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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Iceberg Model |  Systems Thinking Rich Picture |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Tree 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. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 30-90 min | 1-4 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | 2-10 | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Iceberg Worksheet, Pattern Notes, Intervention Ideas | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingRoot causePatterns | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality |