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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Polarity Mapping |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Decision Making Trade-off Analysis |  Facilitation Six Thinking Hats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Polarity Mapping makes tensions between two opposing poles tangible, such as standardization and adaptation or control and autonomy. The method guards against making apparent either-or decisions prematurely. | 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. | With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects. | When a topic gets stuck too quickly in the same thinking mode, Six Thinking Hats deliberately separates the perspectives. This means facts, risks, creativity, and emotional signals get worked through one after another instead of mixed together. |
Complexitysame | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 1-2 h | 45-120 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 4-12 | 2-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Trade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides | Perspective Notes, Decision Inputs, Action Items |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions | FacilitationOptionsDecision |