What is an issue tree and how do I use it effectively?

An issue tree is a way to structure a problem in order to prove / disprove hypotheses that can diagnose the problem.

It allows you to:

• Break the problem-solving process into phases
• Ensures systematic coverage of all aspects of the problem
• Identify the data you need

It can be used for market sizing all the way through to defining a market entry decision.

The bible on this is The Pyramid Principle by Minto, but there is a lot of good content out there explaining the step by step process such as,

https://www.preplounge.com/en/bootcamp.php/case-cracking-toolbox/structure-your-thoughts/issue-tree

https://www.preplounge.com/en/bootcamp.php/case-cracking-toolbox/structure-your-thoughts/mece-principle

Have a look at this thread for answer to this question- https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/logic-trees-are-they-necessary-8902

Hi there,

An issue tree is essentially driving towards the root cause of a problem. That said, issue trees are quite tricky and risk overcomplicating a case.

I would advise you focus more on structuring in-and-of-itself. As in, what are the major buckets/themes that will help us answer our question?

#1 Frameworks are a guide and are meant to be adjusted

So, you should absolutely be prepared to either enter a new piece of your framework or change your framework altogether as new information comes in. How do you handle this?

Well, first, you can really just articulate what you're doing. You can say "Oh, interesting, so if looks like we have some information on y. I don't want to forget about x, but let's see what y brings us first. Ok, looks like it's about..." Then, when you've "finished" with y, you can check to see if there's any info on x. If there isn't, move to z :)

Second, you can re-summarize/iterate where you are. This is especially useful if you have the change the entire framework. Say "Ok, so it looks like now we actually need to look a 3 key things to solve this"

#2 You can absolutely have "no buckets" when brainstorming...if needed

This is really a judgement call and depends on the type of brainstorming. In terms of selling strategies, I agree with you, this can really fundamentally be a list. However, try to bucket. For example, you could bucket selling strategies as 1) Those that bring in new customers and 2) Those that increase the value of existing customers. Alternatively, it could be 1) Increase basket size per visit 2) Increase visits per customer 3) Increase # customers

An issue tree helps you break down the question and support / prove wrong a hypothesis. It's a technique that just makes it easier to grasp the whole picture. You can combine it with other techniques to then approach the case. 

GB

Hello!

It´s what we leverage in our interviews to break the problem into smaller parts, and tackle them individually. 

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara