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| Criterion |  Innovation Brainstorming |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |  Innovation Lotus Blossom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development. | 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. | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. | When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 45-90 min | 2-8 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 | 2-5 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | Lotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop |