Working with Sub-Issues

Complex conversations often involve multiple interconnected topics that can be difficult to address all at once. The Understanding Engine's sub-issue feature helps you break down complex discussions into manageable components, allowing for more focused and productive conversations.

What Are Sub-Issues?

Sub-issues are distinct components or aspects of a larger conversation topic. For example, if you're discussing "Planning a Family Vacation," sub-issues might include:

• Destination preferences
• Budget considerations
• Scheduling and timing
• Activities and accommodations
• Transportation options

By addressing each sub-issue separately, you can have more focused discussions and reach agreements incrementally rather than trying to solve everything at once.

How Sub-Issues Are Created

There are three ways sub-issues can be created in a conversation:

1. Automatic Generation

When you first create a conversation and describe the main issue, The Understanding Engine automatically analyzes your description and suggests relevant sub-issues. This AI-powered process helps identify key components that might need separate discussion.

1. Start a new conversation and enter your main issue description
2. The system will process your description and generate suggested sub-issues
3. Review the suggested sub-issues on the sub-issue review screen
4. Accept or reject each suggestion before beginning the conversation

2. Mediator Suggestions

During an ongoing conversation, the AI mediator may identify new sub-issues that emerge from your discussion. When this happens:

1. The mediator will suggest a new sub-issue in a message
2. Both participants can review and agree to address this new sub-issue
3. If accepted, it will be added to your sub-issues list

3. Manual Creation

You can also manually create sub-issues at any point during a conversation:

1. Click the "Sub-issues" tab in the right sidebar
2. Click the "Add Sub-issue" button
3. Enter a title and optional description for the new sub-issue
4. Click "Create" to add it to your conversation

The Sub-Issue Review Process

When you first start a conversation, you'll go through a sub-issue review process:

Initial Review

1. After describing your main issue, you'll see a card-based interface showing suggested sub-issues
2. For each sub-issue, you can:
   • Accept it by swiping right or clicking "Accept"
   • Reject it by swiping left or clicking "Reject"
3. You can also provide initial thoughts on each sub-issue by answering the prompted questions
4. Your conversation partner will go through the same process independently

This review process helps ensure that both participants agree on what topics need to be discussed and provides initial perspectives before the detailed conversation begins.

Navigating Between Sub-Issues

During a conversation, you'll typically focus on one sub-issue at a time:

Viewing Active Sub-Issues

1. Click the "Sub-issues" tab in the right sidebar to see all sub-issues
2. The currently active sub-issue will be highlighted
3. You can see the status of each sub-issue:
   • Pending - Not yet discussed
   • Active - Currently being discussed
   • Agreement - Both parties have reached agreement
   • No Agreement - Parties decided to move on without agreement
   • Skipped - Parties chose to skip this sub-issue

Switching Between Sub-Issues

To change which sub-issue you're discussing:

1. Click the "Sub-issues" tab in the right sidebar
2. Click on the sub-issue you want to discuss
3. Click "Make Active" to switch the conversation focus

Alternatively, you can use the dropdown menu at the top of the message area to select a different sub-issue.

Indicating Agreement on Sub-Issues

As you discuss each sub-issue, you can indicate your agreement status:

Agreeing to a Sub-Issue

1. When you feel you've reached a satisfactory understanding or resolution on a sub-issue, click the "I Agree" button next to that sub-issue in the sidebar
2. Your agreement will be recorded and visible to your conversation partner
3. When both participants have clicked "I Agree," the sub-issue will be marked as resolved

No Agreement Option

If you've discussed a sub-issue thoroughly but cannot reach agreement:

1. Either participant can click "No Agreement" next to the sub-issue
2. Both participants will be prompted to confirm this decision
3. If confirmed, the sub-issue will be marked as "No Agreement" and you can move on to other topics

This allows you to make progress on other aspects of the conversation even when complete agreement isn't possible on every point.

Sub-Issue Summaries and Action Items

When both participants agree on a sub-issue, two important things happen:

Automatic Summary

The AI mediator will generate a summary of the discussion and agreement, which:

• Captures the key points discussed
• Highlights areas of agreement
• Notes any compromises or conditions
• Is added to the conversation as a mediator message

Action Item Generation

The system will also suggest action items based on your discussion:

1. After both participants agree on a sub-issue, the AI analyzes the conversation
2. It identifies commitments, next steps, or tasks mentioned during the discussion
3. These are formatted as action items with:
   • A clear description of what needs to be done
   • Who is responsible (User A, User B, or Both)
   • Any mentioned timeframes or deadlines
4. Both participants can review, edit, or add to these action items

Action items help ensure that your conversation leads to concrete outcomes and follow-through.

Managing Sub-Issues

You have several options for managing sub-issues during a conversation:

Editing Sub-Issues

1. Click the "Sub-issues" tab in the right sidebar
2. Find the sub-issue you want to edit
3. Click the pencil icon or "Edit" button
4. Modify the title or description
5. Click "Save" to update the sub-issue

Reordering Sub-Issues

To change the order in which sub-issues are discussed:

1. Click the "Sub-issues" tab in the right sidebar
2. Click "Reorder" at the top of the list
3. Drag and drop sub-issues into your preferred order
4. Click "Save Order" when finished

Hiding or Removing Sub-Issues

If a sub-issue is no longer relevant:

1. Click the "Sub-issues" tab in the right sidebar
2. Find the sub-issue you want to remove
3. Click the three dots (⋮) menu
4. Select "Hide Sub-issue"
5. Confirm your decision

Hidden sub-issues can be restored if needed by clicking "Show Hidden" at the bottom of the sub-issues list.

Best Practices for Working with Sub-Issues

Keep Sub-Issues Focused

Each sub-issue should represent a distinct aspect of the larger topic. Avoid creating sub-issues that are too broad or that significantly overlap with others.

Prioritize Effectively

Consider addressing easier or less contentious sub-issues first to build momentum and establish a collaborative tone before tackling more challenging topics.

Be Thorough But Efficient

Spend enough time on each sub-issue to explore it properly, but avoid getting stuck in endless discussion. If you're not making progress after substantial discussion, consider using the "No Agreement" option and moving on.

Review Regularly

Periodically review your sub-issues list to ensure you're covering all necessary aspects of the main topic. Add new sub-issues if important points emerge during your conversation.

Document Agreements

When you reach agreement on a sub-issue, take a moment to clearly articulate what you've agreed to before marking it as resolved. This helps ensure both participants have the same understanding.

Troubleshooting

Sub-issue not appearing in the list

If a sub-issue you created doesn't appear:

• Refresh the page
• Check if it's been hidden (click "Show Hidden" at the bottom of the list)
• Try creating it again with a different title

Can't mark a sub-issue as agreed

If you're unable to indicate agreement:

• Ensure you've contributed at least one message to the discussion of this sub-issue
• Check if the sub-issue has been finalized already
• Try refreshing the page

Action items not generating

If action items aren't being created after agreement:

• The conversation may not contain clear commitments or next steps
• Try manually adding action items by clicking "Add Action Item" in the Action Items tab
• Refresh the page to see if there was a delay in generation

Related Features

Sub-issues work best when used in conjunction with these related features:

• AI Mediator - Provides guidance specific to each sub-issue
• Action Items - Tracks commitments and next steps for each sub-issue
• Message Filtering - Allows you to view only messages related to a specific sub-issue
• Conversation Summary - Includes agreements and outcomes from all sub-issues

By effectively using sub-issues, you can transform complex, potentially overwhelming conversations into structured, manageable discussions that lead to clearer understanding and more concrete outcomes.