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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Iceberg Model |  Systems Thinking Rich Picture |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The Iceberg Model separates visible events from patterns, structures, and mental models. This turns a single observation into a deeper understanding of why a problem keeps recurring. | A Rich Picture brings an unclear situation onto a shared drawing. It captures actors, tensions, information flows, and blind spots before the team jumps to solutions too early. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | High | High |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 30-90 min | 2-6 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | 2-10 | 3-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Iceberg Worksheet, Pattern Notes, Intervention Ideas | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingRoot causePatterns | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline |