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| Criterion |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Operations ALPEN Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures. | With an overloaded day full of too many tasks, a realistic picture of the day emerges. The method connects estimating, deciding, and buffer thinking so planning fits available energy and time. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 45-90 min | 20–45 min | 10-20 min daily |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-5 | Small cross-functional group | 1 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async |
Outputdifferent | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes |
Tagsno overlap | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations |