Tree of InfluenceTree of Influence
A diagramming and facilitation technique for mapping how problems, actions, and desired outcomes influence each other.
A Tree of Influence is a map of a complex problem space, drawn with sticky notes and arrows. An individual or group of people builds it, and the conversation it creates is the point: people see how their problems connect, find shared causes, and agree on what matters before deciding what to do.
Diagram as text: A Tree of Influence about onboarding new hires
Nodes:
- Root / Problem: "Documentation is out of date"
- Root / Problem: "Setting up a laptop takes a week"
- Root / Problem: "Senior people have no time to mentor"
- Action / Intervention: "Write a one-page starter guide"
- Action / Intervention: "Automate laptop setup"
- Action / Intervention: "Assign each new hire a buddy"
- Desired State / Outcome: "New hires ship something in their first month"
- Desired State / Outcome: "New hires feel welcome and confident"
Arrows:
- "Documentation is out of date" influences "Write a one-page starter guide"
- "Setting up a laptop takes a week" influences "Automate laptop setup"
- "Senior people have no time to mentor" influences "Assign each new hire a buddy"
- "Write a one-page starter guide" influences "New hires ship something in their first month"
- "Automate laptop setup" influences "New hires ship something in their first month"
- "Assign each new hire a buddy" influences "New hires ship something in their first month"
- "Assign each new hire a buddy" influences "New hires feel welcome and confident"
How to read a tree
- Each sticky note is one node. Its color tells you its type: a root / problem, an action / intervention, a desired state / outcome, or an artifact / deliverable.
- Each arrow means "this influences that." Follow the arrows from any problem to see what it affects.
- The tree grows upward. Problems are the roots, at the bottom. Outcomes are the leaves, at the top. Actions are the branches in between. Trees can also grow from left to right; see orientation.
- The legend says what everything means. Every tree has one.
The notation at a glance
Diagram as text: The notation at a glance
- Root / Problem, marked [P]: something wrong or difficult.
- Action / Intervention, marked [A]: a step between problems and outcomes.
- Desired State / Outcome, marked [O]: a state the group wants to reach.
- Artifact / Deliverable, marked [D]: something that exists or should exist.
- Influences arrow, solid: the default arrow.
- Blocks / Impedes arrow, dashed: prevents the target.
- Attacks arrow, dotted: an artifact targets a problem.
That is the whole visual vocabulary: 4 colors of sticky note and 3 kinds of arrow. Most trees use only 3 colors and the plain arrow. See colors and shapes and arrow styles.
A Tree of Influence is a tool for understanding problems. It should not be mistaken for a project plan, a backlog, a decision record, or a status tracker. It can feed all of those, but its job ends when the group understands the problem space well enough to act. Read more about its scope.
Where to start
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New to the Tree of Influence
Run your first session in 60 to 90 minutes, following one example from a blank board to a finished tree.
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Drawing and reading trees
The complete definition: node types, relationships, notation, views, anti-patterns, and examples from real use.
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Facilitating groups
Plan and run sessions with groups of any size: timing, steps, facilitation patterns, and difficult situations.
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Looking up a term
Every term used on this site, defined in one place.
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Curious about its origins
How a joke named the technique, how it compares to other frameworks, and how you may use this material.