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Criterion
Rich Picture workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Systems Thinking
Rich Picture
Paper illustration of a Polarity Map with two poles and four quadrants
Systems Thinking
Polarity Mapping
A structured reflection surfaces what was liked, learned, lacked, and longed for. It is a conversation format and does not validate actions automatically.
Agile
4Ls Retrospective
Paper illustration for Mad Sad Glad
Agile
Mad Sad Glad
Purposedifferent
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.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 a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time.When a team's or workshop's mood needs to become readable, it structures emotional signals with little setup. It makes strain, relief, and sources of energy tangible.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumLowLow
Timedifferent
30-90 min1-2 h45–75 min30-60 min
Participantsdifferent
2-103-12Team members involved3-10
Formatsame
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Rich Picture, Problem Framing NotesPolarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement ActionsEmotion Board, Themes, Action Items
Tagsno overlap
Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization
Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership
RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam
RetrospectiveTeamReflection
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