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| Criterion |  Facilitation Dot Estimation |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When size or effort can only be estimated roughly, Dot Estimation condenses the group's experience into a quick range. It turns individual contributions into a visible selection. The result is captured as an Effort Heatmap, Risk Signals, and Discussion Targets. | 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 a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. | 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 | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 5-20 min | 1-2 h | 30-60 min | 60–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 | 4-12 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Effort Heatmap, Risk Signals, Discussion Targets | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | EstimationEffortRisk | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | Root causeQualityOperations | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange |