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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Polarity Mapping |  Systems Thinking Rich Picture |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |  Systems Thinking CATWOE 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. | 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. | When an initiative depends on many people, interests, and power dynamics, Stakeholder Mapping systematically orders the environment. It shows who influences, who is affected, and where relationship management or safeguarding matters first. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 30-90 min | 60–90 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-10 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders |