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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  Decision Making Cynefin Workshop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures. | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | When problems are unclear, chaotic, or only seemingly familiar, standard recipes fall short. A Cynefin Workshop sorts situations by the nature of their problem and connects them with matching action logic. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 0.5-3 Tage | 20–45 min | 45-60 min | 60-180 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-15 | Small cross-functional group | 2-8 | 4-20 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Cynefin Map, Domain-specific Actions, Sensemaking Notes |
Tagsno overlap | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | ComplexitySensemakingDecision |