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Criterion
Paper illustration of Futures Wheel with its method-specific working model.
Systems Thinking
Futures Wheel
Decision Tree method illustration showing its working structure
Decision Making
Decision Tree
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
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.For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch.In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumLow
Timedifferent
60-120 min30-90 min20–45 min
Participantsdifferent
3-101-6Small cross-functional group
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic SignalsDecision Tree, Option Map, Assumption ListRisk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log
Tagsno overlap
ForesightSystems thinkingSignals
DecisionTreeOptions
RiskDecisionFailurePlanning
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration for Constraint Analysis.
Decision Making
Constraint Analysis
Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing
Paper illustration for Failure Scenario Analysis.
Engineering
Failure Scenario Analysis
Red Teaming method illustration showing its working structure
Decision Making
Red Teaming