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Selected:Soft Systems MethodologyTeam Cognitive Load AssessmentPolarity MappingSailboat Retrospective
| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology |  Team Design Team Cognitive Load Assessment |  Systems Thinking Polarity Mapping |  Agile Sailboat Retrospective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When a team juggles too many domains, systems, or handoffs, it measures mental overload as an organizational problem. It clarifies responsibility, interaction, and load between teams. The result is captured as a cognitive-load profile and action list. | Polarity Mapping makes tensions between two opposing poles tangible, such as standardization and adaptation or control and autonomy. The method guards against making apparent either-or decisions prematurely. | When a team wants to read momentum, brakes, and risks together, it offers an easily understandable picture of the situation. It makes drive, obstacles, and headwind visible in the same picture. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 0.5-3 Tage | 60-90 min | 1-2 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-15 | 3-12 | 3-12 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Cognitive Load Profile, Action List | Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions | Sailboat Board, Risks, Improvement Actions |
Tagsno overlap | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | TeamComplexityImprovementDiagnosis | Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership | RetrospectiveTeamImprovement |