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| Criterion |  Operations Accountability Ladder |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Systems Thinking Iceberg Model |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | With defensive reactions to problems, the method shifts the view from justification to ownership. It makes visible which reaction stage a person or team is currently stuck on. | 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. | The Iceberg Model separates visible events from patterns, structures, and mental models. This turns a single observation into a deeper understanding of why a problem keeps recurring. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1-4 h | 30-60 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 3-8 | 2-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Ownership Reflection, Action Commitment, Coaching Notes | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Iceberg Worksheet, Pattern Notes, Intervention Ideas | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | ResponsibilityLeadershipTeam | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Systems thinkingRoot causePatterns | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality |