GoalCadence LogoGoalCadence
Problem Solving · Any framework

Open Issues Management Template

Capture every obstacle, problem and idea in one list, prioritize the few that matter each week, and solve them with a structured process instead of discussing them repeatedly. Free, no email required.

Download the template

Free and ungated. Opens in Word, Google Docs or Pages. No macros, no signup, no email wall.

Word (.docx)PDF

What this template includes

  • A master list

    One place for every obstacle, problem, opportunity and idea, so they stop being raised ad hoc in unrelated meetings.

  • Weekly prioritization

    A method for picking the top three to work on this week rather than touching all of them.

  • A structured solve

    Identify the real issue, discuss it once, decide — with space to record the actual root cause rather than the symptom.

  • Root cause prompts

    Questions that push past the first answer, so the same issue does not return next month wearing a different name.

How to use it

  1. 1Capture issues as they come up, anywhere, into one list. An issue held in someone's head is not an issue the team can solve.
  2. 2Pick the top three each week. Working the whole list means finishing none of it.
  3. 3Identify the real issue before discussing solutions — most lists are full of symptoms.
  4. 4Discuss once, then decide. Issues that get re-discussed weekly are issues nobody has been empowered to close.
  5. 5Record the decision and the owner, then remove the item from the list.

Preview the full template

This is the complete template, exactly as it appears in the download.

Company: _____________________ Date: _____________________

⚠️ WHAT IS THE OPEN ISSUES LIST?

The open issues list is a living document where you capture all obstacles, problems, opportunities, and ideas. In your Weekly Leadership Meeting, you'll prioritize and solve the top 3 issues each week using a structured problem-solving process.

An "Issue" can be:

  • A problem to solve
  • An obstacle to remove
  • An opportunity to explore
  • An idea to discuss
  • A decision to make

📝 MASTER OPEN ISSUES LIST

#IssueSourceOwnerPriorityDate AddedStatus
1Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
2Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
3Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
4Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
5Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
6Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
7Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
8Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
9Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
10Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
11Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
12Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
13Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
14Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved
15Scorecard / Quarterly Priorities / Status Update / Other🔴 🟡 🟢Open / In Progress / Solved

Priority:

  • 🔴 HIGH - Urgent, blocking progress, high impact
  • 🟡 MEDIUM - Important but not urgent
  • 🟢 LOW - Nice to solve, low impact

🎯 ISSUE RESOLUTION PROCESS (IDENTIFY, DISCUSS, SOLVE)

Use this framework to solve each issue in your Weekly Leadership Meeting.

ISSUE #1: _________________________________

Date: _____________________ Time Allocated: 20 minutes

I = IDENTIFY

What is the REAL issue?

(Keep asking "What's the real issue?" until you get to the root cause, not symptoms)

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

How do we know this is the real issue?

_________________________________________________________________

D = DISCUSS

Get all perspectives on the table:

Person 1 Perspective:

_________________________________________________________________

Person 2 Perspective:

_________________________________________________________________

Person 3 Perspective:

_________________________________________________________________

Key Facts & Data:

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Root Cause Analysis (5 Whys):

  1. Why? _________________________________________________________________
  2. Why? _________________________________________________________________
  3. Why? _________________________________________________________________
  4. Why? _________________________________________________________________
  5. Why? _________________________________________________________________

True Root Cause:

_________________________________________________________________

S = SOLVE

Proposed Solutions (Brainstorm 3-5 options):

Chosen Solution:

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Why we chose this solution:

_________________________________________________________________

Action Items:

Action ItemOwnerDue DateSuccess Metric

Follow-up Plan:

_________________________________________________________________

Issue Status: ✅ SOLVED | 🔄 NEEDS MORE WORK | 📅 PARK FOR LATER

ISSUE #2: _________________________________

Date: _____________________ Time Allocated: 20 minutes

I = IDENTIFY

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

D = DISCUSS

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

S = SOLVE

Solution:

_________________________________________________________________

Action Items:

  • _________________________________ | Owner: _____ | Due: _____
  • _________________________________ | Owner: _____ | Due: _____

Status: ✅ SOLVED | 🔄 NEEDS MORE WORK | 📅 PARK FOR LATER

ISSUE #3: _________________________________

Date: _____________________ Time Allocated: 20 minutes

I = IDENTIFY

_________________________________________________________________

D = DISCUSS

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

S = SOLVE

Solution:

_________________________________________________________________

Action Items:

  • _________________________________ | Owner: _____ | Due: _____
  • _________________________________ | Owner: _____ | Due: _____

Status: ✅ SOLVED | 🔄 NEEDS MORE WORK | 📅 PARK FOR LATER

📊 ISSUES TRACKING DASHBOARD

This Quarter Summary

MetricCount
Total Issues Added
Issues Solved
Issues In Progress
Issues Parked
Average Time to Solve___ days
Solve Rate___%

Target Solve Rate: 80%+

Issues by Category

CategoryCount% of Total
People
Process
Customer
Financial
Strategic
Other

Insight: If one category dominates, you may have a systemic problem.

