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Criterion
Paper illustration of a Polarity Map with two poles and four quadrants
Systems Thinking
Polarity Mapping
Rich Picture workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Systems Thinking
Rich Picture
Paper illustration of Decision Rights Mapping with its method-specific working model.
Decision Making
Decision Rights Mapping
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.A Rich Picture brings an unclear situation onto a shared drawing. It captures actors, tensions, information flows, and blind spots before the team jumps to solutions too early.In organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowMedium
Timedifferent
1-2 h30-90 min90-180 min
Participantsdifferent
3-122-104-12
Formatsame
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance ActionsRich Picture, Problem Framing NotesDecision Rights Matrix, Agreement
Tagsno overlap
Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership
Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization
DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration for Accountability Ladder
Operations
Accountability Ladder
Paper illustration for CATWOE Analysis.
Systems Thinking
CATWOE Analysis
Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix