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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Systems Mapping |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Knowledge Modeling Concept Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Systems Mapping arranges elements, relationships, and boundaries so a complex field becomes legible at a glance. The overview stabilizes the overall picture before detail work or steering begins. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | 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. | 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 | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 1-8 | 2-8 | 1-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | SensemakingDecisionRationale | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking |