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| Criterion |  Operations After-Action Review |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Agile 4Ls Retrospective |  Agile Mad Sad Glad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. | When a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time. | When a team's or workshop's mood needs to become readable, it structures emotional signals with little setup. It makes strain, relief, and sources of energy tangible. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 45-90 min | 45–75 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-8 | Team members involved | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | 4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement Actions | Emotion Board, Themes, Action Items |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam | RetrospectiveTeamReflection |