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| Criterion | ![]() Operations After-Action Review | ![]() Systems Thinking Futures Wheel | ![]() Agile 4Ls Retrospective | ![]() Agile Sailboat Retrospective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | The Futures Wheel helps explore the consequences of a decision, a trend, or a strategic move in a structured way. It makes visible which first, second, and third-order effects could arise from an event. | 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 wants to read momentum, brakes, and risks together, it offers an easily understandable picture of the situation. It makes drive, obstacles, and headwind visible in the same picture. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 60-120 min | 45–75 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-10 | Team members involved | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | 4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement Actions | Sailboat Board, Risks, Improvement Actions |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam | RetrospectiveTeamImprovement |



