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| Criterion |  Innovation Lotus Blossom |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 45-90 min | 1-2 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-8 | 4-12 | 5-30 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment |