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| Criterion | ![]() Innovation Lotus Blossom | ![]() Operations 5 Whys | ![]() Innovation Brainstorming |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | When a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 15-30 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-6 | 4-12 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence |
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.






