Issue trees are used to answer questions in case interviews for management consulting positions. The requirement for issue trees to be collectively exhaustive implies that divergent thinking is a critical skill. Have branches that are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive ( MECE).Progress from the key question to the analysis as it moves to the right.Consistently answer a "why" or a "how" question.Rules įour basic rules can help ensure that issue trees are optimal, according to Chevallier: Solution trees break down a "how" key question, identifying all the possible alternatives to fix the problem. Diagnostic trees break down a "why" key question, identifying all the possible root causes for the problem. List of concept- and mind-mapping softwareĪccording to professor of strategy Arnaud Chevallier, elaborating an approach used at McKinsey & Company, there are two types of issue trees: diagnostic ones and solution ones.Starting from the key question on the left, it breaks it down between revenues and costs, and break these down into further details. It looks at different ways in which a company can increase its profitability. An issue tree showing how a company can increase profitability: A profitability tree is an example of an issue tree.