The Issue Loop Checklist
A practical, single-issue checklist to confirm whether a problem has been genuinely resolved.
The Issue Loop exists to prevent repeat problems by turning disruption into learning.
This checklist helps you test whether a change actually altered how the system behaves, not just whether an action was recorded.
What qualifies as an issue?
Not everything that goes wrong belongs in the Issue Loop.
An issue is something that:
Delays delivery
Creates negative customer feedback
Costs the business money
Affects outcomes, reputation, or margin
If it does not affect these, it likely does not require formal escalation.
When everything is treated as an issue, nothing receives the attention it deserves.
The Issue Loop is not a catch-all.
It exists to stop repeat problems — not to record irritation.
Why this matters
What the checklist confirms
The checklist walks one issue through six tests:
Was it escalated for the right reason?
Was the cause framed as a system condition?
Was a real change implemented?
Did ownership move cleanly?
Was the outcome independently verified?
Was learning captured so it survives pressure?
If the answer to any of these is unclear, the loop is not closed.
How to use it
Use the checklist after:
An issue has been marked complete
A corrective action has been implemented
A defect or disruption has been investigated
Apply it to one issue at a time.
If it would return tomorrow under the same conditions, the system has not changed.
A print-ready, single-issue worksheet aligned to the ebook Fixing the Same Things Twice.
New to the Issue Loop?
View the book
The full method is outlined in Fixing the Same Things Twice, a practical guide to documenting one process that turns issues into improvement.
