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Criterion
Paper illustration for Constraint Analysis.
Decision Making
Constraint Analysis
Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing
A 5 Whys working surface connects an observable problem with evidenced causes, marked uncertainty and concrete countermeasures with ownership.
Operations
5 Whys
Purposedifferent
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.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.For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description.
Complexitysame
LowLowLow
Timedifferent
30-90 min45-90 min15-30 min
Participantsdifferent
2-82-82-6
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision BoundariesAssumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning PlanRoot cause notes, Countermeasures
Tagsno overlap
ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions
AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration for Kepner-Tregoe
Operations
Kepner-Tregoe
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
Paper illustration for Root Cause Analysis.
Operations
Root Cause Analysis
Paper illustration for 8D Problem Solving.
Operations
8D Problem Solving