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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  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 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 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 | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 0.5-3 Tage | 20–45 min | 30-90 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 | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Cynefin Map, Domain-specific Actions, Sensemaking Notes |
Tagsno overlap | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | ComplexitySensemakingDecision |