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| Criterion |  Product Strategy SMART Goals |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Product Strategy OKRs |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When goals are formulated too generally, it brings measurability, direction, and timing into shape. It prevents intentions from staying without clear verification. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | When strategic direction needs to become measurable, it connects ambition with checkable results. It makes goals connectable to focus and review. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-30 min | 2-6 h | 1-2 h Setup | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 3-10 | 2-20 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | SMART Goal, Measurement Note, Deadline | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | OKR set, Measurement plan, Review cadence | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | GoalsPlanningMeasurementAlignment | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | GoalsAlignmentOutcomesMeasurement | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |