The Real Reason Your Meetings Aren’t Working: Stop Solving Problems, Start Defining Them

Let’s take a hard look at the average meeting: Everyone gathers, an agenda is laid out, and the objective is clear—solve the problem. The team dives into brainstorming, troubleshooting, and planning, but often leaves the meeting with a half-baked solution or more questions than answers. Sound familiar? It’s because the focus on solving problems immediately may be sabotaging your meetings.

What if, instead of rushing to find solutions, we spent more time truly defining the problem? It seems counterintuitive, but here’s the truth: Most meetings fail because we’re solving the wrong problem.

The Assumption Trap: Are You Asking the Right Questions?

When we gather for a meeting, especially a problem-solving session, we often come armed with assumptions. These assumptions dictate how we define the problem, how we frame the discussion, and—ultimately—how we find solutions. But here’s the catch: What if our assumptions are wrong? What if we’re all working toward solving a problem that doesn’t actually exist in the way we think it does?

Consider this: A team meets to discuss declining customer engagement. The assumption? Customers need more frequent touchpoints. The solution? Increase marketing emails. But what if the real problem isn’t the number of touchpoints but the quality of those interactions? In this scenario, no amount of extra emails will fix the underlying issue—because it was misidentified from the start.

Before your team can fix anything, you need to ask: Are we even addressing the right problem?

The Power of Problem Framing: Uncovering the Root Cause

Problem framing is the process of deeply understanding and clarifying the issue at hand before rushing into solutions. It forces teams to slow down, ask better questions, and explore the underlying causes of what’s really happening. The goal isn’t to throw more ideas at the wall, but to peel back the layers of a challenge until you reach the root cause.

In many cases, the way a problem is initially presented is only symptomatic of a deeper issue. For instance, if sales are down, the problem might seem to be a lack of new leads, but a deeper dive could reveal that it’s actually customer retention that’s suffering. Maybe your customers love your product, but hate your after-sales service. Misidentifying the problem could lead to wasted resources on lead generation, when the real fix lies in improving the customer experience post-purchase.

Key takeaway: The real enemy of effective meetings isn’t disagreement or lack of ideas—it’s poorly framed problems.

How to Rethink Problem-Solving in Meetings

The idea of slowing down to define the problem might seem like a waste of time—especially when everyone wants to get to the solution as quickly as possible. But this is where effective meetings differentiate themselves. Teams that take the time to rigorously define problems often come up with fewer, but far more meaningful and impactful solutions.

Here’s how you can reframe your approach to meetings:

1. Start with Problem Definition, Not Solution Brainstorming

Instead of jumping straight into a brainstorming session, dedicate a portion of your meeting to breaking down the problem. Ask questions like:

• Are we addressing a symptom or the cause of the issue?

• What assumptions are we making about the problem?

• What data or evidence do we have to back up our definition of the problem?

This process encourages teams to interrogate their assumptions and ensures everyone is on the same page before any solutions are proposed.

2. Encourage “Why?” Thinking

The classic “5 Whys” technique—asking “Why?” five times to drill down to the root cause—can be surprisingly effective in meetings. If the problem is declining customer satisfaction, ask:

• Why are customers dissatisfied?

• Why are their expectations not being met?

• Why are our services not aligned with their needs?

With each “why,” you get closer to the underlying issue, and each subsequent layer might expose a more fundamental problem than you first anticipated.

3. Visualize the Problem

Sometimes, teams struggle with defining problems because it’s hard to visualize how all the moving pieces fit together. Use tools like mind maps or cause-and-effect diagrams to graphically represent the problem. Seeing how various factors influence one another can make it easier to identify root causes that might not be obvious in a purely verbal discussion.

4. Question the Agenda Itself

Here’s a bold move: Challenge the assumption that every agenda item is already a problem that needs solving. Sometimes, topics on the agenda aren’t even problems at all but misunderstood symptoms or distractions. Before diving in, ask the team: “Is this a real problem, or a perceived one? Is this the best use of our time today?”

5. Revisit the Problem Throughout the Meeting

As the conversation evolves, revisit the problem definition. Sometimes, the more you discuss potential solutions, the clearer the real problem becomes. Be open to the idea that you might need to adjust or even entirely redefine the problem mid-meeting. It’s not backtracking—it’s being thorough.

The Genius of Focusing on the Problem, Not the Solution

Think about it this way: Most organizations treat problems like cracks in a wall. They throw patch after patch at the crack, trying to cover it up, but they never address the foundational issue causing the crack in the first place. Eventually, the crack reappears—bigger and more damaging.

By redefining meetings to focus on defining the problem, rather than solving it immediately, you’re essentially laying a stronger foundation for your business. You’re building a culture where deeper thinking and real understanding take precedence over quick fixes.

Final Thought: The Problem with Solutions-First Thinking

When we focus on solutions first, we’re playing a high-speed guessing game. The irony is, the rush to solve problems often leads to more meetings because the real issue never gets resolved in the first place.

Next time you walk into a meeting, slow down. Pause before you jump to fix anything. Ask yourself—and your team—“What are we really trying to solve?” It’s a deceptively simple question, but one that could completely transform how effective your meetings are.

Because sometimes, the hardest problem to solve is knowing what the problem really is.