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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Systems Thinking Polarity Mapping |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Polarity Mapping makes tensions between two opposing poles tangible, such as standardization and adaptation or control and autonomy. The method guards against making apparent either-or decisions prematurely. | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 1-2 h | 30-60 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-12 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership | Root causeQualityOperations | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality |