View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology | ![]() Decision Making Red Teaming | ![]() Knowledge Modeling IBIS | ![]() Knowledge Modeling Concept Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 0.5-3 Tage | 1-4 h | 1-3 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 5-15 | 3-8 | 2-8 | 1-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Challenge Findings, Risk Register, Mitigation Plan | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps |
Tagsno overlap | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | RiskDecisionSensemaking | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking |



