Structuring
Issue tree
A branching diagram that breaks a problem into smaller parts.
Facts checked against sources onWhat does Issue tree mean?
An issue tree is a picture of how you have broken a big question into smaller questions. You start with the main problem on the left, then branch into its parts, then branch again, until each leaf is something you can look at or calculate. A good issue tree is MECE at every level.
Where does it come up in case interview prep?
- Issue trees and driver treesLesson in How to structure any problem
- How government and non-profits work: money, services and the value chainLesson in Government, public sector and non-profits
- Planning the work and building a simple modelLesson in Saying so what: synthesis and communication at work
- Non-standard and creative casesLesson
- 60-second structures and fast sizingLesson in Speed and precision
- Issue tree and MECEWhy reciting it fails, and what to do instead
Related terms
- MECEBuckets that do not overlap and together cover everything.
- Driver treeAn issue tree built from the numbers that drive an outcome.
- HypothesisYour best early guess at the answer, which you then test.
- Sensitivity analysisChanging one assumption at a time to see which matters most.
- Pareto principle (80/20)A small share of causes often drives a large share of results.
Learn it in context
See Issue tree at work in a lesson from How to structure any problem, with checks as you go.
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