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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Systems Thinking Leverage Points |  Business Strategy McKinsey 7S |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. | 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. | 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. | 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 | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | Half day | 2-4 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 3-12 | 3-12 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Leverage Map, Action Strategy | 7S Assessment, Alignment Gaps, Change Actions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | Systems thinkingChangeStrategy | OrganizationStrategyAlignmentChange | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |