consulting-issue-tree-mece

• Structuring complex problems into MECE drivers.
• Building root cause trees or analysis plans.
• Framing a consulting workstream breakdown.

1. Define the problem statement, scope, metric, and time horizon.
2. Choose a tree type: driver, process, option, or hypothesis.
3. Build a top-down MECE structure with clear labels.
4. Add assumptions and data sources per branch.
5. Prioritize branches by impact, controllability, feasibility.
6. Translate priority branches into analyses and workstreams.
7. If information is missing, ask targeted questions.

• references/issue-tree-patterns.md - Common tree structures.
• references/mece-checks.md - Overlap and gap checks.
• templates/issue-tree.md - Final structure.
• examples/issue-tree-example.md - Sample output.

• Use clear, parallel branch labels.
• Provide the tree in ASCII when useful.
• Respond in English.

• Decision needed and success metric.
• Scope boundaries and constraints.
• Available data and stakeholders.

issue tree, MECE, problem structuring, driver tree, root cause, workplan