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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Polarity Mapping |  Systems Thinking Rich Picture |  Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |  Decision Making Decision Matrix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 30-90 min | 90-180 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-10 | 4-12 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs |