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Criterion
Paper illustration for Alignment Mapping.
Facilitation
Alignment Mapping
Paper illustration of Leverage Points with its method-specific working model.
Systems Thinking
Leverage Points
Four paper stations connect system purpose, quality goals, risk cards and focused investigation with a target and gap profile.
Architecture
LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
Paper illustration of the McKinsey 7S Framework with seven connected fields
Business Strategy
McKinsey 7S
Purposedifferent
When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable.Leverage Points show exactly where interventions in a system produce a disproportionate effect. It draws relationships, patterns, and feedback loops. The result is captured as a leverage map and action strategy.LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail.McKinsey 7S checks whether Strategy, Structure, Systems, Shared Values, Skills, Style, and Staff fit together. Organizational misalignments become visible across multiple levers as a result.
Complexitydifferent
MediumHighMediumMedium
Timedifferent
1-2 hHalf day3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional2-4 h
Participantsdifferent
4-123-121 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people3-12
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision QuestionsLeverage Map, Action StrategyLean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checks7S Assessment, Alignment Gaps, Change Actions
Tagsno overlap
AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation
Systems thinkingChangeStrategy
ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean
OrganizationStrategyAlignmentChange
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