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| Criterion |  Innovation Brainstorming |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. | When a group needs a solid decision without outvoting individual factions, a Consensus Workshop creates a negotiable common ground. It makes agreement, reservations, and open tensions discussable at the same time. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 45-90 min | 1-3 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 | 3-8 | 5-30 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |