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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Futures Wheel |  Systems Thinking Systems Mapping |  Systems Thinking Behavior Over Time Graph |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Systems Mapping arranges elements, relationships, and boundaries so a complex field becomes legible at a glance. The overview stabilizes the overall picture before detail work or steering begins. | A Behavior Over Time Graph shows how a metric or observation develops over time. The method makes trends, breaks, and recurring patterns visible that get lost in snapshots. | A Future Reality Tree shows how desired actions are meant to lead to a better system state. The method checks whether a path of change holds together logically before time flows into implementation. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 1-3 h | 20-45 min | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-12 | 1-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | Behavior Over Time Graph, Trend Hypotheses, Key Events | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections |
Tags1 shared | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | Systems thinkingPatternsDynamics | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange |