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| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology | ![]() Systems Thinking Rich Picture | ![]() Decision Making Assumption Surfacing | ![]() 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. | A Rich Picture brings an unclear situation onto a shared drawing. It captures actors, tensions, information flows, and blind spots before the team jumps to solutions too early. | 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. | 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 | 30-90 min | 45-90 min | 60-180 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-15 | 2-10 | 2-8 | 4-20 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Cynefin Map, Domain-specific Actions, Sensemaking Notes |
Tagsno overlap | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ComplexitySensemakingDecision |



