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| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking Rich Picture | ![]() Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology | ![]() Decision Making Constraint Analysis | ![]() Decision Making Argument Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Soft Systems Methodology helps explore unclear or politically charged problems systematically. Instead of forcing a quick answer, the method builds a shared understanding of perspectives and room for action. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 0.5-3 Tage | 30-90 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | 5-15 | 2-8 | 1-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | SensemakingDecisionRationale |



