Tree of Influence
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The legend

What every legend must contain.

Every Tree of Influence must have a legend.

A legend takes seconds to create and saves every future reader from guessing, including the people who built the tree, two months later. A tree with a legend can be read by a stranger. A tree without one needs someone in the room to explain it.

What a legend contains

  1. Node types in use: one entry per color, with a swatch and the type name.
  2. Arrow styles in use: one entry per line style, with its meaning. Leave this out if the tree uses only the default solid arrow.
  3. Flow: which way the tree grows, for example "roots (bottom) → outcomes (top)."
  4. Text markers, if the tree uses them.
  5. Context: what the tree is about, who built it, and when.

Leave out anything the tree does not use. A tree with no artifacts has 3 node entries, not 4.

A complete example

This tree uses every node type and every arrow style, so its legend lists them all.

A tree that uses every node type and arrow style 5 nodes and 5 arrows: 2 root / problem, 1 action / intervention, 1 artifact / deliverable, 1 desired state / outcome. A text version follows the diagram. [P]Documentation isout of date [P]Setting up alaptop takes aweek [A]Write a one-pagestarter guide [D]One-page starterguide [O]New hires shipsomething intheir firstmonth Legend [P] Root / Problem [A] Action / Intervention [O] Desired State / Outcome [D] Artifact / Deliverable Influences Blocks / Impedes Attacks Flow: roots (bottom) → outcomes (top).
Diagram as text: A tree that uses every node type and arrow style

Nodes:

  • Root / Problem: "Documentation is out of date"
  • Root / Problem: "Setting up a laptop takes a week"
  • Action / Intervention: "Write a one-page starter guide"
  • Desired State / Outcome: "New hires ship something in their first month"
  • Artifact / Deliverable: "One-page starter guide"

Arrows:

  • "Documentation is out of date" influences "Write a one-page starter guide"
  • "Write a one-page starter guide" influences "One-page starter guide"
  • "One-page starter guide" influences "New hires ship something in their first month"
  • "One-page starter guide" attacks "Documentation is out of date"
  • "Setting up a laptop takes a week" blocks "New hires ship something in their first month"

The legend of the finished tree in the Quick Start also shows votes and context.

Where to put it

Keep it current

Update the legend every time the tree's meaning changes: a new color, a new arrow style, a new marker. The legend is the contract between the diagram and every future reader.