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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Evaporating Cloud |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  Systems Thinking Stock and Flow Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The method makes visible why two seemingly incompatible demands arise and which assumption must be tested to resolve the conflict. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations. | A Stock and Flow Diagram shows how stocks, inflows, and outflows shape a system over time. It is especially suited when growth, delays, or capacity limits determine the dynamics. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 45-90 min | 1-3 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | 2-8 | 1-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Conflict Cloud, Assumption List, Breakthrough Ideas, Next Experiments | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | Stock and Flow Model, Dynamics Notes, Simulation Hypotheses |
Tagsno overlap | Theory of ConstraintsAssumptionsSystems thinking | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | DynamicsSimulationFeedbackSystems thinking |