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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |  Systems Thinking Systems Mapping |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Systems Mapping arranges elements, relationships, and boundaries so a complex field becomes legible at a glance. The overview stabilizes the overall picture before detail work or steering begins. | 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. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 1-3 h | 30-60 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-12 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | Root causeQualityOperations | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality |