Structuring
Issue tree
A branching diagram that breaks a problem into smaller parts.
Last reviewedWhat 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
- Non-standard and creative casesLesson
- 60-second structures and fast sizingLesson in Speed and precision
- Issue tree and MECEFramework: how to use it in a case
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.