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Criterion
Gap Analysis method illustration showing its working structure
Business Strategy
GAP Analysis
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
Paper objective sheet with five SMART fields, baseline, target, owner, deadline and a complete result statement.
Product Strategy
SMART Goals
Paper illustration for Alignment Mapping.
Facilitation
Alignment Mapping
Purposedifferent
GAP Analysis compares the current state with a target picture and makes the distance manageable. It becomes useful when, ahead of new initiatives, it must become clear which capabilities, processes, or resources are missing.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.When goals are formulated too generally, it brings measurability, direction, and timing into shape. It prevents intentions from staying without clear verification.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.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowLowMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 h20–45 min15-30 min1-2 h
Participantsdifferent
2-8Small cross-functional group1-84-12
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk NotesRisk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption logSMART Goal, Measurement Note, DeadlineAlignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions
Tagsno overlap
StrategyAnalysisPlanning
RiskDecisionFailurePlanning
GoalsPlanningMeasurementAlignment
AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation
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