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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Polarity Mapping |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Facilitation Six Thinking Hats |  Decision Making Trade-off Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 30-90 min | 45-90 min | 45-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 1-6 | 4-12 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Perspective Notes, Decision Inputs, Action Items | Trade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership | DecisionTreeOptions | FacilitationOptionsDecision | TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions |