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Criterion
Paper illustration of Futures Wheel with its method-specific working model.
Systems Thinking
Futures Wheel
A structured reflection surfaces what was liked, learned, lacked, and longed for. It is a conversation format and does not validate actions automatically.
Agile
4Ls Retrospective
Paper illustration of a review with planned work, actual event sequence, comparison, and assigned improvement actions.
Operations
After-Action Review
Purposedifferent
The Futures Wheel helps explore the consequences of a decision, a trend, or a strategic move in a structured way. It makes visible which first, second, and third-order effects could arise from an event.When a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time.After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowLow
Timedifferent
60-120 min45–75 min20-45 min
Participantsdifferent
3-10Team members involved3-12
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement ActionsLessons learned, Action items, Event summary
Tagsno overlap
ForesightSystems thinkingSignals
RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam
LearningOperationsImprovement
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Often compared together

Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration of a team retrospective with three separate Start, Stop, and Continue areas and a shared action list.
Agile
Start Stop Continue
Paper illustration for Learning Review.
Operations
Learning Review
Paper illustration for Sailboat Retrospective
Agile
Sailboat Retrospective