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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Futures Wheel |  Facilitation Mind Mapping |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Facilitation 3-Circle Venn Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 topic is still unclear and too many thoughts surface at once, Mind Mapping creates an open surface for ordering them. It makes connections, subtopics, and starting points visible without fixing them too early. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. | When three perspectives matter at the same time, a Three-Circle Venn Diagram shows the overlaps and remainders precisely. It makes visible where shared effect arises and where only a partial perspective applies. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 15-45 min | 1-2 h | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1-10 | 4-12 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Venn Diagram, Overlap Notes, Differentiators |
Tagsno overlap | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | ComparisonFacilitationAlignment |