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| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking Futures Wheel | ![]() Facilitation Mind Mapping | ![]() Facilitation Consensus Workshop | ![]() Innovation Brainstorming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 a group needs a solid decision without outvoting individual factions, a Consensus Workshop creates a negotiable common ground. It makes agreement, reservations, and open tensions discussable at the same time. | When a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 15-45 min | 1-3 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1-10 | 5-30 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence |



