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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |  Product Strategy Impact Mapping |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Systems Thinking Theory of Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Future Reality Tree shows how desired actions are meant to lead to a better system state. The method checks whether a path of change holds together logically before time flows into implementation. | When a goal needs to be connected to several possible paths, it shows chains of impact instead of feature lists. It connects business goal, behavior change, and measures. | 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. | Theory of Change translates a desired impact into a traceable chain of change. It makes assumptions, intermediate goals, and measurement points visible before a program is rolled out at scale. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 45-90 min | 30-90 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-8 | 2-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections | Impact Map, Outcome Hypotheses, Delivery Options | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Theory of Change Map, Assumptions, Outcome Measures |
Tagsno overlap | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange | OutcomesStrategyBehaviorPlanning | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | ImpactOutcomesSystems thinkingStrategy |