Diagram Desk

Decision tree template

Yes or no questions that end in a concrete action.

StartActionYes?End
Flowchart: start, one action, a yes or no, then an end.

A decision chart is this tree

A decision tree template is a set of questions that split left or right until you reach an action. People also call the same figure a decision chart, a decision map, or a decision-making tree. Each diamond or fork is one question with two answers. Each leaf is something you will actually do. A tree that ends in 'it depends' is unfinished.

Use a tree when the questions have an order. Use a T-chart when you have a single question and two lists. Use a flowchart when you are documenting a repeated procedure rather than a one-time choice.

Example: the club fair and the weather

Question 1: Is rain forecast above 60 percent for the hour of the fair? No: stay on the lawn, tables go out at 3 pm. Yes: question 2. Does the gym have a free slot that hour? Yes: move tables to the gym and post a sign on the lawn door by noon. No: question 3. Can the fair move to tomorrow with the same clubs? Yes: reschedule and message families today. No: run a 20-minute indoor visit in the cafeteria, one club at a time.

Three questions, four leaves. That is enough for a one-page decision chart. Samples that branch twelve times are usually several decisions stapled together. Split them.

Steps

  1. Write the decision in one line. Where does the fair happen, given the forecast. Not 'plan the fair', which is a project.
  2. Order the questions by what you can know first. Forecast before you book the gym. The gym answer before you message families.
  3. Make every leaf an action with a time. Who moves the tables, and by when.
  4. Read each path aloud. If a path contradicts an earlier answer, the question is in the wrong place.

Questions

What is a decision tree template?
An empty set of yes or no forks ending in actions. You add the questions for your choice. A filled sample helps only if you replace every leaf with your own action.
What is the difference between a decision tree and a flowchart?
A decision tree chooses once and stops at an action. A flowchart can loop, wait, and describe a process that repeats every day.
How many branches should a decision chart have?
Enough to cover the cases you will really meet. Four leaves is a solid one-page chart. If you need more, you may be combining two decisions.

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