Chronic Issues (Recurring Problems)

Issues that keep coming back:

IssueTimes AppearedRoot CausePermanent Solution Needed

These should become Quarterly Goals or Process improvements!

💡 OPEN ISSUES BEST PRACTICES

Adding Issues

✅ DO:

  • Add issues as soon as they come up
  • Be specific when stating the issue
  • Capture from Scorecard, Quarterly Priorities, status updates, and team input
  • One person owns each issue
  • Keep the list visible and accessible

❌ DON'T:

  • Let issues pile up unaddressed
  • Make issues too vague ("Sales is bad")
  • Assign to multiple people
  • Add to-dos as issues (those go on To-Do list)
  • Ignore patterns of recurring issues

Prioritizing Issues

In your Weekly Leadership Meeting (5 minutes before Issue Resolution):

  1. Review the full open issues list
  2. Ask: "What are the top 3 issues we need to solve TODAY?"
  3. Consider:
    • Urgency (what's blocking us now?)
    • Impact (what will move the needle most?)
    • Dependencies (what's blocking other things?)
  4. Move top 3 to Issue Resolution time
  5. Park the rest for future meetings

Running Issue Resolution Effectively

✅ DO:

  • Spend 60 minutes on Issue Resolution in your Weekly Leadership Meeting
  • Stay disciplined with the Issue Resolution process
  • Get to root cause (keep asking "why?")
  • Solve to completion (clear action items)
  • Move quickly (20 mins max per issue)
  • Have open, honest discussion
  • Make decisions (don't just talk)

❌ DON'T:

  • Skip Issue Resolution to "save time"
  • Solve symptoms instead of root causes
  • Let discussion go in circles
  • Leave without clear action items
  • Blame people (focus on solving)
  • Revisit decisions already made
  • Take more than 20 mins per issue

🔍 ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS TOOLS

The 5 Whys

Keep asking "Why?" until you find the real issue.

Example:

  • Issue: Revenue is down
  • Why? Fewer new customers
  • Why? Lower close rate
  • Why? Longer sales cycle
  • Why? Leads are lower quality
  • Why? Root Cause: Marketing targeting is off

Fishbone Diagram (Cause & Effect)

        People    Process    Tools
           \         |         /
            \        |        /
             \       |       /
              \      |      /
               \     |     /
                \    |    /
                 PROBLEM
                /    |    \
               /     |     \
              /      |      \
             /       |       \
            /        |        \
         Data    Environment  Other

📋 COMMON ISSUES BY TYPE

People Issues

  • Wrong person in seat
  • Lack of accountability
  • Poor communication
  • Skills gap
  • Culture fit problems

Solution: Use Team & Role Fit Assessment, clarify accountability

Process Issues

  • Lack of documented process
  • Process not being followed
  • Inefficient workflow
  • Bottlenecks
  • Quality problems

Solution: Document process, train team, use tools

Customer Issues

  • Churn increasing
  • Complaints rising
  • Low satisfaction
  • Long sales cycles
  • Poor retention

Solution: Talk to customers, improve product/service

Strategic Issues

  • Unclear direction
  • Misaligned priorities
  • Lack of differentiation
  • Market changes
  • Competitive threats

Solution: Revisit Strategic Plan, clarify strategy

✅ ISSUE RESOLUTION CHECKLIST

Before marking an issue as "Solved," ensure:

  • Root cause was identified (not just symptoms)
  • All perspectives were heard
  • Multiple solutions were considered
  • Best solution was chosen with clear rationale
  • Clear action items with owners and due dates
  • Follow-up plan is in place
  • Team is aligned on the solution
  • Documentation updated if needed

📈 MEASURING ISSUE-SOLVING EFFECTIVENESS

Track these monthly:

MetricThis MonthLast MonthTarget
Issues Added
Issues Solved
Solve Rate %80%+
Avg Days to Solve<30
Recurring Issues<10%

Trend: ⬆️ Improving | ➡️ Steady | ⬇️ Declining

Manage all your issues in GoalCadence with automatic tracking and Issue Resolution templates. Try free!

See also: leadership meeting software

Related templates

Common questions

What belongs on an open issues list?

Anything blocking progress that cannot be solved by a single action item: obstacles, recurring problems, decisions that keep getting deferred, and opportunities nobody owns yet. Tasks belong on an action item tracker instead.

How many issues should a team solve per week?

Most teams get through one to three in a weekly meeting. Attempting more produces discussion without resolution, and the list grows anyway.

Why do the same issues keep coming back?

Usually because the list captured a symptom rather than a cause, or because the discussion ended without a named owner and a decision. An issue that returns a third time is nearly always a cause that was never identified.

Early Access: Priority onboarding for mid-market teams

Stop Wasting HoursCopying Data Between Tools

Join the WaitlistSee all features
Bi-directional data sync
Export your data anytime
Guided onboarding

Now in early access — join the waitlist to be notified at launch

Finally, a platform that integrates your operating system with everything you already use.