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| Criterion |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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 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 | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 45-90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |
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