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| Criterion |  Decision Making Pareto Analysis |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |  Facilitation Dot Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In many problem situations, effect is distributed unequally across many causes. A Pareto Analysis separates the few drivers with high leverage from the long remainder and focuses attention on what measurably moves the needle. | 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. | When a workshop has produced too many options and the group needs to condense quickly, dot voting makes preferences visible in a short time. It bundles individual votes into a solid signal for the next selection. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 1-2 h | 1-3 h | 5-15 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 4-12 | 5-30 | 3-20 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Pareto Chart, Top Causes, Focus List | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas | Ranked list, Consensus signal, Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | PrioritizationQualityFocusRoot cause | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment | FacilitationVotingConsensusPrioritization |