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Criterion
A 5 Whys working surface connects an observable problem with evidenced causes, marked uncertainty and concrete countermeasures with ownership.
Operations
5 Whys
Stakeholder Mapping
Facilitation
Stakeholder Mapping
Paper illustration for Root Cause Analysis.
Operations
Root Cause Analysis
Purposedifferent
For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description.When an initiative depends on many people, interests, and power dynamics, Stakeholder Mapping systematically orders the environment. It shows who influences, who is affected, and where relationship management or safeguarding matters first.When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another.
Complexitydifferent
LowLowMedium
Timedifferent
15-30 min60–90 min1-4 h
Participantsdifferent
2-62-83-8
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Root cause notes, CountermeasuresStakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk NotesProblem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan
Tagsno overlap
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange
Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident
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Often compared together

Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration for 8D Problem Solving.
Operations
8D Problem Solving
Paper illustration for Alignment Mapping.
Facilitation
Alignment Mapping
Paper illustration of Power-Interest Grid with a method-specific labelled workspace.
Facilitation
Power Interest Grid
Paper illustration for Root Cause Tree Analysis
Operations
Root Cause Tree Analysis