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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Decision Making Risk Matrix |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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 an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | When a project faces many possible disruptions, it quickly becomes unclear which risks deserve attention first. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Risk Matrix and a Top Risk List. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 30-90 min | 30-60 min | 20–45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 | Small cross-functional group |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Risk Matrix, Top Risk List | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | RiskDecisionPrioritizationAssessment | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning |