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| Criterion | ![]() Facilitation Lean Coffee | ![]() Knowledge Modeling IBIS | ![]() Facilitation Consensus Workshop | ![]() Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a group without a fixed agenda needs to get into useful conversations quickly, Lean Coffee structures the start around interests rather than a presentation. The group itself negotiates which topics get time first and which wait. | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | 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 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 | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 1-3 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 | 2-8 | 5-30 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized Topics, Discussion Notes, Action Items | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | FacilitationAutonomyDialogue | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |



