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 Systems Mapping |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | 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. | A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 2-6 h | 45-90 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-8 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics |