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| Criterion |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |  Facilitation Six Thinking Hats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | When a group needs a solid decision without outvoting individual factions, a Consensus Workshop creates a negotiable common ground. It makes agreement, reservations, and open tensions discussable at the same time. | When a topic gets stuck too quickly in the same thinking mode, Six Thinking Hats deliberately separates the perspectives. This means facts, risks, creativity, and emotional signals get worked through one after another instead of mixed together. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 1-3 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | 5-30 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas | Perspective Notes, Decision Inputs, Action Items |
Tagsno overlap | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment | FacilitationOptionsDecision |