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| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology | ![]() Systems Thinking Rich Picture | ![]() 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. | 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. | 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 | 30-90 min | 1-4 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-15 | 2-10 | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Challenge Findings, Risk Register, Mitigation Plan | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | RiskDecisionSensemaking | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery |



