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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Futures Wheel |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|
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 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. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 30-90 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |
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