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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Systems Thinking Stock and Flow Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | 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. | A Stock and Flow Diagram shows how stocks, inflows, and outflows shape a system over time. It is especially suited when growth, delays, or capacity limits determine the dynamics. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 30-90 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | 2-8 | 1-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Stock and Flow Model, Dynamics Notes, Simulation Hypotheses |
Tagsno overlap | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | DynamicsSimulationFeedbackSystems thinking |