prior to the meeting, leaders can identify challenges and opportunities, decisions that need to be made, or obstacles that are preventing progress. Rather than trying to solve each issue immediately, the team captures them on the issues list. During the meeting, the team reviews the list and prioritizes the most important issues. The goal is not simply to discuss issues—it is to solve them! By focusing on the most significant issues first, the leadership team can move from identifying problems to developing clear solutions and assigning the appropriate next steps.
The issues list also creates accountability. Instead of relying on memory or hoping someone follows up, unresolved matters remain visible until they are addressed. Over time, this helps create a leadership culture where issues are clearly identified, conversations stay focused, and decisions lead to action.
Implementing a Level 10 meeting structure is about more than following an agenda; it’s about developing healthy leadership habits. Grace in Action can provide the coaching, guidance, and practical tools your team needs to implement an effective Level 10 Meeting process, including how to identify, prioritize, and resolve issues.
p.s. - Throughout September, receive 15% off of Level 10 Meeting Training. Just reach out to Peter Wolfgramm at pwolfgramm@grace-in-action.com to schedule a FREE 30-minute conversation on how L10 Meetings can impact your ministry.