Solution-dumping

Participants fill the board with solutions instead of problems, and the tree ends up confirming plans the group already had.

Description

The board fills with solution statements, interventions, and to-do items instead of problems and observations. The tree stops exploring the problem space and becomes a justification for what people already wanted to do.

This is the most dangerous anti-pattern, because the session feels productive on the surface without delivering its full potential. People contribute actively and the board fills quickly without learning anything new.

Why it matters

A Tree of Influence exists to understand problems. Solution-dumping turns it into a tool for confirming existing beliefs. The group leaves with false confidence: "the tree shows our plan will work."

How to spot it

• Language. Nodes are written as commands: "Implement X," "Build Y," "Create Z."
• Shallow problems. The few root / problem nodes are generic: "Need better communication," "Lack of resources."
• Feel. The session feels like project planning, not exploration.

How to correct it

1. For each solution node, ask the group:

   What problem does this solve?

   Add the answer to the board as a root / problem node.

2. Challenge the assumption behind the solution:

   Why do we believe this will help?

3. Redirect the group's energy:

   Before we decide what to do, let's make sure we understand what's actually wrong.

4. Name the imbalance:

   We have a lot of solutions. What problems are we not seeing yet?

Some nodes will stay ambiguous. "Faster deployment process" can be read as a desired state / outcome or as an implied action / intervention. That is acceptable. What matters is the overall balance of the board.