{"id":"exec-issue-tree-renewal-drop-json","audience":"consultants","category":"leadership-work","track":"leadership","technique":"examples","level":"advanced","title":"Lay out a consulting issue tree as JSON for a client deck","free":false,"task":"Your deck tool builds issue-tree slides from JSON. Build the tree for \"Why did Q3 renewal rate fall from 91% to 84%?\". Output one JSON code block with keys question and branches; exactly 3 branches that don't overlap (who left, why they left, what we did differently), each with a branch name, 2 hypotheses and a data_point quoted from the material. The single rep's anecdote must not be used as a data point. Under 25 lines of code and no more than 20 words outside it.","materialLabel":"Client data pack (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Client: Solvanta HR Software - renewal analysis kickoff\n\nRenewal rate by quarter: Q1 90%, Q2 91%, Q3 84%.\n\nLost accounts, Q3 (n=38)\n- 27 were customers under 50 seats (small business segment)\n- 11 were 50+ seats\n- 22 of 38 had joined in the past 18 months\n- Exit survey reasons (multi-select, 30 responses): price 17, missing payroll integration 12, poor onboarding 9, switched to all-in-one suite 8\n\nChanges in Q2-Q3\n- List price raised 12% for small business plans on June 1.\n- Customer success coverage for under-50-seat accounts moved from named CSMs to a pooled inbox in May.\n- Payroll integration roadmap slipped from Q2 to Q1 next year.\n\nOther inputs\n- One sales rep (Brandon) said in a team meeting: \"Honestly I think our logo scares people, it looks old.\"\n- Competitor Fennix launched a bundled HR+payroll suite in July (from their press release).\n- NPS for 50+ seat accounts stayed flat at 41.\n\nEngagement lead note: partner wants the tree ready for Monday's steering slide.","rules":[{"type":"codeBlocks","count":1},{"type":"maxCodeLines","max":25},{"type":"maxProseWords","max":20}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Not showing the JSON shape","why":"The AI picks its own nesting and key names, which the deck tool can't read.","fix":"Show a one-branch example with the exact keys.","checks":["codeBlocks","r0"]},{"title":"Overlapping branches","why":"The AI makes branches like \"Price\" and \"Value\" that cover the same ground.","fix":"Name the split: \"3 branches: who left, why they left, what we changed.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Data points that aren't in the material","why":"The AI fills gaps with general industry facts.","fix":"Add: \"Each data_point quotes a number or fact from the material.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Promoting an anecdote","why":"One rep's opinion gets a branch of its own.","fix":"Add: \"Don't use the single rep's anecdote anywhere.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Long explanations around the code","why":"The AI explains the MECE logic for a paragraph.","fix":"Add: \"Output only the code block, at most one short line before it.\"","checks":["maxProseWords","maxCodeLines"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Asks for JSON","patterns":["json"]},{"label":"Shows the keys","patterns":["question","branches","hypothes","data_point"]},{"label":"Fixes the branch count","patterns":["\\b(3|three)\\b.{0,15}branch"]},{"label":"Grounds the data points","patterns":["from the (material|data)","quote","only facts"]},{"label":"Excludes the anecdote","patterns":["anecdote","brandon","logo"]}],"hint":"An issue tree is only as good as its split and its evidence. Show the exact JSON shape with one example branch, name the 3 branches, and say what doesn't count as evidence.","rubricLabels":["The JSON has a question key with the renewal question and a branches array of exactly 3 branches, each with a name, exactly 2 hypotheses and a data_point","Each data_point is a fact from the material (such as 27 of 38 under 50 seats, 12% price rise on June 1, pooled inbox in May, price cited 17 times)","Doesn't use Brandon's logo comment as a branch, hypothesis or data point"]}