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Criterion
Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
Paper illustration of a Concept Map with concepts and labelled links
Knowledge Modeling
Concept Mapping
Paper illustration for Trade-off Analysis.
Decision Making
Trade-off Analysis
Purposedifferent
When several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic.In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures.Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly.With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowMediumMedium
Timedifferent
45-90 min20–45 min1-2 h45-120 min
Participantsdifferent
2-8Small cross-functional group1-82-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected OptionRisk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption logConcept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge GapsTrade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides
Tagsno overlap
DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs
RiskDecisionFailurePlanning
KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking
TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions
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