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| Criterion | ![]() Facilitation Mind Mapping | ![]() Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology | ![]() Decision Making Argument Mapping | ![]() Knowledge Modeling Concept 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. | Soft Systems Methodology helps explore unclear or politically charged problems systematically. Instead of forcing a quick answer, the method builds a shared understanding of perspectives and room for action. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 0.5-3 Tage | 1-3 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 5-15 | 1-8 | 1-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | SensemakingDecisionRationale | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking |



