Reference

The complete definition of the Tree of Influence, what it is made of, how to draw it, and how it goes wrong.

Each page in this section covers one concept. If you are new to the Tree of Influence, start with the Quick Start and come back here when you need a precise answer.

Basics

Minimum viable tree: What makes a diagram a Tree of Influence.
What it is and is not: Where the Tree of Influence ends and other tools begin.

Node types

Root / Problem: A problem, root cause, or undesirable current state in the problem space.
Action / Intervention: A stepping stone between root / problem nodes and desired state / outcome nodes.
Desired State / Outcome: A target condition or goal the group wants to reach.
Artifact / Deliverable: A thing that exists, should exist, or has been proposed.

Relationships

Influences: The default relationship: the source has some effect on the target.
Blocks / Impedes: The source prevents the target from being achieved.
Attacks: An artifact / deliverable targets a root / problem it aims to resolve.
Cycles and graph shape: Why a Tree of Influence is a directed graph, and what a cycle tells you.

Notation

Colors and shapes: How node types are drawn.
Arrow styles: The default arrow and the optional refined styles.
The legend: What every legend must contain.
Orientation: When to draw the tree bottom-to-top and when left-to-right.
Accessibility considerations: How to keep a tree readable for everyone, including people who cannot rely on color.

Views

Full tree: The whole problem space on one canvas.
Blocked outcomes view: The full tree filtered to one desired state / outcome: hide every node that has no path to it.
Deep-dive sub-tree: One node decomposed into its own tree.

Anti-patterns

Solution-dumping: Participants fill the board with solutions instead of problems, and the tree ends up confirming plans the group already had.
The shortcut: The tree collapses into direct problem, action, outcome paths with no depth.
Runaway scale: The tree grows too large for anyone to read.

Core principles: The ideas behind every rule in this reference.
A living document: How a tree is reviewed, updated, and eventually retired.
Example: Organizational trust workshop: A large group maps interpersonal and cultural problems, with no action / intervention nodes at all.
Example: Team delivery gaps: A team maps why it cannot deliver reliably, and decomposes one action / intervention into a role definition.
Example: Product-line technical debt over 2 years: A 90-node strategic tree, built in one planning cycle and updated in the next.