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Interrelational Diagram
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Map how problems cause each other to find the root driver.
The Technique
- List the problems you're seeing.
- For each pair, ask: does A cause B, or B cause A?
- Draw arrows from cause to effect.
- Count arrows. Nodes with mostly outgoing arrows are root drivers. Mostly incoming arrows = symptoms.
Why It Matters
- When many problems connect, fixing symptoms wastes effort.
- The driver problem is often unobvious — visible problems shout louder.
- Solving the driver collapses many symptoms at once.
How to Apply
- Use it in retros when problems feel tangled.
- Include 7-15 problems. Fewer is thin; more becomes unreadable.
- Talk through each arrow as a team. The disagreement is where the insight hides.
Example
Slow reviews, low morale, missed deadlines, senior devs overloaded, unclear specs. Arrows reveal "unclear specs" drives the rest.
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