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| Criterion | ![]() Facilitation Six Thinking Hats | ![]() Business Strategy TOWS Matrix | ![]() Decision Making Constraint Analysis | ![]() Business Strategy GAP Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a topic gets stuck too quickly in the same thinking mode, Six Thinking Hats deliberately separates the perspectives. This means facts, risks, creativity, and emotional signals get worked through one after another instead of mixed together. | The TOWS Matrix connects internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats into action-oriented strategies. It goes a step further than a pure stocktaking. | 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. | GAP Analysis compares the current state with a target picture and makes the distance manageable. It becomes useful when, ahead of new initiatives, it must become clear which capabilities, processes, or resources are missing. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 1-2 h | 30-90 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 | 3-10 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Perspective Notes, Decision Inputs, Action Items | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | FacilitationOptionsDecision | StrategyAnalysisOptions | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | StrategyAnalysisPlanning |



