All thinking tools

Issue trees

When to use it

When a large problem is hard to locate.

How to use it

Break the main problem into clearly related subproblems. Follow branches supported by evidence, avoiding gaps and double-counting.

A real-life example

Split delivery time into waiting for goods, loading and driving. First find the part that increased most.

Try it in a game

Issue trees: measure shortfalls along a pipe network and spend a limited budget on the right repairs.

Play Leak Tracker

After playing, ask yourself

Which move changed your later choices? If conditions changed, would the same approach still work? What evidence would you need to check before applying the relationships in this game to real life?

Games are simplified practice environments for exploring tools and when to use them. Completing a game does not demonstrate mastery and is not a personality or professional assessment.

These introductions are written by ThinkTest, with learning inspiration from Untools. The games are not official Untools products.

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