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| Criterion |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-6 | 2-8 | 1-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale |
Tags1 shared | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | DecisionTreeOptions | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | SensemakingDecisionRationale |