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| Criterion |  Decision Making Cynefin Workshop |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When problems are unclear, chaotic, or only seemingly familiar, standard recipes fall short. A Cynefin Workshop sorts situations by the nature of their problem and connects them with matching action logic. | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. | 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. | When an initiative depends on many people, interests, and power dynamics, Stakeholder Mapping systematically orders the environment. It shows who influences, who is affected, and where relationship management or safeguarding matters first. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 60-180 min | 45–90 min | 1-2 h | 60–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-20 | 3-10 | 4-12 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Cynefin Map, Domain-specific Actions, Sensemaking Notes | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | ComplexitySensemakingDecision | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange |