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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Decision Making Red Teaming |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For strategic decisions with high reach, agreement and gut feeling are often not enough. Red teaming brings deliberate opposition into the situation and tests where a plan breaks under real counterarguments. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 0.5-3 Tage | 20–45 min | 1-4 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-15 | Small cross-functional group | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Challenge Findings, Risk Register, Mitigation Plan | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | RiskDecisionSensemaking | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery |