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| Criterion | ![]() Facilitation Mind Mapping | ![]() Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis | ![]() Facilitation 1-2-4-All | ![]() Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a topic is still unclear and too many thoughts surface at once, Mind Mapping creates an open surface for ordering them. It makes connections, subtopics, and starting points visible without fixing them too early. | 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 many people in a group too rarely get to speak, 1-2-4-All distributes thinking time more fairly. The format builds participation step by step and makes quiet or still-unformed thoughts usable faster. | 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 | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 45-90 min | 10-20 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 3-8 | 4-100+ | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Idea List, Shared Insights, Emergent Themes | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | FacilitationInclusionIdeation | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |



