Tree of InfluenceAction / Intervention
A stepping stone between root / problem nodes and desired state / outcome nodes.
Definition
An action / intervention node is a stepping stone between problems and outcomes. It comes in 3 varieties:
- Actions: concrete steps people take. "Assign each new hire a buddy."
- Interventions: deliberate changes to how things work. "Restructure teams to align ownership."
- Half-way problems: intermediate states that are partly a problem and partly progress. "Faster laptop setup."
What unites them is their place in the tree. Actions are the trunk and branches: influence flows through them from the root / problem nodes toward the desired state / outcome nodes.
Diagram as text: Actions sit between problems and outcomes
Nodes:
- Root / Problem: "Setting up a laptop takes a week"
- Root / Problem: "Laptops arrive late"
- Action / Intervention: "Automate laptop setup"
- Action / Intervention: "Faster laptop setup"
- Desired State / Outcome: "New hires ship something in their first month"
Arrows:
- "Setting up a laptop takes a week" influences "Automate laptop setup"
- "Laptops arrive late" influences "Faster laptop setup"
- "Automate laptop setup" influences "New hires ship something in their first month"
- "Faster laptop setup" influences "New hires ship something in their first month"
When it appears
Actions appear during expansion or refinement, when the group discusses how to move from problems toward outcomes, or describes work already in progress. They sit in the middle of the tree, with arrows coming in and going out.
How to draw it
| Property | Convention |
|---|---|
| Shape | Rectangle or sticky note, the same shape as every other node |
| Color | Amber, #D97706, with dark text |
| Position | Middle of the tree, between problems and outcomes |
| Text marker | [A], when text markers are in use |
Examples
- "Assign a tech lead with a proven track record"
- "Restructure teams to align ownership"
- "Improve the code review process"
- "Faster deployment process in production" (a half-way problem)
Common mistakes
Forcing one vocabulary. Different groups naturally say "action," "initiative," or "half-way problem." Accept whatever words the group uses. The role in the tree is what matters.
Confusing actions with artifacts. An action is something people do. An artifact / deliverable is something that exists. "Write a starter guide" is an action; "Starter guide" is an artifact. If the group is unsure, keep their wording and sort it out during refinement.
Letting actions crowd out problems. A board full of actions and few problems is a sign of solution-dumping.
Required or optional
Expected. Most trees have actions, and a first tree should use them. A tree without any is still valid: the trust workshop tree mapped only problems and outcomes, because that group needed understanding before anything else.