Perfect Phrases for Creativity and Innovation by Karen Eriksen

Author:Karen Eriksen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McGraw Hill LLC
Published: 2012-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Problem Tree

The Department of Energy uses a Risk Tree or Problem Tree to better understand an issue. The Problem Tree helps creativity teams explore a problem’s root causes and anticipate its potential impacts and consequences. Many different diagrams for the Problem Tree are available online to facilitate thinking about root causes and effects of a particular problem. Figure 3.1 shows one option.

Figure 3.1

Pointing to the diagram, say:

Write the risk or problem in the center of the diagram or on the “trunk” of the tree.

Brainstorm all possible causes of the risk or problem that you can think of and write them on sticky notes that you then place below the trunk.

Group the problem’s causes into clusters that are related, and connect primary causes with any contributing causes.

Place the contributing causes below the primary causes, and connect them to the relevant primary causes.

Now do the same for consequences, which become the branches above the focal risk or problem, placing primary consequences on the largest branches and secondary consequences on smaller branches.

What has the diagram helped you to understand about the problem?

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.