Decision Tree Template
Explore, plan and predict several possible outcomes to your decisions.
About the Decision Tree Template
The decision tree template, also known as a decision tree diagram, helps teams better outline potential outcomes and choices before committing to a decision.
Starting with a central topic, a decision tree links words and boxes to show two options and the outcome of your decision-making. The shape of the tree represents the final outcome if the line of decisions was followed. The decision tree template can be used to strategically assess the decision-making process and possible outcomes before investing time and money in a decision.
What is a decision tree?
A decision tree is a flowchart that is used to walk through all possible decisions that can be made and the outcomes of those decisions. Each “branch” represents a choice that’s available while making a decision.
Decision trees are infinitely scalable and driven by cause and effect. You can extend a branch when an outcome leads to another course of action, and then extend that branch, and so on.
A decision tree template can be useful in assessing options and their outcomes before committing to a solution so that you can ultimately make the best decision with the least downside and the most upside. It provides a stylized world in which you can play out a series of decisions and see where they lead, rather than committing real-world time and resources unnecessarily.
Why are decision trees important?
The decision tree template is a powerful tool. You and your team can use it to predict or to describe. In either case, decision trees allow you to visualize outcomes and play through scenarios without investing actual resources.
Startups and smaller companies might find decision trees especially valuable since resources are tight and it can be difficult to get financial buy-in. Enterprise and larger companies can use decision trees to test-drive options before presenting them to a broader team or a busy stakeholder.
Use decision trees to figure out whether a new product is viable, a new market opportunity has opened up, or to examine possible investments. The options are endless, and the decision tree maker is malleable. The only limit is your creativity.
How to create a decision tree in 6 steps
Step 1: Define your question. Begin your decision tree template with a central theme or question you are trying to answer. For example, which company should we partner with?
Step 2: Add branches. Imagine a few possible choices you could make. In this example, you could partner with Company A or Company B. For each of these alternatives, draw a line that begins at a node and ends at a leaf node.
Step 3: Add leaves. Add a leaf node at the end of each branch. Label the leaf nodes with a question or choice. At each step, think about your alternatives as “if then” statements.
If you partner with Company A, then what will happen? One option is that you might increase your total number of customers because people have strong positive feelings toward Company A. The other option is that you might decrease your total number of customers because people have strong negative feelings toward Company A.
Repeat this exercise for Company B. Again, conceptualize your leaves and nodes as “if-then” statements.
Step 4: Add more branches. Keep building your decision tree using branches and leaves. Be careful to label your branches and leaves to stay on track.
Step 5: Terminate branches. Make sure you’ve answered every question in the tree. That means you should have worked through all “if-then” statements you’ve encountered. Complete your branches.
Step 6: Double-check with stakeholders. When your decision tree is finished, take this opportunity to make sure all your stakeholders are on board. Remember, the decision tree template is designed to emulate the real-world ramifications of your decisions. Use the tree to talk through every possible choice, figure out alternatives, and build out additional branches as needed.
How can I make a decision tree?
Using a decision tree template, you can easily add and connect branches and leaves to map out each possible outcome. To stay organized, decision trees should begin with a central theme or question you are trying to answer. Use a linking word and a line to outline the two options for this decision. Show the possible outcome with another box if that decision is going to be made. Continue this branching structure until you reach the final result of the series of decisions to address the initial problem.
What is a good decision tree?
A good decision tree makes the process of decision-making easier to visualize and assess. By laying out the problems clearly, you can see the possible consequences of each decision. You can get started today with Miro’s free decision tree template -- it’s easy to use and adapt.
Get started with this template right now.
Wardley Mapping Canvas Template
Works best for:
Leadership, Strategic Planning, Mapping
A Wardley Map represents the landscape in which a business operates. It's made up of a value chain (the activities required to fulfill user needs) graphed against the evolution of individual activities over time. You place components with value on the y-axis and commodity on the x-axis. Use a Wardley Map to understand shared assumptions about your environment and discover what strategic options are available. Easily communicate your understanding of the landscape to your team, new hires, and stakeholders.
Corrective Action Plan Template
Works best for:
Project Management, Operations, Strategic Planning
For a manager or HR leader, it’s the least fun part of the job: Documenting an employee’s performance issues and talking about them directly to that employee. A corrective action plan makes that tough task a little easier by putting issues into a professional, written framework. That way the process, next steps, and details of the conversations are all clearly documented. This template will enable you to eliminate murky communication, align on expectations, and provide step-by-step instructions for your employee.
Ansoff Matrix Template
Works best for:
Leadership, Operations, Strategic Planning
Keep growing. Keep scaling. Keep finding those new opportunities in new markets—and creative new ways to reach customers there. Sound like your approach? Then this template might be a great fit. An Ansoff Matrix (aka, a product or market expansion grid) is broken into four potential growth strategies: Market Penetration, Market Development, Product Development, and Diversification. When you go through each section with your team, you’ll get a clear view of your options going forward and the potential risks and rewards of each.
OKR Planning Template
Works best for:
Strategic Planning, Meetings, Workshops
The OKR Planning template helps you turn exhaustive OKR sessions into dynamic and productive meetings. Use this template to make OKR planning more interactive, guiding your team through the session with creative Ice Breakers and Brainstorms, so you can co-create your OKRs and define the key results and action plans to achieve them.
Product Development Roadmap Template
Works best for:
Product Management, Software Development, Roadmaps
Product development roadmaps cover everything your team needs to achieve when delivering a product from concept to market launch. Your product development roadmap is also a team alignment tool that offers guidance and leadership to help your team focus on balancing product innovation and meeting your customer’s needs. Investing time in creating a roadmap focused on your product development phases helps your team communicate a vision to business leaders, designers, developers, project managers, marketers, and anyone else who influences meeting team goals.
2x2 Prioritization Matrix Template
Works best for:
Operations, Strategic Planning, Prioritization
Ready to set boundaries, prioritize your to-dos, and determine just what features, fixes, and upgrades to tackle next? The 2x2 prioritization matrix is a great place to start. Based on the lean prioritization approach, this template empowers teams with a quick, efficient way to know what's realistic to accomplish and what’s crucial to separate for success (versus what’s simply nice to have). And guess what—making your own 2x2 prioritization matrix is easy.